“Living in Awareness”, are words that I have heard and read repeatedly from spiritual masters. They say, it is the key to Living in Balance. I always felt this was difficult to practice. However, recently, on my first solo leisure trip I discovered that being in the present moment or being aware doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be effortless and an extremely joyful experience.
I like to travel and explore new places. Generally, there is an itinerary to be followed so that we don’t miss out on anything worth viewing. However, this time, there was “no agenda”. I felt, I had a calling from River Ganga and so chose to visit Rishikesh, which I had already visited twice earlier. There was only one plan, “Ganga darshan”.
Besides reading and writing, long walks alongside the Ganga were the highlights of the trip. My cell phone would be on flight mode. I preferred not to call or receive calls from anyone. Early morning walks were beautiful, since there were very few people around and hardly any human sound to distract my attention from nature. I would stop at different spots to just absorb the beauty of the lush green mountains, the river flowing in full force, the sound of the gushing water and so much more.
Evenings were spent sitting on Ganga ghat, watching the aarti and listening to the sounds of temple bells. My eyes followed every diya floating in the river, till it was out of my sight. It felt like I was travelling with those tiny lights! I experienced observing nature and surroundings, when alone, to be very different from when in someone’s company. It is an experience which is difficult to describe in words. It felt like being one with nature as I was appreciating it and offering gratitude. When we are appreciating nature in someone’s company, we get more involved in the “expression” rather than “experience”.
The hotel room had a beautiful view. Sitting by the window, observing people’s expressions was a fascinating experience. They seemed happy, joyful, excited. Children & adults of all ages who had come for Ganga darshan, taking a dip in the river or praying or rafting. They all looked happy. I am not sure if that was the power of the holy river Ganga or just a reflection of my emotion. It felt like I was a part of every person’s joy and excitement. I could feel their happiness within me.
Being free from the routine chores gave me a chance to enjoy the aloneness without feeling lonely. I could be more “spontaneous”. In a profession where a large part of my day is spent in listening to people, being present for them, this was a good change, to be present for myself. Not only was it a good relaxation time, this trip gave me an opportunity to “observe”, “experience” and “feel” more intensely. I realized that I was more aware of myself and my surroundings. I wasn’t pre-occupied with different thoughts or conversations. I was more present in that moment. To me, this could be the beginning of understanding the true meaning of “living in awareness” or “being mindful”.
Most of us rarely give ourselves an opportunity to sit in silence, just to experience and appreciate the present moment. We are never really present in what we are doing or aware of what motivates us or gives us joy or why we say what we say. We are living in unawareness.
We don’t need to go on a solo trip to experience awareness. We can start by just taking a pause in our daily routine, to just take a deep breath, to be mindful of the food we are eating, to observe our thoughts and experience simple joys of day-to-day living. Osho says, “Awareness is the key to being self-directed, centred and free in every aspect of our lives”. Wouldn’t it be great if we could focus more on experiencing life rather than expressing?