Day 8

Yesterday I was having a tea date with some of my friends, and one of them showed me an iphone app called “Lift”. It is a free app that keeps track of your healthy habits (eg. exercise, drink more water, floss, meditate, take vitamins, inbox zero etc). You just check off daily that you did the item, and then over time it will show you a graph of how often you followed through. It seems like it would be a really easy way to develop a healthy habit once you get started. And for those of you that are like me, you would feel like you let yourself down if you didn't “check off that box” for the day, so that would keep me going :) I think I will give it a try, thanks Zoey for sharing!

Today’s meditation was all about creating healthy habits. Whenever we have an experience, the mind is in one of three states: unconscious, aware or self-aware. The mind’s two main modes of operation, "unconscious" and "aware" are highly developed. When we act in the unconscious mode, the brain is able to take care of the body without needing specific detailed instructions - processing the five senses to keep us aware of our inner and outer worlds. However, in the unconscious state, health and well-being are generally left to chance and the critical mind-body feedback loop operates automatically without any awareness.

For example, if you light your fifth cigarette of the day without thinking, you are doing something unconsciously, which is the mode of operation that underlies habits. If you see yourself lighting the cigarette then you are aware. As you light that cigarette, self-awareness can step in - in that moment you may ask, “What am I getting out of this?”

When we begin to ask ourselves questions, we reflect on our behaviours, look at the larger picture and invite the answers to come to us - we may move even more into the place of self-awareness. When we are self-aware we begin to pay attention to our true self. The true self is where values and answers come from. Self-awareness moves us beyond the pathways in the brain that support fixed unconscious habits.

Imagine a situation in which you are angry, in that moment when you recognize you are angry you are having an aware thought. But knowing where your anger comes from invites a component of self-awareness into the situation, allowing you to recognize a pattern of behavior. You realize that old habits (eg. past outbursts) likely haven’t served you well, and you begin to take steps to transcend those habitual responses. Reality shifts when self-awareness enters and we start to take control with the help of our spirit. Becoming self-aware opens the door to lasting change and empowers us to make the healthy choices in every moment.

Centering Thought:

With awareness, I create healthy habits.

Sanskrit mantra:

Om Kriyam Namah. -  My actions are aligned with cosmic law.

Mindful Moment:

Throughout our days, we tend to repeat the same activities without thinking much about them. At some point, though, we become aware of these habits and, later, we may even become self-aware, wondering why these habits are part of our lives and deciding whether they benefit us.  Our entire journey together over these three weeks is one that will lead us to greater self-understanding. Examine your habits today. Ask yourself, “Why did I begin doing this?” and “does this benefit my body, mind, and spirit?” If you find yourself habitually engaging in activities that do not support your healthy lifestyle, begin taking steps to change those habits that do not serve you.

Interesting Links:

Live a more balanced life - Watch Deepak 

Use Your Space to Create Work-Life Balance

"Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes." —C.G. Jung