9 Ways to Raise Your Consciousness

To attain enlightenment, or even just be happy, we must raise our consciousness. Here are some ways that will help you do that:

1. Practice Meditation

Meditating is probably the best thing you can do to raise your consciousness, even if it is only for 10 minutes a day. It’s important to have regularity, though, with your practice, or you will find your consciousness lowering again. Learn to meditate

2. Repeat a Mantra

Another great way to raise your consciousness, especially if you can’t find time to meditate every day, is to repeat a mantra while you go about your daily activities. It can be anything that inspires you, for example “From joy I came, for joy I live, in sacred joy I melt again”, “God is Love”, “I am peaceful”, “I am Spirit”, or anything you like. You can also use Sanskrit mantras, as long as they truly uplift you, such as Aum Guru, Aum Namah Shivaya, Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram, and many others.

3. Choose Your Activities

The activities you do each day have a huge effect on your state of mind. Choose activities that make you feel uplifted and inspired, rather than ones that drain you of energy and leave you depressed. That includes work. If you work all day surrounded by low consciousness, your own mind will begin to reflect that. Instead, find a job that allows you to serve others selflessly, whether that’s teaching meditation or just waiting tables. Whatever you do, do it as an act of service, an act of helping people.

4. Stay Healthy

Sometimes being physically healthy is not possible, and it is possible to have a high consciousness even with an unsound body, but it is much more difficult. Help yourself by going outside frequently and getting exercise. Lay out in the sun (not too long), close your eyes, and feel the sun’s energy filling you. Also, make sure to eat plenty of fresh, whole foods if you can, minimally processed, and at least some raw fruits and veggies. These will fill you with vitality and enthusiasm, rather than make you feel sluggish and tired. Here are some great recipes you can try

5. Focus on Your Spiritual Eye

One simple trick that will raise your consciousness is focusing your attention between your eyebrows, at a point which is called the “spiritual eye” or “third eye”. This point is where the prefrontal cortex of your brain lies, which deals with complex thinking and happiness. By focusing on this point, your thoughts will slowly become more uplifted. Simple does not mean easy, though. It is difficult to stay concentrated on it while going about your day. With practice, however, you will get better. Just patiently keep bringing your attention back whenever it strays.

6. Choose Your Friends

This is the same idea as the “choosing your activities” tip. Spend the majority of your time with people who make you feel happy, rather than those who bring you down. Spend time especially with those who you want to become more like, because this will inevitably happen. Of course, sometimes we have to spend time with people who bring down our consciousness, such as relatives or a particular coworker; just try to spend as little time with them as possible without upsetting them. When you do have to be with them, imaging a bubble of golden light surrounding and protecting you from their negative energy.

7. Listen to, or Play, Uplifting Music

Listening to uplifting music can quickly turn your mind around when you’re in a bad mood, or help you keep your consciousness high throughout the day. Pick something that will help you to feel more peaceful and joyful, rather than whatever you happen to like at the time. Swami Kriyananda, the founder of Ananda, said that music is a matter of consciousness, not taste, meaning that people like different types of music based on their level of consciousness. This means that if you just listen to what you feel like, you will choose music that fits your mood, which will only keep you in the same place. If you choose something lighter and happier, you will start to feel like that. Classical music is often good for this, or spiritual music. Here is some free music to listen to that you can start with

8. Have a Good Posture

Keeping your spine straight, shoulders back, and head level to the floor, will do wonders to raise your consciousness. Slouching injures the back and keeps your energy from flowing smoothly from your body to your brain. Opening up your shoulders helps you to awaken heart energy, making you more understanding and compassionate. It also helps your strength and confidence because you are not trying to protect your heart from the world by blocking it with your shoulders. Holding your head up will help you to take life straight on and see life as it truly is. If you look at the ground, all you will see is dirt.

9. Dress Consciously

Your physical appearance also affects your state of awareness, even though it seems superficial. This doesn’t mean you have to spend hours in front of the mirror putting every hair into place or wear tons of makeup, but we think and behave differently when we know we look nice and respectable. Dressing in nice, clear colors, like blue, green, and pink, will uplift your mind more than colors like grey and black. Practicing good personal hygiene is also helpful. Just think how good it feels after you take a refreshing shower and brush your teeth. And don’t forget to wear a smile!