Self Awareness

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi there,

My name is Sebestian, and I am new to posting, long time reader.

I need some assistance as I have reached an impasse on my journey in life.

I desperately want to live a yoga lifestyle. I feel I have achieved a certain level of self understanding. I know who I am and who I want to be.

But while I strive to achieve certain ideals I continue to fall short. I want so badly to be a good person. However, I cannot help but let stress and anxiety fuel my reactions.

My question is: How long did it take you to become the person you wanted to be.

#2

We are all works in progress, Sebestian. Join the club.

I think I am ahead of most in the my journey to self-realization :wink: To become a full fledged god. I call it operation divine transformation. It all begins at the level of intellect. The more objective, dispassionate, honest and introspective you are, the quicker your ascent to self-realization. Cultivate your powers of discrimination and detachment. Contemplate regularly and read as much contemplative and philosophical literature as you can, the literature of Samkhya, Yoga and Vedanta is highly recommended. I have literally read hundreds of books on philosophy.

I also recommend a preliminary path which others will find abhorrent, but which I have found to be a catalyst in bringing one to pure yogic life. This is the path of Vama Tantra, indulge in sex, meat, gambling, intoxicants and any vice you can think of(provided it brings no harm to another) Break the rules, challenge all taboos. Explore all your desires. Indulge, indulge and indulge. Indulge to the point where you are sick of the human world and the human playground and every recreation it has to offer. Then you will want to get out of the human world as fast as possible. Then Yoga is your best friend. Become a god, the delights of the human world pale to insignificance before the delights of the god.

Next time you have sex, eat a delicious item of food, enjoy the thrills of some activity contemplate on how fleeting and impermanent the pleasure is, the inevitability of loss and disappointments, death and disease in life, how truly pathetic your human form is, you are but a glorified animal - and dispassion will start to grow in you. You will reach a point where everything that once gave you delight will disgust you.

#3

Hello Sebestian,

To answer your question directly…

I am still not the person I want to or hope to be. However I’m also not the person I was.

#4

[QUOTE=Sebestian;75980]I feel I have achieved a certain level of self understanding. I know [B]who I am [/B]and [B]who I want to be[/B].[/QUOTE]

A true understanding of “[B]who am I[/B]” i.e. one’s true inner nature, would not lead to “[B]who I want to be[/B]”, perhaps determine any misidentifications you may have of “[B]who am I[/B]”.

[QUOTE=Sebestian;75980]My question is: How long did it take you to become the person you wanted to be.[/QUOTE]

I never became the person I wanted to be instead wants, desires, this and that began dissolving.

You may be interested in a free read: http://realization.org/page/doc0/doc0004.htm

#5

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;75981]I also recommend a preliminary path which others will find abhorrent, but which I have found to be a catalyst in bringing one to pure yogic life. This is the path of Vama Tantra, indulge in sex, meat, gambling, intoxicants and any vice you can think of(provided it brings no harm to another) Break the rules, challenge all taboos. Explore all your desires. Indulge, indulge and indulge.[/QUOTE]

More like a [I][B]bhogi[/B][/I] eh? Surely there are 1001+ ways; for me attractions and aversions simply distracted but I will admit I passed through it.

#6

Dear Sebestian,
Do you think is it right to be desperate for something which itself advocate Non-attachment?
once you know that you know then how can you grow?
The best you can do is to find out the root cause of your stress/anxiety and work on that.
Live well…

-If i am angry with you because your behavior doesn’t fill my model of how you should be, thats my problem for having models. No expectations no upset. If you are liar and cheat thats your karma, if am cheated thats my work to do on myself. “Ram dass”

love& peace

[QUOTE=Sebestian;75980]Hi there,

My name is Sebestian, and I am new to posting, long time reader.

I need some assistance as I have reached an impasse on my journey in life.

I desperately want to live a yoga lifestyle. I feel I have achieved a certain level of self understanding. I know who I am and who I want to be.

But while I strive to achieve certain ideals I continue to fall short. I want so badly to be a good person. However, I cannot help but let stress and anxiety fuel my reactions.

