What does it feel like? 

When I wake up, I’m in bed. I feel my body wrapped with soft and warm blankets. Before I open my eyes, I listen to the sounds of the birds in my backyard. Some are close and some are coming from far away. They all have separate and distinctive tones for themselves. I try to connect their sounds to any of the spoken languages that I know. One sounds like it’s saying Tawareesh, Tawareesh, Tawareesh, which means friend in the Russian language. Another one says, BiDaka, BiDaka, Bidaka which means “wait a minute” or the one that I love, that says “panah ba khuda” “panah ba khuda” which in Farsi means “Trust in God.”

Very similarly, I am present wherever I am. Whether that place is at the beach or on the road, the office or at my friend’s house. Whether I am driving, cooking, cleaning or washing the dishes, I am present with my activity at that moment: listening, observing and feeling with no judgment - or mind chatter!

How I Used To Be?

What I used to do was to wake up with the sound of a horrible alarm clock, storm out of the bed and before I opened my eyes, I was in the shower. I’d finish as fast as I could because I was either late or was going to be late. I’d grab a store bought bagel to eat on the way to work while driving. 

When I was at my happy place, like the beach, I’d find something wrong to complain about. The weather was too hot, or it was too windy or raining. Even if it was a perfect day, I’d feel guilty for being there if my children were not with me. 

Years passed by, and I was not in my 20s or 30s anymore. I felt as if I could not afford to live with a negative attitude towards life anymore. 

The Journey Within...

I went on an inner journey to discover myself with meditation. Years later, I can finally comfortably say that I found and connected to my soul or my true self to know who I am and what I want. Practicing meditation was the best investment I ever made for myself. 

Now I realize that this journey does not need to be long, frustrating or full of doubts. There’s no need to wait for a spiritual awakening that might not happen on its own. All could have been done with just self awareness that comprised all three components needed to on an inward journey - the body, mind and the soul. 

The main thing that was missing from my practice was the connection of my soul with my logical mind and my body. Only understanding that body, mind and soul are separate entities, but working together to make us whole, could have been sufficient for me to live on a higher level of consciousness or state of being. All I had to do was to recognize, acknowledge, understand, connect, and trust my true self or my inner child. 

Self awareness is the reason for creating a healthy relationship with myself. Making peace with myself knowing that I’ll be okay, knowing that I’m not in control, knowing that I’ll embrace how events will unfold before me and knowing that I can trust my heart to guide me when I’m in doubt. As a result, I can make much better and faster decisions, I can say no very comfortably, I can control my thought patterns, and I prioritize my whole self wellbeing. 

Now What?

This is what I'm doing here. I’m trying to pave the way to self discovery and meditation much easier, and I hope to take you along this journey with me because once you discover yourself, you’ll find that all there is is the present moment. Nobody knows how it’ll unfold. Be ready to make one decision after another and be happy with whatever way it moves forward. And, self awareness is aligning your body, mind and soul at this moment so you can operate from your true self point of view. 

Q: How strong is your connection with your soul?