REPROGRAMMING YOUR AWARENESS
THE SECOND STEP
Explanation of the Process
Everything we feel, everything we do, is a reflection of the pertinent factors of our awareness. It is impossible consciously to achieve anything we do not have an awareness of attempting. Even getting up out of a chair or moving across the room requires an awareness of accomplishing such an act—even though our intent and mental
images are often on a non-conscious level.
Consequently, if we are to have more than an intellectual concept of the realities of our human behavior, we must integrate these principles and their logical implications into our awareness. Since our conditioned concepts and their implications are almost entirely on a non-conscious level, we must integrate these new and revised concepts into a similar level of our awareness. Only thus can we replace our faulty concepts so that we automatically act and react in alignment with "what IS."
We have found from our Foundation workshops that an effective way to do this is by verbal or mental affirmation of the new concepts and their implications while our minds are in a relaxed, quiet and receptive state. The following procedure describes how to effectively use the appropriate affirmations to achieve greater awareness and
self-esteem.
The Procedure
The key word of this procedure is "relax," not "concentrate," for concentration induces strain. Follow the instructions and simply let yourself relax into an easy, comfortable state. For your ease and comfort, breathe normally between instructions.
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Your mind is naturally in a relatively open and receptive state just before going to sleep at night and on awakening in the morning. Providing you can keep from falling asleep, you can do your affirmations while lying relaxed and comfortable in bed. This is an
excellent time for most people. However, any quiet time that you can manage, even for a few minutes, can be very productive—the more often the better.
There is no need to make a "big deal" of these affirmations; the procedure is very simple. Just do them any time, and as many times during the day as you can find the time. Your every sincere effort will pay most welcome dividends. Naturally, the more often you do them, the sooner you will realize the results of a sound and healthy
self-esteem.
Before beginning this program, it is desirable to record the following instructions and affirmations in a calm, commanding voice so that you will not be distracted by reading or trying to remember them.
Begin with the affirmations on page 48 and stay with each group until you sense they have become an integral part of your awareness, until you spontaneously act and react according to their implications.
Starting with Group 1, slowly and meaningfully repeat each affirmation three to five times at each session, depending on what you feel is best for you. Sense the affirmation and its implications as vividly as you can. Sense how you would feel if the statement and its implications were already fully integrated into your awareness.
Here is what to do prior to repeating the affirmations. Record these instructions too (italics are to indicate greater emphasis when speaking):
1. Take a deep breath and while inhaling stretch as hard and fully as you can possibly manage. As you begin to exhale start relaxing, and as you relax sense all your tensions, both physical and emotional, draining away—falling away, just as water falls off a duck.
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2. Get your body into as comfortable and relaxing a position as possible. A good way is to sit erect in a straight chair with your feet flat on the floor (never cross your knees or feet), your buttocks pressed lightly against the chair back, and your head, neck and upper body in a relaxed vertical line so that you do not strain against the pull of gravity. Now take another deep breath, and while exhaling, feel any remaining tensions draining away, leaving you completely relaxed and comfortable. Imagine yourself as limp as a wet washcloth.
3. Now focus your eyes upward as far as you can without strain or discomfort, probably at about 45° or a little more. Close your eyelids lightly while maintaining your eyes in this easy upward position.
4. Now take another deep breath and while exhaling feel a deep peace flooding through your entire being. (You may like to imagine yourself in the most pleasant and relaxed situation you have ever experienced.) As you exhale, relaxing more and more all the time, imagine, deeply sense and mentally affirm, "I am peaceful and relaxedRepeat this exercise three times. Each time you will feel more peaceful and more relaxed, and at a deeper level of awareness. If you feel a still deeper level of awareness is desirable, count down slowly from ten to one. At each number, feel yourself going into a
deeper and deeper level of awareness. You are now in a completely relaxed state, both physically and mentally.
5. Now imagine and sense your mind as stilled and open to new ideas. Take another deep breath and as you exhale, sense and mentally affirm, "My mind is quiet and receptiveDo this three times. Each time your mind becomes more quiet and more receptive—even more quiet and receptive than you had thought possible. You are now so fully relaxed, physically, mentally and emotionally that your daily cares seem far away and unimportant. You are now in an exceptionally pleasant, detached and receptive state of mind.
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6. Now state earnestly and confidently, "I seek greater awareness." The affirmations you will now quietly sense as you mentally repeat them (if taped, otherwise aloud) will go deeply into your awareness, gradually canceling out and replacing all ideas and beliefs to the contrary. You are now ready to begin your affirmations.
7. Repeat each affirmation you select from the following sets three to five times according to your personal preference.
8. After each affirmation session, count slowly from one to five to bring yourself back into your normal state of awareness. Count slowly, "One, two, three, four." Say to yourself, "At the count of five I will open my eyes and feel relaxed and rested, better than I felt before.
You will find this a very restful and energizing exercise.