My question is: How long did it take you to become the person you wanted to be.[/QUOTE]

#7

Sebastian,

I think the subject of your OP may have been better stated as “Self Identity,” and not " “Self Awareness,” because you immediately identify your Self as whom you “know” and “want” it to be, neither of which are “Awareness.”

You want to be a “good person?” You don’t want stress and anxiety to fuel your “reactions?” How does one not react? Simply by not identifying Self with that stress, anxiety or reaction. Like this:

“I am not this stress.”
“I am not this anxiety.”
“I am not my reaction.”

This is Self awareness. Make this your mantra for the day and see if you don’t become more of whom you would like to be. If we are concerned with “how long” it takes, we never get there: it is forever right now.

peace,
siva

#8

[QUOTE=Sebestian;75980]Hi there,

My name is Sebestian, and I am new to posting, long time reader.

I need some assistance as I have reached an impasse on my journey in life.

I desperately want to live a yoga lifestyle. I feel I have achieved a certain level of self understanding. I know who I am and who I want to be.

But while I strive to achieve certain ideals I continue to fall short. I want so badly to be a good person. However, I cannot help but let stress and anxiety fuel my reactions.

My question is: How long did it take you to become the person you wanted to be.[/QUOTE]

Sebestian,
Most people live two types/sides of their personality i.e. real personality (the way we are born with individual differences in terms of body, intellect, emotions, potentials, etc) and idealist personality (the way we think we are and should be).
Minimum difference between these two sides of personlity ensures maximum life satisfaction and happiness.
I have not just wrote above words here in terms spirituality - as one of contributor say “who I am” … but in terms materialism (as one aspect of our personality).
There is not such quick fix solution to reduce difference between both types of personality (mentioned in first paragraph). It does take time, which vary from one individual to another. It needs understanding "the SELF’ (your total personality), with its potentiality and; guidance.
It is important to understand one’s potentiality. To illustrate, 10 persons willing to be an Architect… but only few will actually become an Architect who has more potentials (apptitude in mathematics, drawing, spacial ability, etc) than other.
So, be yourself. Live life the way you are and the way you are meant to be.

#9

im most of the times who i wanna b… it took…hmmm about 10-12 years of hard work, loses, tears, joy, lost faith, new gurus, …etc…not what makes me happy is settling in the present moment and understanding of contentment of every moment, knowing about my eterbal self as a part of the universal evergy, good relation

#10

just remind the quote of [B]Tim Scott[/B]

I think the question is who am I? That’s what we all should be asking ourselves. Who am I? Well, if I am first a Christian conservative then that dictates my response to all questions so my response first as a Christian conservative is to vote consistent with my value system.

you definitely got a answer…

#11

Please do not gauge time frame of other person. Everything is here, right now. Don’t keep desire to become anything. Just be with what u already are and live in NOW.

#12

The journey is never ending…

#13

[QUOTE=Yogi Baha;77595]The journey is never ending…[/QUOTE]

Thank god, what would we do if we had nowhere to go.

#14

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;75981]We are all works in progress, Sebestian. Join the club.

I think I am ahead of most in the my journey to self-realization :wink: To become a full fledged god. I call it operation divine transformation. It all begins at the level of intellect. The more objective, dispassionate, honest and introspective you are, the quicker your ascent to self-realization. Cultivate your powers of discrimination and detachment. Contemplate regularly and read as much contemplative and philosophical literature as you can, the literature of Samkhya, Yoga and Vedanta is highly recommended. I have literally read hundreds of books on philosophy.

I also recommend a preliminary path which others will find abhorrent, but which I have found to be a catalyst in bringing one to pure yogic life. This is the path of Vama Tantra, indulge in sex, meat, gambling, intoxicants and any vice you can think of(provided it brings no harm to another) Break the rules, challenge all taboos. Explore all your desires. Indulge, indulge and indulge. Indulge to the point where you are sick of the human world and the human playground and every recreation it has to offer. Then you will want to get out of the human world as fast as possible. Then Yoga is your best friend. Become a god, the delights of the human world pale to insignificance before the delights of the god.

