Raising your consciousness is about waking up and bringing yourself into the present moment.

It is about being more aware of who you are, what you are doing, and how you are behaving. It is being congruent with your values and how you are living. Being more conscious is experiencing all that is true at this one moment in time with the realization that this is all there is. When we live in the past or the future we are doing this from our mind and not from what is happening in the current moment. It is more like living in our imagination. I am not saying that the past did not happen or that it is wrong to plan for the future, but that it can take us away from what is happening in the moment. This is not about being present 24 -7 but about increasing the time that we live in awareness in the present moment.

When I live in the present moment it grounds me in my body, with what is happening in myself in relationship to others and I feel such a sense of aliveness. Colors are brighter and richer, and I notice things I did not see before. I feel as if I am holding all of creation in my awareness and that brings such gratitude within me. The most alive I have ever been is in these moments of awakening to the present moment. I choose to be open to this consciousness in joy and in pain. It is a habit to live unconsciously and we can make new habits of living consciously. Try it for yourself.

1. One of the first things you may want to do is to recall a moment or moments where you felt fully alive to yourself, someone else or an event. Ask yourself the following questions: What that felt like and how did you get there- to that full presence? What stood out for you in that moment? See if you can find more than a few times that you felt this connection to the NOW. Would you like to be more fully alive? If so, what do you think you could do to bring yourself into this experience more often? Now that you have done your own self-analysis we have some suggestions for you below.

2. Take time to breathe deeply. After interviewing many people in regards to how to stay conscious in life I received one constant answer –“Breathe”! This is something that I personally have been teaching clients in order to lower stress and bring back body awareness. As I kept getting this as the first answer on being more conscious I was shocked and amused.

Doing deep breathing really does bring you into your body awareness This is a way to reconnect to yourself, your body and your feelings. It can help you come out of the fog of body numbness and be very grounding. Take time several times a day to do 3 deep breaths. You can set your smart phone, an alarm on your computer or do your deep breaths in relation to something you do consistently on a daily basis.

3. Bring yourself into the present moment. You can incorporate this with your deep breathing. Once you have done your deep breathing you can take a moment to notice the colors and textures around you. Deeply experience the color or the texture. If you see the color blue or red for instance imagine what blue or red tastes like, smells like – really experience the color. It is by bringing your conscious awareness to the moment that you wake up to yourself and your life more deeply. Bringing yourself fully present with someone you are in relationship with can be amazing. Experiment with being fully present to what arises with your friend, loved one, child or even your pets. Let go of everything you think you know about them and take them in anew. See how that feels and if there is any shift in how you see them or yourself.

4. Connect with your body and ground your awareness there. You may want to do this when you are not driving or working. Give yourself some space and time to connect with your body. You can begin with your breath. You can do the deep breathing or you may just want to notice your breath. Notice yourself breathing in and breathing out. After you have done this a few minutes begin to scan your body from head to toe. Just NOTICE without judgment see what you are feeling and experiencing in your body. What is it like to be in your body? Are there any sensations in your body that you attempt to get away from? If so, is this part of why you might be staying disconnected from your body and the present moment? I know that I have stayed unconscious at different times in an attempt to deal with various pains. As I become aware of this it helps me to see that my body may be asking for some healing, tenderness or care. Even in pushing myself to work longer hours sometimes I may be so into what I am doing that I forget to eat, drink water or move around. As you begin to be more aware of your body you might find this leads to better self-care and lower levels of stress! It certainly has for me.

5. Develop your Witness self. Co-founder Debbie de la Cuesta and I have been evolving our work on becoming aware of and integrating our shadow side. We have also integrated the work on Spiritual Intelligence by Cindy Wigglesworth, in our work with clients. In all of this a key skill for personal, relational and professional development is to evolve your Witness self. The Witness is the part of you that can observe yourself and the larger situation without judgment. As you develop your Witness self you can watch your actions, reactions and behaviors in various situations. From this perspective you can act as a best friend or a coach. You may take your observations to your coach or therapist to help you sort out how to live more congruently with your values and behaviors.

“As you develop your Witness self it can help you see when your ego gets triggered, which can help you be more effective at work, in leadership roles, and of course in your personal relationships. Getting a hold on your ego can make a tremendous difference in your whole life. This is not about getting rid of your ego or making it bad or wrong. Our egos are important and help us navigate life and survive. When our ego runs the show however it can get us into trouble in power struggles or make us less effective in many areas of our home and business lives. The development of your Witness self brings you into the present moment. It also assists you in increasing your Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence. Debbie and I see the Witness self as the bridge to the development of your Higher Self, Best Self or your Noblest Self. That is a blog for another day.”

Try some of these suggestions for one week or better yet one month, and see if you become more connected to yourself and the present moment. You may also observe from your Witness self how your behavior may change or where you might like some coaching support.

About the Author

Veronika is a personal and executive coach and Amazon best selling author. She and has been in private practice for over 25 years and is certified as a Spiritual Intelligence Coach through Deep Change. Her focus is on making a positive impact in the world through education in emotional and spiritual development. She works internationally as a coach and an educator. Veronika helps entrepreneurs, authors, coaches and therapist develop their message and learn how to create products, programs and videos to grow their business. She loves doing Spiritual Intelligence, personal and executive coaching as well. She also is the creator and host of Consciousness NOW TV. Read more about Veronika.

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