The 4 Steps to Healthy Consciousness

Consciousness. It’s the thing we all aim for. We want to elevate ourselves higher than the mere state of physical being. We want to become something more. We want to expand! But what does being conscious mean, anyway?

It’s defined as “the state of being aware of an external object or something within oneself.”

So to become more consciousness, you need to understand everything around you, but yourself as well. How do you achieve such a level?

Let’s see: these are the four aspects of consciousness you need to start working on:

1. Environmental Awareness

As a human, you are responsible to protect, respect, and preserve the environment that surrounds you. Humans have caused and keep causing terrible harm to our planet. The environment is a very complex, but fragile system that may collapse if we keep treating it the way we do.

This is where your journey to healthy consciousness starts: be aware of the way all your actions affect our planet.

The first step is to learn about our planet’s declining health. You can do that by taking an online course. Introduction to Sustainability at Coursera is a great one!

Then, off to actions. There are some important changes to make in your life. Plastic, for example, needs to go. Plastic straws, water bottles, shampoo packages… all these items seem so innocent, but they are polluting our environment to an unimaginable extent.

There are other changes you can make in your life, too. Instead of driving to work or school, take public transport or rely on your bike. Invest in solar energy and buy energy-saving home appliances. This will be a big change, but who said becoming conscious was easy?

2. Yoga

Yoga has become one of the most important consciousness movements across the world. That’s for a good reason: it’s a very helpful tool for energizing the body and calming the mind. When you commit to a balanced yoga program that includes not only physical techniques, but breathing and meditation as well, you’ll become stronger. You’ll start the journey to finding your inner peace.

Now you might be wondering: “What kind of yoga should I do?”

That depends on your preferences. If there’s a good local studio you can become part of, do it! Guided practice is usually necessary at the beginning. If you can’t fit scheduled classes in your day or you can’t find a good teacher in your area, you can start practicing yoga through online guidance. You can experiment with Vinyasa, Yin, Iyengar, and other types of yoga until you find the style that works for you. But make sure to include breathing, relaxation, and meditation techniques as well!

So when will you achieve consciousness if you start practicing yoga? That’s a common question among beginners, and it’s a tricky one because it doesn’t have an answer. You can’t achieve consciousness. This is not some goal that you can reach. It’s a journey. Once you go down that road, you’ll be making infinite progress as long as you commit to a daily practice. Yoga should become an integral part of your life.

3. Your Professional Life

If we try to categorize life in the simplest way possible, these are its two aspects: personal and professional life. In terms of personal life, consciousness is related to the daily decisions you make. You decide whether or not you’ll pollute the environment. You decide whether or not to practice yoga. You decide whether or not to be kind to other people.

But you know what? You also decide whether or not your work will contribute towards a more conscious self.

Hannah Grey, career advisor from UK Careers Booster, explains: “When someone is looking for career directions, I don’t just ask what they would want to do. I asked them how that job would contribute to society’s well-being. We need to understand how each and every action reflects itself onto other people and the environment. If you’re a loan officer at a bank, for example, you’re not just giving loans to people and reminding them to return the debt. You’re practically affecting someone’s life with your job. So do your best to make that effect as good as possible. That’s what consciousness is all about.”

4. Food

Many people are ready to start practicing yoga on a daily basis, ban all plastic from their lives, and even change their jobs to contribute towards a better society. But when it comes to eating clean, the change is a hard one to make.

Why does that happen? We’re so attached to food as part of our daily living that we can’t imagine a fundamental change in that aspect.

But this is a very possible change, and it’s one that we all have to make.

First, you have to become aware of the food you eat. What’s that in your plate? Maybe you’ve been eating instant oatmeal for breakfast for years and you assumed it was healthy. But check those ingredients! The flavor comes from sugars that you can easily avoid. Why not make your own oatmeal with fruits and honey?

Start swapping your usual meals with healthier options. Eat tons of fruit and veggies. Don’t even think of McDonalds! It will be hard. You’ll slip here and there. But it’s important to get back on the healthy road. Be conscious about what you eat. That food becomes you.    

5. It’s Your Choice to Make

Your family, friends, pets, job… all these things make you happy. But is that enough for living a fulfilled life? Sooner or later, you’ll realize that it’s also important to “raise your vibration.” You being part of this world means something. When you become aware of that, you’ll want to become conscious about everything else. At that point, it’s important to make the right start. The four aspects we listed above are the first ones to address.