Habits for Your Inner Development
Habit 1 – Self Enquiry
Essentially, the principle of continually bringing your attention back to the inner awareness of ‘I’. Sri Ramana Maharshi made self-enquiry more well-known in the mid-1900s. It is widely known as ‘The Direct Path’.
Noticing the ‘I AMness’ in every conscious moment dissolves the sense of ‘I’ leaving the non-dual reality of existence in all its glory.
Habit 2 – Working With Your Circadian Rhythms
Circadian Rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioural changes that follow a daily cycle. They respond primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment. Sleeping at night and being awake during the day is an example of a circadian rhythm.
If you can learn and master your circadian rhythms, you can enhance productivity.
Habit 3 – Contemplation
Contemplation is a practise to cultivate a critical, first-person focus. You can work with simple experience as the object of the contemplation or concentrating on complex ideas or situations. Regular meditation and contemplation will raise your level of being on their own.
Habit 4 – Meditation
Meditation isn’t a new-age fad. In every ancient tradition and scripture, meditation has been a focal point for spiritual growth and communion with Divinity.
Often, people mistake meditation for concentration or contemplation. The purpose of meditation is the silencing of the mind, not meditating on something; otherwise known as concentration.
Habit 5 – Reading
“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place, you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall.” – Roald Dahl
Habit 6 – Researching
The amount of information available to you now is almost infinite. The wonder of the internet provides all the information and data that you could wish to know. And the works of great minds of the past are available at the click of a button. Utilise your time effectively to find, study and embody what you wish to understand.
Habit 7 – Note Taking (Commonplace book)
Make notes on the best pieces of information that you resonate with; this can be from books, documentaries, YouTube videos etc. You can batch notes into sub-categories and turn to them if you need assistance for work or inspiration. An enormous help if you are a writer in any capacity.
Habit 8 – Clean Eating
“Hunger is the first element of self-discipline. If you can control what you eat and drink, you can control everything else.” Shaykh Dr Umar Faruq Abd-Allah.
For clarity of mind and physical health, a clean diet is a must. It is no use working on elevating consciousness if you cannot control what you eat and drink.
Habit 9 – Fasting
Nature’s intelligence is impeccable. And nature works best when it is left alone without any mind imposing its will. Fasting is our way of allowing nature to take its course within and throughout the Human body. Cleansing and purifying the physical and energetic structure of the body will bring strength and clarity amongst a lot of other things.
Habit 10 – Journaling
Journaling is a reflective process and one that will bring clarity and closure. You might be surprised how much value you get from releasing your mental noise onto a piece of paper. Once you know what and where you want to go in life, journaling could be considered your compass, bringing clarity to your day to day existence.
Habit 11 – Mastering Concentration
We are surrounded by distraction, it is a by-product of the digital information age. These continual distractions lower productivity and do not allow prolonged periods of focus.
Work daily on your concentration levels, not allowing yourself to be distracted by little things that don’t serve you or your vision.
I often use music as a tool. Check out my post with a few ideas.
Habit 12 – Spending Time in Nature
You’ll notice an immediate energy shift. One of the biggest problems in the western world is our disassociation from the planet. If you can walk around barefoot on grass/soil/sand and swim in open water, you’ll receive the energy of Gaia with its substantial health benefits.
Habit 13 – Technology Breaks
We are hooked on tech, and there are no plans by big technology companies to halt their domination and excessive information-gathering exercises. They rely on our attention, often through separation and outrage.
Have yourself a couple of days off all technology and get into nature.
Habit 14 – Enhancing Social Interaction
Many people who take spirituality and their inner growth seriously are naturally introverted. Making conscious efforts to socially interact with other people, inside and outside of your interests will enhance your level of self-esteem and therefore, holistic well-being.
Habit 15 – Self-Development Workshops/Courses
A course or workshop is not the end in itself, but an essential part of the journey. Some experts have mastered certain areas of their life that can shine a light on your hidden spots. Continual self-growth and consciousness evolution require learning from these people. Being too cheap and failing to invest in yourself can hinder your self-development.
Habit 16 – Strategising Your Life
This should be a weekly occurrence, at least! Find your mission in life and strategise the fuck out of it. Where are you heading and what needs to be put in place to get there? What obstacles may come up and who do you have to become?
Habit 17 – Visualisation
Another ancient piece of technology that all of us do, whether we realise it or not. This process, along with meditation for stillness and contemplation, can radically transform your life. Visualising your completed mission and embodying everything that it entails using all of your senses begins to make it very real. Once you realise the extent of your inner powers, visualisation will equate to creation.
Habit 18 – Magnetising the Body
The Human body is an electromagnetic field. Life-force or magnetic fluid can be acquired by the individual through various means. These include breath work (harnessing Prana), food, water, communication with others, concentration and Will.
If you begin practising the harnessing of this life-force, you will have a magnetic personality and attractor field.
Habit 19 – Harnessing Your Level of Peace
Always consciously working towards internal peace is a tactic towards emotional mastery. Unshakeable peace is very attainable and a necessity if you wish to work with advanced psychic abilities.
Habit 20 – Forgiveness Work
Until you have truly forgiven someone, you won’t realise the power of forgiveness. This doesn’t include the infamous ‘I forgive, but I don’t forget’.
The energetic release you will get from forgiving will unshackle your self-imposed bondage.
Habit 21 – Being in Awe at Reality
“Nature always wears the colours of the spirit” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.