Self awareness is key. Eckhart Tolle said ‘rather than being your thoughts and feelings, be the awareness behind them’. The other day I was having a moment of self-doubt in my mind. I’d had a challenging conversation that really tested me at the end of a long day. I felt exhausted and emotional, and started to get in my head. I find it’s during these times when I draw on my practice of Reiki and yoga the most. After a few moments, I suddenly became more aware of my thoughts, and it was in that moment that I was able to pause, and remember that I am not my thoughts – my thoughts are separate from me.
Self awareness is key
We tend to attach to our thoughts and feelings as if they were facts. Things run through our mind and we tend to believe them, especially if we are in an emotional state. The problem is that our thoughts are mostly limited mental constructs created in our mind from information that we’ve learnt from past experiences. But the power is always in the present moment – never in the past and not in the future.
Our conscious mind is limited
Our conscious mind can’t take in everything in our surroundings. It can only hold a limited amount of information, otherwise our head would explode from over-stimulation. We delete, distort and generalise information that is relevant or irrelevant for us, depending on what we focus on. For example, I notice yoga studios everywhere, but I miss all the automobile garages as they’re not so relevant in my mind.
We are not our thoughts
Understanding that we are not our thoughts or emotions gives us a chance to take back power over our mind. Instead of attaching to our thoughts and believing everything we think, we have the opportunity to take a moment, create some space, and remember that our thoughts are simply reflecting whatever we are choosing to focus on. If I decide to focus on how generous people are, I will start noticing all the generosity and acts of kindness people do in the world. But if I decide to focus on how horrible people are, then I will start noticing all the mean and horrible acts people are committing everywhere. What I choose to focus on will give rise to the kinds of thoughts that come up in my mind, which will have a huge impact on how I feel in any one moment.
The key to self awareness is focus
When you catch yourself starting to spiral downhill, and your mind is creating negative thoughts that are dis-empowering, pause. This is a good opportunity to re-focus your mind on something more positive. It’s in this moment of self-awareness that we create choices and empower ourselves. Once we become aware of our thoughts and emotions, we stop being the thought or emotion. We are able to make conscious decisions to direct our life in a more empowering way.
Having trouble?
If you are having trouble stepping into your power, or stopping the negative spiral of thoughts in your mind, Reiki can help. Through Reiki healing, you can start to feel more relaxed and calm in your mind. You can allow yourself to connect back to what is most important. To book in for a Reiki healing, click here.
