Self-awareness is one of Integral Life's core values. Whether we reflect on what we learn, how we interpret our lives, or the meaning we make of our experiences, self-awareness is essential to the learning process. And because the Integral map can be described as a map of human awareness, or a map of how we structure our life experience, self-awareness is a natural and inevitable benefit of an Integral Life.
How do you cultivate self-awareness? How does it serve your life's purpose and in what ways does the integral community help you to develop greater self-awareness?
How do I cultivate self-awareness?The easy answer is “practice, practice, practice”, but I think that begs the question.I’ve worked on internal development and increasing self-awareness for many years, but found that most techniques I tried just did not work for me, at least not in “real world” situations.I actually did better the first few years when I did not know much and just did what seemed right.However, in some cases I overdid it and ended up blasting my nervous system a few times.
I then started reading and going to various seminars, retreats, etc., thinking that I would find the answer there, but not a lot of luck.Part of the problem was that back in the 80’s and 90’s there were a plethora of teachers, but many of them of questionable quality.From an integral perspective, I look back and see that there were a lot of pre-trans confusions that went on, as well as teachers that were well developed in the spiritual line, but not so much in the psychological and sometimes moral line.
However, much of the problem was with myself and my tendency to think too literally and be too scientific (read that as flatlandish).I have commented previously under the inquiry of “How did you get here?” as to how I managed to get out of that perspective. However, once I got out of that, I found myself in the quandary of “What do I do now?”
So, I did my usual of reading 10-20 books until I found one that spoke to me and my issue.Interestingly enough, I found it in an older book by Peter Ralson entitled: “The Principles of Effortless Power.”While the title doesn’t seem like it would have much to do with an integral/spiritual path and the book orients around tai chi martial arts, the whole emphasis of the book was on progressively increasing self-awareness to the point of where I finally said “This is too much!”However, I persisted and found that what he states can be done and he expressed in a way that gave me little steps to pursue that made sense to “literal me”.But I still have a long way to go.
Shortly after I finished that book, he came out with a new book, “Zen Body-Being”, so I snapped it up and devoured it and was somewhat let down.His initial book is very pithy and deep and I had to re-read it several times to best understand it.The new one (written with his wife) was much easier to read, had little martial arts and was more for general spiritually oriented folks.However, by the second or third read of ZBB, I got caught up in it and started working on their techniques for “creating feeling” and over several months I was able to make another small but significant step up in self-awareness.I also often have my pain patients read those sections in an effort to give them some sort of tool to help manage their pain and stress.
While these books may seem mostly oriented toward increasing body awareness, Peter and Laura include other types of awareness, through references to feeling-sensation, feeling-awareness (page 30, ZBB), etc.From my own experience, the techniques I learned from practicing his techniques have been useful at all levels of my self-awareness.
Before learning these techniques, I mainly worked on self-awareness during my nightly meditation.However, since Peter is a world class martial artist, he emphasizes maintaining self-awareness during the most stressful of interactions.So, now I practice self-awareness while walking my dog, talking to people, in meetings, during…, well you get my drift.
I am presently taking his eCourse on the Principles of Effective Interaction. Each week for a year I receive a new discussion and assignment on what I am to be self-aware of this week in my interactions with other people: my reactions, thoughts, responses, underlying assumptions, fears, other people’s reactions and perspectives, etc.Again, it is broken down into more digestible bites and spread over a year, so at the end, I find I’ve come farther than I expected.
So, while this might not be for everyone, I thought that some members of the integral community might find it helpful, since the overall goal of these books and courses is to increase self-awareness in all areas, at all times and in all quadrants, not just while sitting quietly at home.Practicing what he has taught has helped me in making that awkward and sometimes difficult transition to the “real” world.
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Experiences in Cultivating Self-Awareness
Posted October 17th, 2008 by Mike BrelandHow do I cultivate self-awareness? The easy answer is “practice, practice, practice”, but I think that begs the question. I’ve worked on internal development and increasing self-awareness for many years, but found that most techniques I tried just did not work for me, at least not in “real world” situations. I actually did better the first few years when I did not know much and just did what seemed right. However, in some cases I overdid it and ended up blasting my nervous system a few times.
I then started reading and going to various seminars, retreats, etc., thinking that I would find the answer there, but not a lot of luck. Part of the problem was that back in the 80’s and 90’s there were a plethora of teachers, but many of them of questionable quality. From an integral perspective, I look back and see that there were a lot of pre-trans confusions that went on, as well as teachers that were well developed in the spiritual line, but not so much in the psychological and sometimes moral line.
However, much of the problem was with myself and my tendency to think too literally and be too scientific (read that as flatlandish). I have commented previously under the inquiry of “How did you get here?” as to how I managed to get out of that perspective. However, once I got out of that, I found myself in the quandary of “What do I do now?”
So, I did my usual of reading 10-20 books until I found one that spoke to me and my issue. Interestingly enough, I found it in an older book by Peter Ralson entitled: “The Principles of Effortless Power.” While the title doesn’t seem like it would have much to do with an integral/spiritual path and the book orients around tai chi martial arts, the whole emphasis of the book was on progressively increasing self-awareness to the point of where I finally said “This is too much!” However, I persisted and found that what he states can be done and he expressed in a way that gave me little steps to pursue that made sense to “literal me”. But I still have a long way to go.
Shortly after I finished that book, he came out with a new book, “Zen Body-Being”, so I snapped it up and devoured it and was somewhat let down. His initial book is very pithy and deep and I had to re-read it several times to best understand it. The new one (written with his wife) was much easier to read, had little martial arts and was more for general spiritually oriented folks. However, by the second or third read of ZBB, I got caught up in it and started working on their techniques for “creating feeling” and over several months I was able to make another small but significant step up in self-awareness. I also often have my pain patients read those sections in an effort to give them some sort of tool to help manage their pain and stress.
While these books may seem mostly oriented toward increasing body awareness, Peter and Laura include other types of awareness, through references to feeling-sensation, feeling-awareness (page 30, ZBB), etc. From my own experience, the techniques I learned from practicing his techniques have been useful at all levels of my self-awareness.
Before learning these techniques, I mainly worked on self-awareness during my nightly meditation. However, since Peter is a world class martial artist, he emphasizes maintaining self-awareness during the most stressful of interactions. So, now I practice self-awareness while walking my dog, talking to people, in meetings, during…, well you get my drift.
I am presently taking his eCourse on the Principles of Effective Interaction. Each week for a year I receive a new discussion and assignment on what I am to be self-aware of this week in my interactions with other people: my reactions, thoughts, responses, underlying assumptions, fears, other people’s reactions and perspectives, etc. Again, it is broken down into more digestible bites and spread over a year, so at the end, I find I’ve come farther than I expected.
So, while this might not be for everyone, I thought that some members of the integral community might find it helpful, since the overall goal of these books and courses is to increase self-awareness in all areas, at all times and in all quadrants, not just while sitting quietly at home. Practicing what he has taught has helped me in making that awkward and sometimes difficult transition to the “real” world.
I hope some of you find this helpful.
MB