Next time you have sex, eat a delicious item of food, enjoy the thrills of some activity contemplate on how fleeting and impermanent the pleasure is, the inevitability of loss and disappointments, death and disease in life, how truly pathetic your human form is, you are but a glorified animal - and dispassion will start to grow in you. You will reach a point where everything that once gave you delight will disgust you.[/QUOTE]

So much great information that I never would have found on my own. Thanks!Top to bottom ? excellent blog post. Loved the opening quote and the way you incorporated that story into your message was wonderful !

#15

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;75981]We are all works in progress, Sebestian. Join the club.

I think I am ahead of most in the my journey to self-realization :wink: To become a full fledged god. I call it operation divine transformation. It all begins at the level of intellect. The more objective, dispassionate, honest and introspective you are, the quicker your ascent to self-realization. Cultivate your powers of discrimination and detachment. Contemplate regularly and read as much contemplative and philosophical literature as you can, the literature of Samkhya, Yoga and Vedanta is highly recommended. I have literally read hundreds of books on philosophy.

I also recommend a preliminary path which others will find abhorrent, but which I have found to be a catalyst in bringing one to pure yogic life. This is the path of Vama Tantra, indulge in sex, meat, gambling, intoxicants and any vice you can think of(provided it brings no harm to another) Break the rules, challenge all taboos. Explore all your desires. Indulge, indulge and indulge. Indulge to the point where you are sick of the human world and the human playground and every recreation it has to offer. Then you will want to get out of the human world as fast as possible. Then Yoga is your best friend. Become a god, the delights of the human world pale to insignificance before the delights of the god.

Next time you have sex, eat a delicious item of food, enjoy the thrills of some activity contemplate on how fleeting and impermanent the pleasure is, the inevitability of loss and disappointments, death and disease in life, how truly pathetic your human form is, you are but a glorified animal - and dispassion will start to grow in you. You will reach a point where everything that once gave you delight will disgust you.[/QUOTE]

Surya,

What about the Bodhisattva?

siva

#16

I like the siva post which distinguishes awareness from identity then further allows a person to express their true identity by active intentions.

Awareness is not a cure anyway. Please excuse me, but this seems like a behavioral thing. You might look into other tested models (like rational therapy or anger management tricks, though I have no idea what is causing you pain).

I am who I want to be, and I try to ignore the bad things that happen because I sincerely try to live well. I do hope to be more ideal, of course. Every decade seems more personally ideal, though it’s a short life and by the time I get wisdom I wont need it.

#17

Awareness has no preference.

#18

yes self awareness should be when you no any about of awerness you we cant do any thing so that i think awareness should be must

#19

yes self awareness should be have because if i have knowledge then i can do other we can also do wrong so that

#20

Unlike what most of us are told, or our wishful thinking is, yoga is not a bed of roses. Repeated failures is a hallmark. Then what keeps us going? Our disenchantment with the material life and the promise of yoga.

But there is something else that happens to most of us; but goes unnoticed in our engrossment with yoga tools and techniques. If one reads the seniors like Surya Deva and InnerAthlete, the key-word is “self-tranformation”. Yoga is not a journey from any point in time-space to another. It is the consciously changing self. We continue to ‘become’ and finally ‘be’ that.

This transformation is not skin-deep; it is total & at the cell-level. But it is also remodeling the existing structure. Do you think the cells change without giving a fight? Old habbits die quietly? Old reality easily surrenders to the new? Our body is grounded in status-quo. Yoga works on everything undesirable.

The something else, is a glimpse of our inner teacher. It is not a man/ woman, it is not in flesh, it is not just full of love, it is made from it. Its presence is light, but not the one we are used to which is just an object. This glimpse changes everything. There remains nothing in life that you won’t give up to learn at its feet.

Yoga thus becomes bed of roses; but we simply see roses not the thorns. Welcome aboard.