I teach a variety of different skill-sets from a variety of traditions. The goal of the whole thing, however, is liberation… freedom. Currently, most of the people in the world are slaves to their programming… neurological slaves. Whatever patterns are in their nervous system, are basically who they are. Most of us have no idea what patterns we are living out. There are methods of changing this.
Some call it creating ‘space’. Some call it discovering the ‘true self’. Some refer to it as ‘liberation’. I prefer to look at it as ‘becoming free’. Becoming free is essentially retraining your nervous system for the unlimited choices of action and experience that are our rarely realized birthright.
There are three basic skills you have to understand and develop in order to truly develop freedom. There are tons of techniques and variations, and there are many other things that can be added in for quicker results. The core of freedom, however, comes from awareness, acceptance, and de-hypnosis.
Awareness is the most commonly taught skill of meditation. It is also called focus, alertness, or mindfulness. It is essentially paying close attention. With the practice of awareness, we gradually become more perceptive on a holistic level, and we also develop the ability to be much more alert to subtle variations in minor details.
There are thousands of techniques to develop your awareness, but the easiest tends to be focus on the sensations in the body. You can pick just one (feelings associated with breathing, the movement of your spine, the smile on your face, your feet touching the ground, etc.), or you can pay attention to all sensations that arise anywhere in your body. Note the particular sensation (warmth, relaxation, tension, pain, etc.), the shape, and any movement that might occur.
The second skill of freedom is acceptance. Acceptance is also known as non-judgment and non-interference. Acceptance is overcoming the need to force your experience of the world to be a certain way.
To begin developing your acceptance, think of someone or something you don’t like; you can even use a concept that you don’t care for. When you think of the disliked thing, notice the sensations that arise in your body. Tension is the most common. If possible, notice the internal images and internal talk as well. Whatever arises, simply allow it to be. There is no need to fight it or resist it. You may choose to redirect it, but you have to fully experience and understand it in order to do this.
Once you begin to develop your acceptance, you can add it in to the practice of awareness. When you are noting your body sensations in day-to-day life, you can just allow them to be: accept them! Eventually your perception and your experience will start to flow.
The final skill is de-hypnosis. De-hypnosis is nothing more than the awareness and acceptance that we are hypnotized, and the desire to examine that programming in order to discard what doesn’t serve us. De-hypnosis is a very involved and potentially complicated process, and it can’t be fully explained here. The best way to start, however, is to consider a philosophy or belief to which you are ardently opposed, and pretend for a while that you believe it. Use your skills of awareness and acceptance with whatever thoughts or feelings that come up.
For your next step on the path of de-hypnosis, you can take some daily task you perform (your job is a good example), and consider all the possibilities that could occur if you didn’t do it. What opportunities would end? What opportunities would open? If it all seems too obvious, then use your awareness to look a little deeper.
Achieving true freedom is a real challenge. But for those who are prepared to meet the challenge, it is incredibly rewarding. The skills of awareness, acceptance, and de-hypnosis will guide you on your path!
benjamin langley has been studying and training in meditation, yoga, and other sciences of the mind for over 10 years. he regularly writes and shares insights on his own blog. come take a look: http://peacefulprosperity.com/blog
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