Overview: We are all on a journey, a journey from illusion to truth. Self-Awareness and Meditation: An Advanced Guide for Meditators looks at both the evolution of consciousness along this journey, and meditation as an integral part of it.

A point comes when there is an awakening to the possibility that there is more than the consensus reality, which we have been part of for eons. We know that there is something more - and so our search begins. Eventually, with meditation, our focus moves within as we search for the Self - our true nature - which, until now, has been hidden in illusion, waiting for our awakening and eventual, joyful return.

Verdict: Human development is a slow, organic process. There are times when everything blooms quickly, and there are seasons of hibernation when it seems like nothing is changing, but in fact a lot is happening underneath the surface. Inner transformation can seem as slow as a tree branch growing. However, we need to consistently nurture ourselves, be patient, and let things unfold in their own way.

Self-Awareness and Meditation focuses on the return journey back to the Self. True meditation is a state of awareness which comes naturally as we increasingly align with our soul. We realize that we are not the doer, and then comes a different perspective about allowing our false reality to fall away, and we discover that consciousness, not the ego, has been running the show all the time.

I think, given what we have all been through these past years, that we can all agree that there has never been a better time to strengthen our ability to cultivate patience, compassion, acceptance, and non-judgment for others and yourself — all qualities that are foundational for successful mindfulness practice.

And so starting to build a dutiful foundation of mindfulness with the bricks cultivated from the principle of self-awareness, thus providing us to then be able to implement these skills in our day-to-day lives, is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. So why is it just so damn hard to get started on this road to self-awareness?

Starting from the beginning acorn of where this book wishes to direct you, internally and mentally, the big question has to be: What is Self-Awareness?

Well, self-awareness is our ability to tune-in and consciously be aware of our own thoughts, emotions, and actions coupled with how our behavior affects others. At first, this may sound simple, but it actually takes a great deal of practice and skill to be able to call upon that consistent level of awareness.

For example, as you read this, are you able to tune into your current emotional state? Are you able to recall how you felt when you woke up this morning? How about how you felt after the last conversation you had? Life moves fast, and if we don’t take the time to build moments into our day to slow down and tune-in we can move through life on autopilot.

Every day, we repeat movements, thought patterns, and ways of interacting with others. In this repeated daily practice, we create automatic behaviors (some good, some bad) that have a tendency to stick. Whether it’s moving through your usual day-to-day activities, being confronted with difficult thoughts and emotions, or having conversations with others, we all have patterns of behavior that we act out over and over again… without fully recognizing the patterns we’ve created.

I mean, come on now, we have all left a difficult conversation or made a quick decision in an emotional state with the sinking feeling that we wished we could have said or done things differently, had we been in a different emotional space or mindset.

And so by building your skills of self-awareness through meditation you can learn how to hit the “pause button” before reflexively leaning into bad habits or negative behavior patterns without noticing.

Thus, here within Self-Awareness and Meditation: An Advanced Guide for Meditators, author Charles Attfield provides us the tools that allow us to take a step back, to slow down and then to create space between receiving information, processing, and reacting – giving us the ability to check-in with our best selves in real-time before responding.

Opening with the aptly-named Search for the Self, Attfield presents his findings within Eastern Meditation, in a form readily understandable by the West, and which was actually handed on down to him by his own teacher, and founder of the Synchronicity Foundation, Master Charles Cannon.

About the Author - Charles Attfield was a high school teacher for most of his career. Originally from the UK, he moved to Australia in 1986. His interest in meditation and eastern philosophy grew rapidly after his later visits to India.

In addition to teaching qualifications, Charles has qualifications in esoteric psychology, astrology and counseling. He lives in Helena Valley, Australia.

Official Book Purchase Link