24 - Baby Steps - Listening To Your Self

Awakening is often a two part process. We extract ourselves from all of our distractions and put our attention back on our Selves. We take our foot off the brake and accelerate. In this podcast our attention is on accelerating at our own pace. Baby steps and we'll get there. Let's stay connected with any happiness, peace or well being that we can find. Let's listen to our Selves. What works for us? We are setting the stage for future podcasts exploring different practices to melt into our Selves

Transcript

Hello,

This is William Cooper.

Welcome to Awakening Together.

I trust you're doing well.

Have you ever been around a saint?

These are people like you,

But they're so clear,

They're not mucked up,

So their energy flows so strongly that you resonate very strongly in their presence,

So strongly that you might have to sit down.

You feel such happiness because there's a vibration of happiness,

Such deep silence and peace,

Such well-being,

Contentment,

And you feel every part of you that is happy and peaceful and contented,

Resonating,

Like a tuning fork resonating with another tuning fork that's humming at the same vibration.

You come into resonance with this person.

It's valuable to be around a saint for that reason and others.

We'll talk about that in another podcast.

What I'd like to talk about in this podcast is your good feelings,

Your happiness,

Your contentment,

Because it's there,

And where we want to center in all of our spiritual practices is find that good energy within you.

For instance,

If you sit down to meditate and you feel some happiness in your heart,

Focus on that and really feel that happiness.

When you put your attention there,

It can begin to expand,

Or if you feel light in your head,

For instance,

Put your attention on that light and just relax.

Sure,

Maybe there are other troublesome feelings going on elsewhere,

And that's what other spiritual practices are good for releasing,

But let's focus on the good feelings that you're feeling,

The bliss.

Where is that in your body?

Notice it,

Even if it's just a little flicker,

Or maybe you have a little flicker of light,

Or contentment,

Or wellbeing,

You'll notice that you will experience a mix of things most likely.

You'll feel at least some of your positive energy because it's always there.

That is,

In fact,

Who you are,

After all,

So it's got to be here because you're here.

But then there's all this hypnosis and other stuff and distractions and bad habits that are pulling us this way and that way,

And those are running around inside of us as well,

So it's a mix.

Muktananda,

Who was a very powerful Swami.

He died in,

I think,

1982,

And he had some very powerful spiritual practices.

But what I like about Muktananda was that he would focus and tell you to simply focus on what's working.

Don't push yourself too far.

Listen to yourself.

Understand where you feel good and focus there.

I like that approach because sometimes we feel that we have to do a certain ironclad regimen and we can't deviate from what the teacher is telling us to do,

Or what our yoga instructions are,

Or what our meditation instructions are.

And yes,

It's a balance.

We should be open to seeing what the benefits are of doing all the practices in the instruction,

Because they're usually there for a reason.

But we don't want to get away from the point,

And the point is,

What makes us feel the most expansive,

The most connected to ourselves?

What helps us to feel good?

When I sit down in meditation,

The reason I'm sitting down is so that I won't be distracted by other things in life,

And I want to feel good.

I want to connect to any good feeling inside of me.

Remember,

We're a rainbow,

And our rainbow includes both all the feelings in our body and ultimately in creation and beyond,

Beyond existence itself.

And there we can only go through intuition.

So in the awakening meditation,

What we're doing is we're noticing the part of us that's aware of everything because it doesn't have any problems.

Yes,

At the deepest level,

It doesn't feel like anything because it's beyond existence,

But at least it's problem-free.

You can rest there.

You can have refuge.

And if you follow it in,

Into existence through your body,

You'll notice there's light.

Rest in that light.

You don't imagine it because that's just making something up.

Instead,

Notice.

Is there light?

Is there a flicker of light in me?

Where is it?

Notice it and rest in it.

Is there a flicker of happiness within me?

Maybe there's a lot of turmoil,

But is there also happiness?

Because you can have both things at the same time,

Because your nature is always happiness.

And the mind and the emotions and the thoughts can stir up hypnotic troubles,

Disruptions.

So you feel those also,

But you can feel both things.

So look for where the happiness is,

Your contentment,

And just relax into it.

When you do a spiritual practice,

Take your time and linger on what feels good.

When you do that,

It will expand,

Because that's where your attention is.

In future podcasts,

We're going to look at ways to quit blocking our energy and letting it flow in good ways.

There's certain meditations and practices for that.

We're also going to look at breathing and experience different ways to open ourselves up.

Maybe mantras or affirmations or a lot of other things that we'll look at in different podcasts.

