As much as I talk about the wonder of being human and the miracle of the body, it is important to understand that you are NOT your body. You are much more than your body.

You ARE . . .

• the ever present awareness that cares for your body.
• that which experiences your life and is profoundly present in every moment.
• the force that animates your body.
• the intelligence that breathes your body.
• the energy that moves your body.

As a concept, this is fairly accessible. As a way of living, it is elusive. It can be a struggle to hail from the ever present sea of awareness. We tend to over-identify with the body as the sum total of who we are and forget that the core of our being is boundless, pure consciousness. The resolution to this conundrum is NOT to dis-identify with the body as that leads to devaluing this amazing human experience.

Rather, begin to investigate, to inquire, to contemplate, Who am I? It’s fine to begin to answer this with who you think you are; I’m a writer, I’m a wife, I’m a seeker, I’m a business owner . . . These may be ways you’ve identified yourself – but do they speak to who you really are or do they speak to a persona that comes and goes?  Are the answers satisfying? Do they have substance, true substance? Or are they undependable, inconstant, and ever changing? Who is the I that endures? Who is the I that is asking the question?

Gangaji, a spiritual teacher and author, writes: “Unless this question has been truly answered, not just conventionally answered, you will still be hungry to know. The moment of recognizing that no answer has ever satisfied this question is crucial. It is often referred to as the moment of spiritual ripeness, the moment of spiritual maturity. At this point, you can consciously investigate who you really are. When you turn your attention toward the question, Who am I?, perhaps you will see an entity that has your face and your body. But who is aware of that entity? Are you the object, or are you the awareness of the object?”

And why would it matter one way or the other? Why bother to investigate? If you identify with what you DO in your life as who you ARE, then life can knock you around and cause great suffering. Who you truly ARE at the core of your being is constant, stable, unwavering certainty that holds a steadfast place for you to surf the tides of change rather than be swallowed by them. Worth exploring? If so, carry on . . .

Begin to question any assumptions you have made about who you are and what you truly want. When you begin to question the certainty of who you think you are, soften the edges of knowing and let go of any hard and fast identity, what’s left? Perhaps, with any luck at all, what’s left is the truth of who you are – boundless, pure consciousness that inherently contains love, peace, joy and fulfillment . . . A great place from which to experience this amazing human life.

Have a great week,

Carol

“So who are you? You are not objects out there, you are not feelings, your are not thoughts – you are effortlessly aware of all those, so you are not those. Who or what are you?

Say it this way to yourself: I have feelings, but I am not those feelings. Who am I? I have thoughts, but I am not those thoughts. Who am I? I have desires, but I am not those desires. Who am I?

So you push back into the source of your own awareness. You push back into the Witness and you rest in the Witness.” Ken Wilber

Tags: awaken, awareness, body mind, bodymind, conscious, internal awarness, spirit, spirituality

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