The subject of Tantra and anything Tantric regularly makes references to men and women being aware and being in a state of awareness. Other frequently used words are consciousness, duality, and polarity. But for anyone starting out and interested in learning more, these words may appear confusing, or perhaps convoluted. But what does being aware and having awareness mean when we talk about Tantra?
What is Awareness in Tantra?
We can't talk about Tanta without bringing up the subject of awareness. So what does awareness mean then?
When someone can recognise or observe what is happening to their body as well as what is going on in the environment around them, then they have awareness. When you are paying attention and noticing things, you are being aware. And awareness doesn't have to be on a massive scale to be important, it can be big or little.
If two people are sharing a conversation and both people failed to notice the colour of the other's hair or that it was day or night outside, then their level of awareness is only to the banter and nothing else. The more you observe and acknowledge, the more aware you become.
Why is Being Aware Important?
It is by learning to be more aware that allows us to be more present and in greater control of our lives. We are more in tune with our emotions, and feelings, and understand what is going on in our bodies, what is taking place inside our minds, why we have the feelings and thoughts that we do, and how we should handle them.
Over time, slowly but surely, we get to know our sense of self, which is the centre of who we are, and that acts as our foundation and support structure.
To maintain a state of awareness means to perceive life from the vantage point of our foundation, or who we are. We observe and feel the stressful and joyful ups and downs of life while keeping an overall perspective and navigating through drama and tension.
Consider a towering office building in a city as an example. We can only see a few metres around us when we are on the ground floor or in the lobby. The higher we go up, stopping at each floor, the more we realise there is a sprawling metropolis all around us. We can see how streets crisscross each other and how they are connected, where there is traffic congestion, which routes to circumvent, where the places of interest to us are, and which route to take to get to where we want to go.
The same is true in our daily lives: the more aware we are, the more options we have. We are no longer playing the role of the victim or being the cold methodical robot operating according to our subconscious's pre-existing patterns, programmed behavioural routines, and automated scripts.
Awareness lifts us to the high point of life, helping us to better understand who we are and our place in the world, promoting delight and joy over suffering and tension.
How Can You Be More Aware and Have More Awareness?
It is a journey, and it will not happen overnight or even at the weekend, but it is possible to train yourself to be aware and bring more awareness into your life.
A simple approach to beginning this journey is to pay attention to what we see via our senses.
Allow us to taste the many pieces of a meal as we eat. Allow ourselves to fully experience the sensations that arise in our bodies if we have a massage or receive touch. Let us actively appreciate the scent of the flowering trees, or feel the gentle breeze against our skin, while we are strolling in a park.
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The information contained above is provided for entertainment purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice on your personal situation and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. The Writer and Shoshin Therapies disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.
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