Many things take our energy in ways that make it difficult to attain a deeper connection with the universe through consciousness and love.  These obstacles must be recognized and addressed before progress can be made. Particular forms and strengths vary amongst us so it is important to apply impartial self-observation to see where we really stand with them.

Body Tensions

When I apply my awareness to my body, I can have a direct sensation of the life flowing through it.  The more I become aware of it, the stronger this sensation becomes.  I can start by becoming aware of a hand or a finger and eventually I can attain a sensation of my body as a whole. 

In this process of “sensing” my body I discover that the energy of sensation is not equally strong throughout the body. There are some blockages that prevent me from making any contact with some parts.  This is because many of the muscles have been tense for so long that they have become numb and subconscious.  Often these tensions were caused by the cumulative effect of specific emotions and emotional traumas.  When experiencing heavy emotions we tense our bodies as if we could protect ourselves by tensing our muscles.

We are filled with tense muscles.  It is important to be able to find these tense muscles with our attention and voluntarily relax them.  We can get external massages but unless we learn how to relax them intentionally they simply come back very quickly after the massage.  Using our attention to relax tense parts of the body is like giving ourselves an inner massage.

When I become inwardly aware of a tense part of my body I can help that part relax by also becoming aware of my breathing. As I exhale I concentrate on letting go of the tension.  This same technique can be used to heal parts of the body that are in pain.

Sometimes it is necessary to tense that part of the body more, and then try to let go.  Sometimes I can approach only it by relaxing neighboring muscles first.  We have to find whatever works for us to re-establish the flow of energy through that part of the body.

It is important to check the whole body in a systematic way for tensions with our inner attention and to relax whatever we find.  These tensions take up a huge amount of energy that can be used for growth.  This we can see by trying to consciously tense a part of our body and hold it tense.

There are many levels of relaxation and the muscles are the first layer to go through.  Relaxing muscles can be done at any time I become aware of myself.  It is important to notice what muscles are required for the task that I am involved with and to make sure that I am not unnecessarily tensing other parts of my body.  If I am not involved in a task and am dedicating some time to relaxation, I need to keep the body still.  We lose a lot of energy and concentration in unnecessary movement.

When I make progress with relaxing my body, my body becomes a better receiver for other kinds of energies.  It becomes a more comfortable and enjoyable place to inhabit.

Emotional Tensions – Resentments

Another obstacle to the attainment of a deeper connection with the universe through consciousness and love is resentment.  They often go hand in hand with physical tension. They also block the flow of energy in our nervous system so we have to learn how to let them all go through forgiveness.  Resentments can be directed towards other people and things. There can also be resentment toward oneself.

When a resentment comes up it is important to deal with it before it submerges into the subconscious.  This often requires to the courage to address on the spot a situation or actions that are the source of the resentment.  If the source is an action of a person, we can first look to see if we have ever done the same thing.  If we have, and we remember this it is easier to forgive it in another.  If we have never done the same thing then we need to be grateful to whatever it was in our education that this person did not have, and forgive the from this place of understanding.

It is also important to dig into the subconscious to find any resentments that have been buried, and to process them.   We can sit still for a period of time with this as our intention and simply invite them to bubble to the surface so that we can deal with them.

If we know that our actions were callous and have hurt other people we can contact them if they are still alive and apologize.  If they are no longer alive we can inwardly ask them for forgiveness. 

Mental Tension – Inner Chatter

It is very easy to be lost in unnecessary talking in our mind.  We often mistake this kind of unattended internal dialog as useful, but most of the time it gets in the way of real thinking,  creativity, and clear mental presence.  It also wastes a huge amount of our energy as well as limiting the depth of consciousness and love that we can experience.

There are two ways to deal with mental tension.  One is working at stilling the mind; the other is working to consciously exhaust the mind by intentionally exercising it to its limits.  Relaxing physical tensions and emotional resentments helps the mind to quiet down on its own.  When it is still, the mind contains a fine quality of energy that penetrates the subconscious and connects us with our higher self in communion with the Oneness of creation.

Ego

Ego is a mixture of intellect and self-righteousness.  It separates us from others and wants to maintain its independence, importance, and superiority.  Ego works to maintain its inflated image of itself and does not want to be seen in this process of self-observation.  Ego can be a great asset if it learns how to submit to our higher self.

        Submission is achieved by intensifying our yearning into a master desire.  The master desire turns into love which tames the ego by melting away the self-righteousness.   Love converts the ego to be a servant to the higher self.