Inner Awareness

Becoming Aware Of Our Inner Self

 Man: A Multiple Personality

Are all these “I”s one ? Are all these “I”s one ?

I am Hungry Son/Daughter

I am Angry Student

I am Happy/Sad Friend

I feel betrayed Indian

ANIMATE THIS SLIDE

 Hotel As An Example

o Ground Floor - gym, swimming pool, food plaza etc. – PHYSICAL

o First Floor - Gallery, music room, auditorium, etc. – VITAL-EMOTIONAL
o Second floor – conference room, board room, library etc. – MENTAL

o Receptionist and Security – EGO

o CEO – Invisible, not easily accessible, the REAL boss – Who is this ?
 Ego

• “The ego is what makes one conscious of being separate from

others. If there were no ego, you would not perceive that you are a
person separate from others. You would have the impression that you
are a small part of a whole, a very small part of a very great whole.”
• Without ego, we are a “flock”; without independent action.
• Ego was necessary for man to evolve independently and grow
• However, today ego has begun to dominate all aspects of man and
prevents him from growing further

• “Ego was the helper; Ego is the bar.”

 Temperaments/Gunas : A Spiritual Classification

Sattwic: The quality that illumines and clarifies

The quality of Light, Harmony, Purity and Peace

Rajasic: Quality that energises and drives to action

Sattwic
Passion, struggle impelled by desire and instinct

Tamasic:Quality that hides and darkens Rajasic Tamasic

ignorance, inertia and obscurity, incapacity and inaction

Each of us has all three in us. The dominant of the three

determines our temperament.

 Who is the “Real You”?

• Something independent of body, mind, vital and ego.

• A Divine Presence
• Various names : Soul, Atman, Spirit

• Various Descriptions:
• Satyam – Shivam – Sundaram
• Love, Light ,Delight, Beauty
Understanding The Mind
Ames Room: Perception Warps Reality
 Tricks of the Mind

• Placeholder for indicating examples of how

mind can deceive
• Limitations & Deceptions
• Limitation: Reconcile the Opposites
 Mind: A Definition

Mind is associated with THOUGHTS, IDEAS,

INTELLIGENCE and WILL
 Mind : Definition

Where is Mind ?
Observation For 2 min

Which Region of body is the mind located ?

Sit erect, breath deeply and try to locate the mind

If there are thoughts, breathe deeply, start again

 Reactions & Responses Of The Mind

MIND

Influence Impulses

Perception Action
through Senses through Limbs

Perceptions Actions
 Test Your Mind
We make the most important decisions of our lives using our mind

Our mind should be under our control – that is to help us do what we

want and help us avoid what we don’t want.

Let us THINK about… A Monkey

2 minutes continuously

Raise your hand if you drift off-topic, and resume

Let us NOT think about… A Cat

2 minutes continuously

Raise your hand if you fail, and resume

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 Limitations Of The Mind

Continuous thinking… No control

• How many thoughts do we have per day
MIND
Elements that influence the mind
• Senses : See, Hear, Touch, Taste, Smell
• Emotions : Anger, Depression, Love, etc.
• Desire & Ego – “I like”, “I don’t like”, etc.

What is Closed Mentality

• Ideas, Thoughts, Opinions, Dogmas, Doubts…
• Family Conditioning, Social Conditioning, National
Conditioning
• Can we break our mold?

Then, how do we overcome the limitations of the

Mind ?
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Culturing The Mind – Theory

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 Culturing The Mind – Practice

Step 1: Observation
Observe the thoughts come and go. Observe the thinking. Don’t flow with the thoughts.

Step 2: Detachment
I am not the thoughts. I am separate from the thoughts. “I” can step back and detach
from the thoughts.

Step 3: Control
When I can see thoughts come and go, I can decide which ones to permit and which
ones to deny. I decide not to think about some things. I control the course of the flow of
thoughts.
Meditation: Thoughts flow on a specific idea
Concentration: Focus is on one specific idea, thought or object

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 What Is Concentration
• What is Concentration
– Focus on ONE idea, thought or object for an extended period of time
• What is your length of concentration
– Presently about 8 seconds for an adult & decreasing year over year

• Elements that reduce concentration

– Drugs destroys your mind & concentration
– Sexual Indulgence
– Alcohol
– Excessive Hard Rock music
– Gaming
– Mobile phone
– Screen-gazing – more than 4 hours
– “Extrovert” lifestyle
– Explosive Emotions
 Improving Concentration
• Long term Approach:
– Observe & Become Aware your mind’s inability to concentrate
– Resolve to work on improving concentration; Avoid justification
– See patterns of distractions – what causes you to lose focus
– Clear life of known problems
• Drugs, Excessive indulgence
– Balanced emotional behaviour
– Do exercises for improving concentration
• Conscious Behavior-training, Candle gazing, etc.

