How to Get in Touch With Your Inner Self
Did you know that 95% of our brain activity is subconscious? You talk. You learn. You think. You argue. And all the while, your brain is hard at work, shaping the values, knowledge, movements, and impulses that rule our conscious minds. Spend some time in the backstage of your brain and see what you find.
Meditation
The obvious route to understanding the self, at a physical, mental, and emotional level, is to meditate. Your subconscious rules the function of your body. As you rest, pay attention to your body and its processes. Your breath. Your heartbeat. The movement of your stomach. You can explore your thoughts or consider them and gently push them away. Meditation is key to understanding how your body and brain function at rest.
Journaling
One way to see what is unconsciously coming to mind for you is to write it down. Many people go into journaling with a plan. You might turn to your journal to recount your day or process a strong and specific emotion. But what about the in between? Try journaling without a plan. Find a neutral moment in your week when you have quiet time and see what thoughts, feelings, or questions come up for you. Then review what you wrote. Freewriting can give voice to parts of you you didn’t even know were there.
Dream Journaling
Related to “regular” journaling but different, dream journaling is getting to know your subconscious at its source. That is… when you’re physically unconscious. Stash a journal and a pen next to your bed and when you wake up from a dream, grab the journal and write down what you can remember. Quick, before you forget! If you’re not a frequent dreamer, try writing about how you slept, as in your physical memory of the experience of sleeping. Over time, you can track the recurring themes, symbols, and feelings that come up.
Affirmations & Manifestations
If you’re an affirmation person, then you’ve already moved beyond understanding your subconscious and into the zone of actively training it. When you write and recite affirmations, or when you visualize or manifest positive things, you are reprogramming your conscious and unconscious mind with positive associations. In other words: Use affirmations to bring that shady, backstage brain work out into the spotlight.