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We show you seven exercises on the way to self-knowledge
If we recognize ourselves, we discover what incredible potential there is in crises. And that we can only find true happiness in ourselves, in the here and now. We show you seven exercises on the way to self-knowledge.
We believe that only a few things would have to be done differently so that we can feel completely happy. If our partners, bosses, parents, friends would only change a little. Do not do it. And that's not how it works.
"Be yourself the change that you desire for this world, " says Mahatma Gandhi. Only when we ourselves are ready to change can everything in our world turn around for the better.
But to understand that, to internalize it, we first have to recognize ourselves, accept and love what is. And for that we first have to wake up and become aware of ourselves. For it is precisely this self-knowledge that characterizes true self-consciousness.
7 Guide to self-knowledge
1. "Being present"
Mindfulness is the key to self-knowledge. There is nothing to do, because this exercise is all about watching our thoughts and feelings openly for four minutes to see that all these sensations come and go like the clouds in the sky. We look at our thoughts from a distance, without becoming entangled in them. We just let her go. We are in the here and now.
2. "Listen inside"
Aware of the suffering that comes from hate and anger, we are determined to be mindful of the energy of ascending anger in order to recognize and transform the seeds that are in the depths of our consciousness. If negative feelings come up, we breathe consciously in and out several times. We look at our emotions from a distance and try to see those we see as the cause of our anger with compassionate eyes.
3. "arrive at yourself"
We activate all our senses: we are where we are without interpreting. We perceive the light, see contours, colors, materials. We are aware of the presence of all these things. This includes the space in which we are. The sounds around us that we acknowledge without judging. And the silence that envelops everything. We pick up an object, touch it, feel its contours and confirm its existence. Now we focus on the breath, feel the inhalation of the life energy through our body. Exhaling lets go of all the stressful things. We allow ourselves to be simple and allow the so-being of all things. We merge with the energy field that surrounds us until the separateness between us and our body merges into a unity. Finally, we dive deeply into the here and now.
4. "Pay attention to the body"
What happens in the body? Whatever we do, we try to focus part of our attention on our inner energy field from today. We perceive our body from within, so to speak. And this body awareness helps us stay in the present and gain self-knowledge .
5. "Staying alert"
No matter what we do, we focus our entire attention on what we are doing. When we cook, we stick to it, when we write something, we do it carefully. We focus on speaking, reading, eating. If other thoughts come up, we take note of them and return to the present and to what is currently in demand.
6. "How do I feel?"
We observe ourselves, register our feelings, our senses. "Am I relaxed at this moment?" That's a good question we can occasionally ask ourselves. Or: "What is going on inside me?" We give as much attention to what is inside as to the outside. And as soon as the interior is harmonious, the outside harmonizes as well.
7. "Immerse in the silence"
Now we meditate for 20 minutes. We look for a place where we are undisturbed, turn off the phone, close your eyes and just focus on the flow of our breath. Meditating means nothing else than being there. Now. In doing so, we open up our inner space in which we can rest whenever we want. We come in contact with our essence, our strength and perhaps also with our irrepressible zest for life.
Text: Christiane Schönemann
More about self-knowledge can be found in the Happinez booklet "Awakening" - available in the Happinez Webshop
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