• Short-term Approach – For Exams, etc.

– Reduce contact with others
– Avoid gaming, avoid arguments, etc
– Pranayam, Meditation
– Sleep very well
 What Is Meditation

Letting the mind flow gradually on ONE THEME

Different meditation techniques

Several hundred ways to meditate - Depends on what you want
Peace, Silence, Quiet
Expansion Of Consciousness – Sky, Ocean, Sun, Stars, Breeze
Awareness/Mindfulness Meditation
Mantra Meditation ( TM, etc.)
Music Meditation
Kundalini Awakening Meditation
Visualization Meditation
Open-eye meditation
Dynamic Meditation
Many more 1
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 Inner Awareness

• Initially in all of us Outer Awareness dominates

• Inner awareness grows by training & sensitivity

• “At first inner consciousness seems to be a dream and

the outer the waking reality. Afterwards the inner

consciousness becomes the reality and the outer is

felt by many as a dream or as something superficial”

• Inner Self perceived of as a being of Love, Light, Delight,

Beauty
 Inner Awareness Meditation
o Sit comfortably.
o Breathe slowly, naturally and deeply for 2 minutes.
o Rhythmic Breathing :
o Inhale Deeply, Exhale Slowly (1:2, if possible)
o Do not let mind wander; Hold the attention steadily between
eye-brows while you do the breathing
o Building Self-Awareness:
o Become aware of your entire body, beginning at the top of
your head, steadily going down to the tips of your toes, and
then back slowly to the top of the head. Repeat 2-3 cycles.
o Remember, energy follows attention.
o One can experience a “quiet mind” through this meditation
o This can be the first part of extended meditations
 Words Of Sri Aurobindo

o A quiet mind does not mean that there will be no thoughts or mental
movements at all, but that these will be on the surface and you will
feel your true being within separate from them, observing but not
carried away, able to watch and judge them and reject all that has to
be rejected…
o By quiet mind I mean a mental consciousness within which sees
thoughts arrive to it and move about… but does not identify with the
thoughts
o At first the peace and calm are not continuous, they come and
go…avoid impatience
 Understanding Our
Emotions & Energies
(Vital Being)
 Vital Being : Definition

Emotions & Energies

Aka Vital Being : Happiness, Fear, Anger, etc.

Location :??
Some Emotions – Middle of the body, stomach ?
Some other emotions – Finger tips, Palms ?
Yet some emotions – all over the body ?
Some emotions change our thought patterns

Awareness
Emotions effect the mind & body
 Vital Being : Strengths

Happiness
Devotion
Artistic Talent
Wideness
Peace
Altruism

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 Vital Being : Weaknesses

Anger
Insecurity
Fear
Greed & Jealousy
Lust
Excitement & Depression
Restlessness
Self-pity
Egoistic feelings –
Often Ego uses Vital as the breeding ground
Struggle between “good” vs. “pleasant”
Shreyas–vs.–Preyas

“All Weakness Strength Hiding Itself From Its

Own Vision“
– Sri Aurobindo
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Culturing The Emotions – Theory

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 Culturing the Emotions: Practice

Step 1: Observation
Observing your emotions. When do you get this emotion? What
triggers this emotion? How do you react?
Step 2: Detachment
Breathe deeply. Close your eyes. Do not get carried away.
Emotion is not You. You are not the emotion. By practice you
can separate yourself from the emotion.
Step 3: Control
You can either accept or you can refuse this emotion. The
emotion does not need to overpower you. You can control your
emotions from affecting your body, mind and feelings. You can
remain calm while gradually the mind and body regain
normalcy.

Improves with practice.

Learn from experience and prepare for next time.

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 People Who Make You Feel Positive/Negative

POSITIVE NEGATIVE

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.

This list is for your reflection and for your own personal use in future
You can write in ANY LANGUAGE
 Self-assessment – Write 5 each (or more)

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.

