What is Witness Consciousness?
Do you notice how sometimes everything can be going so well, and all of a sudden, for no reason, your body is thrown into a state of anxiety, fear, or unease?
Why? you wonder... Discerningly, you look around - nothing is out of place, nothing is wrong. Yet in your body, something feels amiss. Of course, our gut can alert us to danger before it happens. We all contain an amount of psychic ability which can be tuned into in order to keep us safe. Hairs stand up on our skin, and we might be inclined to change our location or surroundings. It is important to listen to this instinct, and act accordingly.
Often, however, especially if you experience anxiety or an active mind, our body can be tricked into fear when the present moment is actually fine. The nervous system may be triggered by an old wound, rather than imminent danger. Our body may feel "on alert" when our environment is actually calm.
This month in my yoga membership, we are cultivating witness consciousness. Witness consciousness is the part of ourself that can observe the present moment without distraction, without a story. To be a witness is to see truth in the moment. Yogis call this "pure awareness", and this state of mind, this state of presence, brings us truth.
It's so hard to see or experience anything without attaching a story or perspective. Our experience gives us opinions on everything from colors to images to smells. Memory is held in the body. When we can alternate between the mind that is in the past and the mind that is the witness, we are better able to navigate what we need in the moment. By removing the story, we can see more clearly.
A few practices that can help cultivate witness consciousness are yoga, moving the body, or meditation, being still with the mind. We can also go for a walk and observe nature or our surroundings. We can ask ourself which senses are active and what we notice - what do we see, feel, hear, taste and smell?
When we learn that our mind will take us to places that are not present, we can gently and compassionately discern between real threat and the mind's trickiness. We can kindly pull ourselves out of a full-blown panic attack by relying on the present to point us to truth.
When you start to feel anxious or fearful, bring your senses to the present moment. Become the witness, and observe both your body and your surroundings. It becomes very empowering when we watch the two minds - the mind that is all over the place, tricky. And the mind that is the witness, observing things just as they are.