Consciousness, (the state in which we are conscious) is our essence, our true nature, the eternal; it is what remains of us when we leave the physical body. Consciousness is the Divine, the Source of life. Consciousness is everything.

The idea that we are only our mind is not correct. The mind is a necessary tool to navigate life on planet Earth. A kind of recording mechanism. The mind is not our identity or our essence. Our mind is given to us upon entering this planet and it is a wonderful mechanism.

The mind belongs to the human body. It is a kind of software created by the teachings and training to which we are exposed during different stages of our life, mainly childhood and adolescence. The mind also carries information from the collective.

Many people live their lives identified with their nationality, race, gender, religion, profession, and a set of beliefs. Those are superficial, random things. That is not who we are. The moment we begin to have a harmonious relationship with ourselves, know ourselves, wake up, meditate, and live our lives more in tune with our inner being, consciousness flourishes and brings us clarity.

The mind is powerful, and unless we enter its realm through meditation and self-observation, we may end up identifying too much with its content, which blocks us, causing us many problems and even insanity.

When we start to observe our mind, we become aware of its constant chatter, persistent internal voices coming from unfinished business in our lives. Many times when we solve specific problems, we stop thinking about them. In that case, the mind also serves as an alarm mechanism. The moment we stop identifying with all that babbling and start looking at its content, we can carefully see if those suggestions are the appropriate way to resolve our unfinished business.

When speaking with people with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), it is fascinating to observe that their minds are activated by events that resemble the original experience. This activation unleashes in the mind images and memories of the traumatic event, causing the person to feel overwhelmed with the accumulation of generated emotions that sometimes lead the victim to commit violent actions against themselves or others.

A mind is also an extraordinary tool that the collective has not explored appropriately. When we get lost in the drama of the mind and its suggestions, which I call internal gossip, we remain in a dark and limited place. But if we become centered and can focus its creative nature to improve our lives, we will take steps forward in our evolutionary process.

The most beneficial thing we can do for ourselves is to become aware that we can change using specific tools like meditation to stop identifying ourselves with the content of the mind and the triggers that cause us physical and emotional stress.

Little by little, this practice will lead us to enjoy a space of internal silence. In that space, we stop being the servants of the mind, exercising our ability to release blockages and function aligned and in synchronicity with the perfect flow that maintains the harmony of the universe.

Achieving silence in our minds is one of the most profound experiences we can have. The result of a silent mind is inner peace and balance. That space becomes the bridge to connect with our true nature: Consciousness.

The fantastic result of the practice of sitting silently observing our thoughts as a neutral witness, without identifying with them, is that the space between each thought becomes larger and larger, forging a direct path to our center, that place where Consciousness resides intact, eternal, omnipresent.

SIMPLE MEDITATION PRACTICES

• When a thought or feeling arises for or against a person or situation, do not project it outward towards the person or situation. Rather stay centered, directing all your attention with kindness and compassion towards your breath and your body.
• Just as you have the impulse to do something, stop. Remain focused on your breath for two or three minutes. Practice that throughout the day.
• When a wish comes to mind, consider it. Turn inward, focus your attention simultaneously on your heart, navel, and the inhalation and exhalation. Stay in that space for a few minutes. Then just let it go, let it go.
• When eating or drinking, slow down, close your eyes, and enter your inner world of the senses. Allow the taste of food or drink to wash over you and let yourself be filled by that sensation.