Sunrise Meditation

The Sunrise Meditation is a simple meditation method that was specifically designed by a consciousness expert to help people access their subconscious and realize and live as their higher Self. Fragmented, undiscovered and unassimilated parts of our selves/subconscious, can conflict and compete with each other. This often results in self-defeating behavior, or a lack of will or energy to move towards what we really want in life. This occurs because huge amounts of our mental energies are wasted in conflicts/competition with each other.

Practicing the Sunrise Meditation

Copied with permission from The Consciousness Paradigm

The Four Practices of the Sunrise Method

The following Sunrise Method practices may be helpful in forming habits that will cultivate one’s awareness and elevate one’s consciousness:

1. Solitude Time

The best way to begin raising one’s consciousness is to observe solitude time. In order to do this, it is vitally important to set aside at least 15 minutes each day. This time should be considered and treated as sacred time that you devote to yourself. Find a quiet place and arrange your schedule so that you will have no interruptions. Some people find it helpful to burn a candle or incense in order to set the mood. Some like to play soothing music in the background. If you choose to play background music, it should be soft, relaxing, and without words. However, if you find the music distracting, complete silence would likely be a better approach for you.

Another aid to effective solitude time is selecting the right place. Ideally you should find a corner of your home or at least a chair, that you will ONLY use during your solitude time. By specifically limiting the space or chair that you use, to those periods of time when you are in solitude, it helps train your mind. You take advantage of the habitual and frequently subconscious associations your mind attaches to the things you interact with on a regular basis. You become more quickly accustomed to focusing on your inner processes.

Place yourself in a comfortable seated position. Relax completely and close your eyes. Closing your eyes helps you focus internally, within yourself. Be consciously aware of all the thoughts and feelings you experience during this time. The more continuously and clearly you can be aware of what is going on within you, the better. Building this internal awareness will prepare you for the other exercises.

2. Clearing the Hamper

During solitude time you will become more aware of the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing within yourself. As you sit quietly, thoughts will arise that often don’t surface during the active times of the day when your attention is focused on other things. Frequently things occur that trigger certain reactions that we don’t have time to deal with right then. So the mind stuffs them into what could be called the mental laundry hamper, for later processing. This enables the mind to focus on what is at that moment, higher priority issues. The feelings and thoughts that get stuffed in the hamper, sit there until they are processed or forgotten.

During solitude time, we have a quiet, uninterrupted space in which we can focus on subtler things. When we relax and open our minds in solitude, things in the hamper tend to “bubble” up to the surface of our consciousness where we can think about and process them. In order to help us remember important issues, our subconscious minds have a tendency to fixate on those issues until we have dealt with them. Once the demands on our attention diminish and the opportunity arises, our subconscious will remind of us of these “back burner” items.

Keeping a notepad handy during solitude time is very useful. On it, we can write down the back burner issues that arise out of our mental hampers. As our skill at utilizing solitude time increases, we are able to dig deeper and deeper into the mental hamper. In doing so, many different issues will surface. Some will be deep, personal issues that impact how we view and experience life. We will also uncover issues which are mundane or less important. And while these mundane issues may be important or even urgent, they don’t really relate to understanding who we are. For example, during solitude time, we may remember that we need to purchase a get well card for a friend who is ill. While this may be important, it is not the type of issue we want to focus on during solitude. But because it is important, our subconscious will tend to keep bringing it up until we get it done. However, if we write down a note to ourselves on our notepad, we consciously acknowledge and memorialize the concern. Knowing that this issue has been physically preserved for later processing allows our subconscious to let go of it and move on to other, more subtle issues.

If we regularly “dig into our hamper” and process what is in there, over time we will travel deeper and deeper within ourselves. Separating out the mundane issues and writing them on the notepad frees us to concentrate on those issues that will actually change our lives.

3. Quieting the Mind

During your solitude time, clear your mind of all distractions. Empty it of any thoughts of responsibilities at work and home, and other chores you need to do. Write these on your notepad, as one by one you empty your hamper. Focus completely on quieting your mind so that you are able to maintain a quiet, relaxed state of inner silence.

When first attempted, quieting the mind is difficult for most people. Without conscious attention the mind tends to produce a constant flow of mental “chatter.” Learning to quiet this chatter is an invaluable skill. If you feel your mind wandering, just gently redirect it toward quiet stillness. As your skill improves, you gain a greater ability to filter out distractions. It is like turning down the volume on a loud radio, so you can hear the quieter, more subtle sounds. Once you have the ability to quiet your mind, you can easily focus your attention on exactly what you want to. You are also able to hear the deeper, subtler messages your subconscious mind and your soul send you.

4) Journaling

Journalingis similar to the process of clearing the hamper. Except that instead of writing down the mundane things, you write down the important things. Journalingfocuses on the issues that lead to a better understanding of yourself. It serves as a log of important ideas and trains of thought. As you wrestle with things about yourself that you want to better understand, change, or control, your journal is your record of where you have been.