STRENGTH: Emotion that make you a better person, a strong person

WEAKNESS: Emotions that make you weak, that take control of you
 Overcoming Anger

First you have to consent to change

Agree that anger is doing harm to your life

Accept that your emotion controls you and you are out-of-control

Agree that you have to change this behaviour and that you will

Stop justifying your undesirable behaviour

Remember that ONLY you can change yourself

And you have the WILL POWER to do so

 Overcoming Anger: Identify Causes
Narrow down to trigger points
Is it recent or are you always angry ?
Does it happen in a particular setting – work, home, driving ?
Is it with one person or one set of people, or with most people
Work environment, school friends who tease, etc.
Does it have anything to do with you monthly cycles ?
Is it a hidden FEAR that is making you angry ?
Fear of losing something, being exposed, being embarassed, losing control
often, multiple emotions often lie joined together
List down the causes as best as you can
Why were you angry the last two times
 Overcoming Anger: Understand Your Responses

How do you respond

Lose control of your words, emotions & actions
Argue Loudly
Hit someone
Break something
Say things you regret
Cry
Hurt Yourself
Become quiet
Become depressed
Leave the place
Shivering of body
Palpitations
Other responses ??
 Overcoming Anger: Short Term & Long Term
Short Term
Plan ahead
Smile & Look outside
Breathe Deeply
Drink some water
Separate issue from person
Look from opposing vie point
Delay discussion
Ask for a moderator
Go for a walk
Listen to your fav music
Long Term
Resolve to work over long-term
Practice regularly to help
reduce anger
• Step back through the day
• Pranayam, Meditation
Maintain diary – steady
decrease is success
Be persistent
Pray
 Overcoming Anger: Plan To Change

Root Cause
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

What will you do differently, next time ?

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

You can write in any language you feel comfortable

Understanding Our Body
 Understanding Our Body
What Is Our Body Made Up Of ?
Five elements : Air, Water, Fire, Earth, Ether
Five sense-organs : Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, Skin
Temperament : Sattwic, Rajasic, Tamasic

Accept your body

How much control do you have on your body ?
Skin complexion
Body configuration
Almost ZERO control on how you look
Don’t crow or cry about what you couldn’t control

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 Body Awareness

Observe yourself and become aware

How much work can you do comfortably?
How restless are you ? Can you sit still for 10 minutes ?
How much rest/sleep do you need?
What food makes you feel lazy?
Which senses are more refined in you ?
Observe energy variation through the day
Which form of exercise do you enjoy ?
What do you connect most with – Earth, Water, etc.?

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 “We Are The Genie In The Bottle”

Excessive Identification With Body

Pics From childhood to teenage.. And now Facebook
When we think of someone what do we remember
Does our photo do justice to who we are

Are we more than the body ?

Centring & Inner Awareness meditations to help realize this

Story of ASHTAVAKRA

We have an assembly of cobblers

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 Exercise

How many of you HAVE TO exercise regularly

What exercise does your body need

What exercise do you enjoy

Regularity – 3 times a week

Breathing is an important pre-requisite for proper

exercise

Rest you already know

Best way to reduce stress
Makes you look younger
Helps Build Stamina, Better health
Controls weight
Better sleep
Keeps brain sharper
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 Food

Eat Healthy
Eat Timely
Rest… you already know
Water – VERY important
Noodles kill your liver
Pizza (commercial) is unhealthy
Coke is an antibiotic
Veg – Non-veg – doesn’t matter for you right now

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 Sleep & Dreams

Sleep
How much sleep do I need ?
Recommended 7 to 9 hours
Increases stamina, improves memory/creativity
“Indians sleep least”

Learn How to sleep for Max benefits

Prepare yourself for 15 minutes
No TV or talking
Calm down
Conscious Breathing, Peaceful reading, etc.

Deep Sleep is a journey to our innermost self

Re-energises us completely
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 Sleep & Dreams
How many here do not dream ?

Common dreams… Let’s Write on Chart

Floating/Flying
Falling/Drowning
Death/Dying
Falling teeth
Missing a train, plane, boat, etc.
Naked in Public
Unprepared for exam

Dreams Around important events – Marriage, etc.

Categories of Dreams :
Most dreams (70%-90%) are ”noise” from the day
A few dreams are symbolic of your inner state/journey
A few more are indicative of future
A rare few are Blessings/Visions

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 Health & Illness

“Illness is a habit of the body”

Build a strong foundation before 30 years of age
Become aware – catch the illness before it catches you
Illness has its roots in your lifestyle
See patterns in Illnesses & eliminate causes
Reduce Illness by 80% - 3 Things
Care In Food, Sleep, Exercise

Avoid antibiotics as much as possible

Homeopathy & Ayurveda work very well for minor ailments

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 Words Of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother

Physical nature is slow and unwilling to change…takes long

periods of time for little progress

For changing the outer-being discipline is indispensable

If the peace descends, the restlessness will disappear

It is this material consciousness into which we are seeking to

bring first the higher Light and Power and Ananda…

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