The Ease of Alignment with Our True Nature
We intuitively know when we are aligned with our true nature and when we are not. This knowing is often felt in the body as a sense of peace, ease, or harmony, or conversely, a feeling of discomfort, unease, or dissonance. However, our conditioning can complicate this, making it harder to trust our intuitive guidance. Let’s explore this in depth, considering both the innate guidance we have and the influence of conditioning.
1. Innate Awareness and the Feeling of Alignment
True Nature is pure awareness. This awareness is not separate from the world around us—it is the ground of all experience. The senses, the body, and emotions are not only experiences that arise in this awareness, but they also act as pointers to our alignment or misalignment with it.
Feeling of Peace: When something feels peaceful, calm, or harmonious, it's usually because it resonates with our true nature. Peace is a direct experience of pure awareness, which is always present but often masked by mental chatter, past conditioning, or external distractions. When we feel peace, we are often aligned with this deeper truth of who we are.
For example, when you are in a situation where you feel at ease, your awareness is simply being in the moment, free from judgments or mental projections. There's a natural flow and connection with the present moment. This alignment feels comfortable, almost as though you are in sync with life itself.
Feeling of Discomfort, Unease, or Disease: On the other hand, when something feels off, uncomfortable, or misaligned, it typically signals a disconnect from this deeper awareness. This discomfort can show up as physical tension, emotional disturbance, mental agitation, or illness. It often arises when we identify with the ego, or when we are not fully present with what is happening and neglect important aspects of life, and instead are either in the past or projecting into the future.
For instance, if we find ourselves in a situation where we feel anxiety, fear, or confusion, it might be because we are caught up in the stories of the mind, trying to control, resist, or change the present moment. This is a sign that we have moved away from the direct experience of pure awareness, which like a compass, aims to be peaceful, balanced, and fully grounded in the present moment.
2. Conditioning and Its Impact on Our Sensory Guidance
While our true nature provides a compass to its inherent peace and alignment, conditioning—especially from early childhood—can distort our ability to clearly perceive these intuitive signals. Conditioning refers to the mental and emotional patterns we develop based on our upbringing, cultural influences, past experiences, and societal expectations. These patterns create belief systems and mental habits that shape how we interpret our inner and outer worlds.
Conditioning Can Mask True Sensations: Our conditioned responses can cause us to misinterpret what we feel in the body. For example, if someone has been conditioned to believe that success equals hard work and sacrifice, they may feel guilty or uncomfortable when they experience peace, ease, or rest. This discomfort can lead them to question whether they are “doing enough,” even though their body or mind is signaling that rest is necessary.
Similarly, people who have been conditioned to seek approval or avoid conflict might feel anxious in situations where they are called to act authentically or assertively. The discomfort they feel might be a result of societal conditioning rather than a true sense of misalignment with their deeper nature.
Conditioning Affects Our Ability to Trust Our Inner Guidance: In some cases, conditioning can cause us to distrust our own internal feelings of peace or discomfort or dis-ease. If we’ve been taught to dismiss our emotions, disregard our intuition, or prioritize external approval over inner truth, we may question whether our internal signals are reliable. Over time, we may become disconnected from our inner sense of peace and align ourselves more with the shoulds and expectations of society or other people.
3. How to Recognize and Overcome the Distortion of Conditioning
To return to a clearer sense of alignment with our true nature, we must cultivate awareness of how conditioning affects our perceptions. Here are a few ways to work with this:
Awareness of Inner Sensations: The first step is to cultivate mindfulness around bodily sensations and emotions. Rather than immediately labeling an emotion as “good” or “bad,” try to simply observe it. Notice where in your body you feel the sensation, and what thoughts arise around it. Are you feeling peace, ease, or tension? Is there a sense of resistance or acceptance?
Questioning Beliefs: When discomfort arises, it's helpful to question the beliefs or assumptions that might be causing the unease. Ask yourself, "Is this discomfort arising because I’m trying to live up to an external standard, or am I resisting something that I deeply know to be true?" This inquiry helps peel away layers of conditioning and brings you back to your true self—the awareness that is free from judgment or external influence.
Self-Compassion and Patience: A key aspect of overcoming conditioning is being gentle with yourself. Conditioning doesn’t disappear overnight. If you notice that you’re stuck in patterns that cause discomfort, be kind to yourself and recognize that this is simply part of the human experience. Over time, the more you practice presence, the easier it becomes to distinguish between authentic inner guidance and conditioned responses.
Practice of Surrender or Letting Go: The body and senses often provide subtle clues about whether we are aligned with our true nature. When we "surrender" to the present moment and stop resisting what is, we tend to experience greater peace. Trusting in this surrender, letting go of egoic control, and allowing ourselves to be guided by inner peace can help us align more consistently with our true nature.
4. Aligning with Our True Nature Despite Conditioning
Even though conditioning creates mental and emotional obstacles, the awareness of our true nature is always present, underneath the layers of conditioning. As we continue to practice self-awareness, mindfulness, and presence, we gradually begin to peel back the layers of conditioning and align more deeply with our authentic selves, and what used to seem like a practice we realize that is not actually a practice of meditation or mindfulness but a practice of shedding layers of the conditioning clouding our true nature, which is spirit, pure awareness, or consciousness itself.
Gradual Return to Alignment: Just as a compass gradually points to true north, when we practice staying present with our senses and emotions, we start to naturally trust our inner guidance towards peace and therefore feel more at peace. The discomfort or disease becomes a signal that we need to stop, question our assumptions, and return to the truth of our experience.
The Process of Unconditioning: The more we stay connected to our sensory experience, the more we naturally start to recognize the feeling of peace as an indicator of alignment. Over time, we become more attuned to the natural flow of our true nature, and the pull of conditioned responses gradually loses its power.
In short, we inherently know when we are aligned with our true nature because it feels like peace, ease, balance, and harmony. Discomfort, unease, or dis-ease signals a disconnect, often driven by conditioning or attachment to the ego. By cultivating awareness of our body’s sensations, questioning limiting beliefs, and practicing mindfulness, we can gradually clear away the distortions of conditioning and return to the deep peace of our true nature. This alignment or union of mind, body, and spirit is yoga. That is the aim of the authentic yoga practice. This process is ongoing, but with time and practice, we become more attuned to the authentic guidance of our inner self.
