Here we are again to delve some more into the laws of the natural world often called Universal Laws or Principles. Last time I spoke of the Law of Oneness while writing about Svaha Yoga and you can read more about that here if you missed the previous article. This month my attention is on the Law of Attention and I’m going to dive right in!
In a nutshell this law says ~
Where your attention goes, energy flows and then you attract more of it. While it has always important to be conscious of where
you put your attention, it feels even more imperative in the current world climate as there are so many people, places and things vying for our attention.
Sri Yuktewar, a Hindu mystic, said “The deeper the self-realization of a man, the more he influences the whole universe by his subtle spiritual vibrations, and the less he himself is affected by the phenonenal flux” In essence, the more you know what is true and what is real and focus and direct your awareness to that, the more you can stay yourself and grow the frequencies and energies that keep you in balance and harmony in a world that tries to pull you every which way. Isn’t it inviting to know that you don’t have to be affected by the swirl that is going on around you and that you could even become a part of the solution?
Being a part of the Law of Vibration, the law of attention works together with the many parts of this broad law including the law of attraction. While the law of attention guides where your resources go and so what thoughts, intentions and actions are energized, the law of attraction multiplies that by drawing energies towards you with the same or similar frequencies. But the universe responds to both conscious and unconscious energies so awareness is key to truly choosing where your attention goes. And it is your attention on what is real that adds the foundation and wisdom of the universe laws to your flow assuring that what you increase in your life nourishes your heart and soul. But what is real? And what is unreal? Well this is where it can get a bit complicated in the beginning and let’s face it even further down the road depending on how deeply the unreal has become a part of your identity. I will attempt to keep it simple, but it isn’t easy to do!
Here goes – The real is a direct, in the moment experience felt and sensed by the fullness of your being. The fullness of your being meaning you connected to the intelligence of your heart, your intellect, the full range of your emotions, your soul, your physical body and your spirit (and on and on really). The real is curious, inclusive, contains love and wisdom and is felt openly without judgement and without conditions. The unreal is a full or partial separation from the fullness of your being and includes all the beliefs and stories about yourself and the world that develop from that separation. This disconnect from the fullness of your being is exclusive, judgmental and has limited wisdom and conditional love. This separation from your wholeness may occur because of shock or trauma, like a car accident, that is too painful and overwhelming to process in the moment. This disconnect is a great survival mechanism that allows you to endure very painful situations by disconnecting. Or the disconnect may come from cultural or family belief systems that are survival or fear based instead of heart based. In other words belief systems based on the unreal. Remember what I said earlier about the stories created from the unreal? Over time, these can become collective beliefs that actually ignore, dismiss or discredit the wholeness of your direct experience. They may even directly oppose them and yet they persist because of the strength of the collective and the real and perceived consequences of opposing them.
The trickiness comes in here because without enough truth you may, and especially a younger you may create, absorb and identify with disconnected beliefs, meaning you believe you are what the stories say you are instead of knowing who you truly are..
Another tricky part is that the unreal will still have thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations that are happening and that you are experiencing. The difference is the unreal experiences are not arising from your direct, in the moment experience. Instead they are triggers and reactions from your past or anxieties about your future. They can help to show you where you have imbalances and healing to do for sure, but don’t take them at face value.
Have I lost you? This is not easy stuff and yet it is so crucial so bear with me.
Not every thought, feeling or sensation you have comes from your direct experience. This is where discernment comes in. You must learn to recognize your triggers, patterns and reactions in order to break free of the unconscious and recognize the unreal. Once recognized those triggers and patterns can be healed and released so that you can be more in tune with what is actually happening in the now. Often help is needed to find clarity and hold space for healing as the feelings can be big (that is why they didn’t get processed in the first place) and the beliefs well worn paths and habits.
With good practices and help along the way, you can learn the difference between the real and the unreal and reap the full benefits of the law of attention!
If you are interested feeling more empowered in choosing where your energy flows and what you create more of in your life here are some ideas for getting started or adding to your practice ~
Engage in awareness practices like qi gong, art, dance, mediation and yoga that invite you to have
direct experiences of the moment over and over again.
Learn about all the Natural Laws. They all work together creating a wholeness and foundation on which you can grow limitlessly.
Try modalities like somatic bodywork, Reiki, reflexology, body-centered therapy, energy work, Alexander technique or sound healing that bring mindfulness, awareness and healing to your body, mind and spirit.
Develop focus and concentration through meditation.
Seek out those who have walked the path before you and have them earn your trust through their consistency and harmony of word, deed and action. Make sure they have an understanding of all the Universal Laws.
Consistent practices and the guidance of a good teacher, healer, yogi or awakened person can be so important in discerning what is a direct experience and what is a trigger or pattern. They can shine a light on blind spots and clarify tricky areas of understanding. They are able to see the truth beneath the layers of the unreal and mirror it back to you so that you can begin to see your true self and understand and anchor into your direct experience. You have been there all along!
Heyeya (victory to the light)