Where awareness fits into body, mind and spirit

Frederic asks where awareness fits into the body-mind-spirit relationship discussed at a retreat.

The Wonders explain that most people are aware only of the physical body; a few observe the mind and the body-mind connection.

Awareness is of a spiritual nature: rising above ego, the physical, the mental and even the mental perspective of emotions to observe the larger picture, movement and flow without the detail the mind wants to add, allowing choices from a broader rather than short-term perspective.

They note a chakra above the seventh relates to the sense of awareness and expands with it.

Told that Frederic is very mind-oriented and has been shifting over the past one and a half to two years, they recommend sitting quietly in a meditative state and opening all the senses; the mind will insist it cannot do this and eventually give up, after which one begins to notice things never noticed before, first through the physical senses and eventually as the movement of life, choice, intensity and creation.

They warn against letting the mind judge and define, which keeps one in the mind, and say the practice takes time.

Asked whether awareness is always present spiritually but must be developed at the ego level, they agree, describing the ego and mind as very young (a few decades) compared with a soul hundreds of thousands of years old, so awareness serves to mature the ego and mind by connecting them to the soul's long perspective.