But when you do those,

Only do them to the extent that it feels good.

Don't force yourself.

For instance,

In breathing.

Maybe just a little breath,

A shallow breath opens you up,

And anything more than that is just too forceful.

Then don't do it.

Just do a shallow breath.

Or when we talk about chakras or energy centers,

If somebody says there's an energy center in your heart area,

But you feel it,

Hypothetically,

Way over to the left or the right,

Go with where the energy is rather than the instruction.

Sure,

Be open to the instruction,

But look to where the energy is.

And if you only feel it in one place,

Say your heart or your stomach,

Just be with that.

And don't force it to be somewhere it's not.

Yes,

Eventually,

When you stay with where the energy really is,

It will expand,

Your body will gently open up,

Like a plant that's receiving a gentle misting rain.

It slowly opens.

Well,

Your body will do that too,

So will your nervous system.

So it's important not to push ourselves past where we are.

Just stick with what's going on and enjoy that.

And if you notice your energy's just frozen into ice cubes inside or blocks,

Just be with that.

It still is energy.

So just be with it.

That's just the way it is now.

That doesn't need to be a bad thing.

It's just where it is now.

It's a good thing you've got energy inside of you,

Even if it is frozen into ice cubes.

It's very powerful when it releases.

So just be with it and enjoy it in the form that it is.

It's your awakening.

So it's not going to happen by doing other people's agendas.

You listen to yourself.

And I'm a big believer in baby steps.

You don't have to figure everything out all at once.

If you just do what feels good today,

Little steps,

And you do it tomorrow,

And you do a little something every day,

You'll get there.

What do I mean by getting there?

I mean you'll be that explosive saint yourself,

Explosively happy and content.

And you'll inspire people just by being around them.

They'll feel your energy.

Little bit by little bit,

It will build.

And you will feel wonderful,

And you'll start to flow from your energy,

And your energy will be so strong and your thoughts so clear that you'll project through the lens of your thoughts and intentions,

And you'll form a beautiful life around you.

That's where we're going in these podcasts,

Step by step.

The most powerful meditation that I know of is that awakening meditation that I've described in earlier podcasts.

I'm going to supplement it with other spiritual practices and other meditations.

But please continue that awakening meditation,

Because it'll be very deep for you,

With the one caveat.

If it just doesn't work for you,

Yes,

Listen to yourself and do what does work.

If at some point you feel called to try out the awakening meditation again,

Then do.

Come on back.

But find what works for you,

And build on that.

That's so important.

I remember when I was with some of my first spiritual teachers,

I used to fret because they would say certain things,

And I tried so hard to make that my reality,

And it just didn't fit.

I made much more progress and started to open up when I finally learned to listen to myself.

Like I said,

Buddha was awake.

Great for Buddha,

But how does that help me?

Yes,

He gave us lots of good instructions,

And I'm very grateful to Buddha.

Don't get me wrong,

But you get the idea.

Okay,

I've enjoyed talking with you,

And I look forward to our next podcast.

Take care.

Bye bye.

Reviews

Loved this. Very helpful and as always very interesting as well. Thank you 🙏

Loving kindness, gentleness first within then without, and resting deeply. When I thought of saints it was holy spiritual places then the more I sat with it, in this awakening I have felt others energy in a whole new way. I am practicing receiving.
I am beyond grateful and excited for where I am heading. Thank you for being a beloved teacher 💚

i too love baby steps. slow waters run deep 🌹🤎😘🌹🤎😘🌹🤎😘

Ooofta! I needed to hear this today. My “not good enough” part is very busy, working on dredging up and cementing those old beliefs.
Baby steps and finding the tiniest spark of joy, please, calm… I hear you. Thank you.

Hi William, I enjoyed those instructions and had a transformative experience as you spoke. You said something like “it’s like a fine mist spreading over you as you open up.” It did seem like that indeed. I think I can apply this to my day. Thank you!

This one made me smile so much when you started describing what people feel around someone with so much clarity. I’m thankful for your messages! I love that they are easily understood. Baby steps is my favorite way to think about things now. But man have I tried to chew off some huge bites in my life and that was fun then. Lol
Thank you. 🙏🏾🌸🙏

Thank you 🙏

So wonderful!!!!!

Hear, Hear❗️ Wonderfully ENCOURAGING and INSPIRATIONAL❣️🙏🏻💕

Excellent as always! Incredible content and important message for all. Also, I love the writings on your website. I am a huge fan!!!
Thank You, William...