By Anita De Francesco, MA
Relationship Specialist
Enlightenment begins with awareness. It is when we become  part of a whole such as the collective universe. When we  experience separation from the rest of the world , it is an optical delusion of one’s consciousness. It essentially is a prison of the mind. To be enlightened we need to be free from the cycle of suffering, desire and ignorance ( Samsara).  In Buddhism, enlightenment refers to a unique experience which wholly transforms the enlightened individual from its opposite ( Samsara). Reaching enlightenment is equivalent in meaning to reaching Nirvana or attaining Buddhahood.  Once we widen our circle of compassion all living creatures and the whole of our nature is in its beauty.  Awareness comes from clarity and openness of the way we think. It is giving yourself the permission to differentiate, to take chances and to let go of stigma. Awareness is listening and hearing the message.   To be open one should be flowing in the relationship to life. This will create a clarity of the senses and will help to carve out your place in each moment.  So how do we get enlightened?  It is not just gurus who are enlightened. All of us can be living in this higher power. We begin by letting go of the mind; a place that lives alone and needs outside stimulation to acknowledge its presence.  So let us detach from this stimulation and find our real purpose.  To become enlightened we need to pay intention to our mistakes and mishaps. We need to understand the moment of what took place. It is the experiences that create the enlightenment.  This is the awakening, but if we are closed in the mind then the awakening doesn’t develop and can stay repressed. Lots of folk out there are living with repressed awakenings.  So let us work with a path to help us get some understanding.
1)    Create the Journey of Life.  Find your purpose; ask the question.
2)    Look back on your past mistakes and what was the lesson. Did you go in denial or did you learn a lesson and did you teach others from this learned wisdom.
3)    Make note of how you’ve grown and what changes you made. What were the steps.
4)    Examine and look at your spiritual life. Do you take part in spiritual events and body/mind practices. Are you seeking the truth through your sacred energy. Are you learning about  your uniqueness, who you are.
5)    Examine your love relationship and all your relationships.  Are they full, flowing or are they stagnant and cloudy.
6)    Do you believe in Karma. If not start to study what it means.
7)    Become a truth seeker and start today.
8)    Let go of judgment, one by one beginning with yourself and your neighbor.
9)    Turn your gaze inward and observe your inner silence.  Take steps toward surrendering.
10)    Find the love in every moment.
Do you feel stuck and in a rut, depressed or anxious or overall sluggish? I practice Reichian, Gestalt, somatic movement, and counseling/bodywork, integrative therapies  which involve focused breathing to help stimulate the emotions, thus re-patterning the nervous system.  I help you to eliminate the negative voices and thoughts that create the stress and to resolve those unwanted interruptions that get in the way of your life process. Those stiff, armored muscles that block sensation and energy flow will eventually soften.
The rage sitting in the muscles will unfold, allowing more feelings of pleasure, more creativeness, freeing blocked energies and sexual dysfunction.  Modern society has forced the human character to live in unnatural ways, holding back basic needs and instincts. This process of breathing deeply sends messages to the brain which  is an effective way to release anger, to let go of baggage, and to feel more alive and trusting, thus living in a higher self-esteem.
Anita De Francesco, M.A.
www.tantrawisdom.com
info@tantrawisdom.com
310-210-1464