'The Observer', Pt II: Simple steps to cultivate the 'Observer'

The 'Observer' is the term we have used to describe the state of consciousness that is a witness all our feelings and thoughts (for more on what it is see Pt I: What is the Observer?).  Cultivating the Observer is essential on the spiritual path.  As we take a closer look at who we are, we are able to work on the parts that don't really serve us, ultimately becoming clearer and more blissful within ourselves.

To begin with there are 3 main areas to focus on: the body, the emotions, and the mind.  All 3 of course will be active, to certain degrees, all the time and this can be a little overwhelming in the beginning, so it might be helpful to start your practice  by observing one at a time.  As you become more practiced, it will seem as though the Observer flicks to whichever is more prominent at the time, although the less prominent aspects will still be observed in the background.

To that end, here's a breakdown of these first three areas and what you can do to cultivate the Observer within them.

The body

This is probably the easiest area to start with as it's the most tangible to observe.  It also doesn't change at such a fast rate as the emotions and especially our thoughts.

Here are some things you can do to develop awareness of the body:

• Practice scanning your body.  You may want to start with the head and work your way down to your toes, or do it the other way round, whichever feels right for you.  Begin by just being aware of each part of your body.  Feel for any tension, pleasant or unpleasant sensations or pain.  Then once you have practiced this, put it all together - observe the body as a whole and how each sensation 'hovers' in it's own place.
  

• Observe the breath - this is very powerful.  The breath is a bridge to your higher self, as well as pointing to emotional states such as tension, excitement, or contentment.  It can also be extremely grounding.  When you observe the breath, the tendency is then to try to control it, especially if you are tense.  This is certainly helpful to relieve tension, but before you do that it is beneficial to spend a little time just letting the breath do what it wants to do.  Then there is no judgement of what should be, and more of an accepting of what is.
  

• Observe what happens to your body during physical activity such as eating, exercising, and sexual intercourse.  What do these things do to your body?  What sensations do you feel and where do you fell them?  How is the breath responding?
  

The emotions

These are slightly subtler than the body, not tangible enough to touch but still often very prominent.  There will of course be times of extreme emotion and times of more neutral emotion, but even in times of neutral emotion it is helpful to just be aware of subtle feelings which may arise here and there.

Here are some things you can do to develop awareness of the emotions:

• Practice watching the rise and fall of emotions, both from positive to negative and increasing intensity to decreasing intensity.  There is no need to label, just to observe.
  

• Observe what situations trigger your emotions.  What makes you angry or afraid?  What gives you joy or satisfaction?  No need to analyse at this stage, just observe.
  

• Observe what physical sensations are being triggered by our emotions.  Where do you get tight, for example?  What emotions are triggered by physical sensations?  The same questions can be applied to our thoughts.
  

The mind

This is probably the hardest of the three to observe.  It is the least tangible, the most interchangeable, and can be quite overwhelming in the beginning.  Not to mention the observer is likely to be coming form the mind in the beginning.  This is the last step towards to true observer (what I call 'Witness Consciousness') which is beyond the mind.  The mind is the closest step to 'witness consciousness' and yet probably the hardest to pass through.

Here are some practices to help develop awareness of the mind:

• Observe the flows of thought. There are different layers - conscious thought, 'monkey mind', and unconscious thought.  Conscious thought is likely to decrease to a certain degree when you are practicing as your attention is not focused on the outside.  The 'monkey mind' is the chatter that goes on in the background.  This is likely to become more intense as you observe it and can become a little overwhelming - be easy on yourself.  Work to surrender to it and accept that it is there, but if it becomes too much don't push yourself.  Finally, deeper unconscious thoughts may start to bubble up, though of course being aware of them means they are no longer unconscious.  They are often related to desires and compulsions.
  

• Focus on the third eye - the point between your eyebrows and about 1 cm above.  Close your eyes and look up to this area.  You may begin to become aware of some kind of energetic movement in your head.  These are the underlying flows of thought - essentially, the synapses in your brain firing off.  Again, take it easy and don't push yourself beyond your limit.
  

Putting it all together

After practicing these methods they will begin to become easier and you can start observing multiple areas at once.  This can occur through intention or may begin to arise spontaneously, which is great!

At this point you will really begin to become aware of the relationships between mind, body and emotions. How does one affect the others?  For example, something triggers anxiety - lets say a job interview- all 3 areas will be reacting.  You may get a strong emotion, which will trigger tension in the body - where is the tension?  Then your mind will likely start going over scenarios or asking "what if I don't do well?"  Observe the spiral effect as each thought triggers more anxiety and more tension in the body and vise versa.

Of course, there is no need to get yourself worked up.  Once these have been observed for a time and accepted you can work to reduce the feelings in order to be calmer and clearer.  Breathing is a great bridge between all these planes and it will do wonders to work with it.

A note on soft drugs

We have all experienced expanded or satisfied feelings from soft drugs and entertainment.  However, they tend to have the effect of reducing awareness and so it may be beneficial to keep them to a minimum while you are still cultivating the 'Observer'.

Meditation

Meditation is a great method to use when cultivating the 'Observer'.  Sitting and focusing on the inner will mean that the inner landscape somehow becomes brighter and more navigable.  It is also great to do while doing simple tasks such as washing dishes or eating.  Of course meditation is really all about observing the inner landscape so I can't recommend it enough.  Whether sitting in silence or going for a walk, it is sure to help you a great deal.

Going beyond the mind

I have hinted on something called 'witness consciousness' throughout this article.  It is the term I use to describe the true observer which is beyond the mind.  This will surely come with the practices that I have set out in this article.  More on 'witness consciousness' in the next article.

Here's Pt 1 of this series: What is the Observer?
Here's Pt 3: Going beyond the mind

Finally, here's a great meditation to get you started.

If you need help or support with being the observer or any other spiritual issues, please book a session.