AWARENESS
OBSERVATIONS
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“Open your eyes and see. Stop imagining that you have to be this or do that. There are no conditions to meet. There is nothing to do, nothing to give up. Just look. Reality exists and is, by its very nature, pure observing consciousness.”
This could be the mantra that urges us to observe the world and people.
The art of observation is linked to an open mind, which allows us to gain surprising perspectives.
Eventually, we learn to observe our inner world as well. We combine all individual perceptions into a total perception in which all sensations, thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations are simultaneously held in open awareness.
In doing so, the experience of open awareness does not have to be separate from our everyday experiences. Rather, we can learn to live as unique individuals while resting in the vastness of all that is.
Mother – recognize when you’re trying to protect yourself
I understand that it's hard to see your child struggle and fail, and it's even harder to…
It’s not “either-or” but “and”
At the age of six, my family moved from Indonesia to the Netherlands and then to Germany.…
The dualistic split in childhood hurt
As a child, when I was four or five, I remember feeling very unsafe and stressed when we…
Shifting our mindset towards long term solutions
In 2008, when I was diagnosed with Grave’s disease, an autoimmune disease of the…
Do you really want to realize yourself?
Do you really want to realize yourself? Because there’s a chance you don’t. Despite the…
Deceiver and deceived
There are moments in our lives when we face uncomfortable truths or emotions that…
Parents give, children take – is that so?
Parents usually think they're the ones who give, and kids are the ones who receive. And…
Create a Christmas that’s yours
It's this time that is brimming with high expectations for warm and homely moments with…
Coming Home
Are you looking forward to a Christmas homecoming or rather feeling a bit apprehensive?…
Hold opposing feelings within
If only we could stay centered, holding opposing feelings within ourselves… We don’t like…
Do we really need to make that journey?
The notion that 'the journey never needed to be made' echoes in the wisdom shared by many…
What are the two realities?
Imagine your mind as a mirror, reflecting the realities of your existence. In one…
People, we are not separate
In our daily lives, it often feels like we're worlds apart - different genders, races,…
Pause to notice the bits of magic
In the everyday rhythm of life, there's a kind of magic that often slips past us, hiding…
Do you really want to get better?
Sometimes, we might say we want to get better. Obviously. Who wouldn't want to be better?
You may not know that meditation is…
When we thought meditation was sitting on a cushion in a certain posture focusing on…
Spirituality beyond piety and institutions
While religions might give us a structured framework for spiritual beliefs and practices,…
When tears manipulate
Manipulation is when someone tries to control or influence others in a hidden way for…
When the inner child doesn’t feel accepted
Our inner child represents the vulnerable and authentic part of ourselves that holds our…
It’s okay to feel sad
It's one of those emotions that can catch us off guard, leaving us wondering why we're…
Say what you want
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where it feels like the other person expects…
We are not our bodies
We are consciousness, and our true essence extends beyond the boundaries of our physical…
When love is conditional
Conditional love means that affection, acceptance, and validation are contingent upon…
When our inner child or our child feels helpless
Deep within each of us, there exists an inner child - an echo of our past experiences,…
One trick pony – part 2
Authenticity requires us to confront and accept the entirety of who we are, including the…
One trick pony – part 1
We may feel compelled to present a simplified and idealized version of ourselves,…
Do you know that looking at the stars is a look back in time?
Did you know that looking at the stars is a look back in time? The light we see from the…
A note on “Sorry, not sorry”
This is the idea that while we are not truly sorry for expressing ourselves or for the…
What if we were successful, famous and wealthy
We live in a society that values achievement and status, and we are constantly exposed to…
Integrate your inner child
The concept of the "inner child" refers to a psychological perspective that suggests…
I’m breathing in, I’m breathing out
Focusing on our breath, It's a powerful practice that brings us into the present moment,…
A home within ourselves
Indeed, the realization that we can find a sense of home within ourselves is a profound…
Nostalgia
At times, we may find ourselves yearning for the comfort of home, believing that the…
Finding ourselves
In our quest to have others accept us for who we truly are, it’s ironic that we often…
The greatest challenge for humanity’s survival – part 2
Examples of humans introducing the European Rabbit as a foreign species to new lands date…
Draw what you see, not what you think you see
When we are asked to draw a tree, we think we know what trees are supposed to look like.…
The greatest challenge for humanity’s survival – part 1
Everything in nature strives for balance, an equilibrium. That was the thinking I grew up…
Can I get my hair wet? – part 2
We should think that we have a right to exercise our autonomy. In particular, the right…
Can I get my hair wet? – part 1
It was a hot summer day when I decided to get on my bike and ride out of town. I went to…
Somebody Somewhere Some Time
“I sometimes walk around the neighborhood at night, just hoping to find someone to talk…
Contentment after all
“At the end of the 1980s I wanted a Japanese house with a garden in the middle of Paris.…
It’s real fucked up
Why do we feel obliged to be well informed? Our sense of duty and sophistication have…
Always is in the Middle
For some time I have been watching the sky from the same place. Sometimes – when the…
Hip, Hot and Holy – part 2
In little more than 100 years since its cultivation in the West, yoga has significantly…
Hip, Hot and Holy – part 1
Two slanted almond-shaped eyes, rimmed with kohl were like a perfect promise of the…
It is then that you will get it
It was just another day at the office. I walked down a bright hallway on the second…
I want to sex up spirituality
Even though “spirituality” is charged with all sorts of preconceptions (maybe they are…
Whipped, muzzled
I have an American friend who is very good at languages. He moved to Germany 7 or 8 years…
Nothing to indulge in – a pilgrimage exprerience
When I walked the Camino de Santiago (English: Way of St. James) I had experienced an…
An interruption in autopilot mode
I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news. Two days…
Someday I will be happy
"Someday I will be happy," he said. Lying on the bed, he was staring into space.