The 4 principles for conscious transformation

When we are able to see that there is something in us or in our life that does not suit our needs 100%, we can choose to two options: leave things as they are or develop strategies so that what we are not satisfied with improves and transform.

If you opt for the second option, that of taking action and carrying out measures that help you improve and evolve, that means that you are opting for carry out a conscious transformation.

• Related article: "Personal Development: 5 reasons for self-reflection"

I want to change and I don't know where to start: conscious transformation

Conscious transformation simply refers to the decision to deliberately want to change something, and is directly related to your personal growth.

Sometimes we say we want to change something but we don't know where to start. For this, Mindfulness psychology proposes four fundamental principles that will help you walk the path of change and personal growth. These principles for transformation are: Recognition, Acceptance, Investigation and Non-identification. Together they form the acronym RAIN, something that can help you remember them.

Below I briefly outline each of the principles of Mindfulness Conscious Transformation (RAIN). These can be taken as steps to carry out a change process.

1: Recognition

Recognition is the step that goes from the denial of our reality to the acceptance of what is happening.

Denial refers to the lack of an internal statement that something is really going on. If we deny and do not recognize, then we can never make a change, because our denial will be undermining our freedom to choose whether or not we want that for ourselves.

It is important to understand that not by denying something we suffer less its consequences. I can deny that I have a problem with food but I will not stop suffering from it by relating to it in that way. That is why this first step is so important, because if we deny things we can never take care of them.

Recognition opens us to the observation of ourselves and our world in a conscious and liberating way, leading us from ignorance and illusion to freedom.

When we find ourselves stuck in life we ​​need to start by having a predisposition to observe and ask ourselves what is going on? So, we need to start by admitting our truth.

Example: a frequent drinker who denies the cost of his unhealthy lifestyle to her health opens the way to recognizing that this recurring habit of drinking is something that causes him discomfort.

2. Acceptance

The second step is that of acceptance. The acceptation It is a complex concept to explain since it is often related to resignation. Quickly and so as not to be mistaken, I explain the differences in their way of expressing themselves: resignation is expressed as "Ok, it's like that, I can't do anything" and acceptance, however, as "Ok, it's like that, what can I do with it".

After acknowledging our reality and opening ourselves to observe it, we need to do the deep work of acceptance. The acceptation it is the openness to be able to include whatever is ahead in our life, from the acute understanding that things are now as they are, without judging them.

The acceptance step takes practice, time and perseverance and is very courageous but allows the crudest problems to become workable. Mindfulness work can be the key to this step.

We can summarize this principle as embrace our reality whatever it is in the here and now.

Example: I have already recognized that I have a problem with alcohol, now I accept it, I do not run away from it or reject it even if it hurts.

3: Research

The inquiry step follows recognition and acceptance and is the inquiry step. In this step enter the questions of How? Where? Why? How? etc… It is the step of the observation of our reality par excellence.

We have recognized and accepted our dilemmas, now we need a broader inquiry in all the senses and areas in which they are present and what they are involved in.

To carry out this process sometimes we need guidance, because we can get lost in the process. It is what allows us to understand why and / or simply see how that something we want to change is present in our life at all levels.

The research we carry out must be done in the body, mind and emotions. It will also be necessary to explore the patterns that constitute the experience, that is, the learnings adjacent to it.

Some of the questions within this principle are: How do I feel this in the body, how do I feel it and where? I think? What do i feel Is this experience constant or fickle over time? When does it arise in time?

4: No identification

This step is essential to carry out a transformation. SIt means to stop talking about this experience as "me" or "my". That is, we stop identifying with all the labels related to the experience, becoming independent of it. We go from "my disorder" or "my problem" to simply "problem". This step is the culminating step for transformation.

In this step we can understand the transience of things, seeing them with a greater perspective and perceiving how they constantly change. We detach ourselves from our idea of ​​what "I am" and allow ourselves to build a more fluid "I am".

When we understand this principle in depth, we become free to let go of the whole problem and begin to approach it from a state that can be described with this question, Am I really this?

Example: from the identification “I am a failure” to, I may have behaved like a failure at times, but this is not always the case. I do not identify myself with the failure label and I allow myself to drop it since I do not want it for myself.

At this point in the process is when we understand that our conscious being can host millions of changing experiences and then we start to choose which ones we want to build with.

These principles can serve as a guide on your path of growth and conscious Transformation. It is not always easy to walk this path alone so take your time and if you need it, ask for help.

To end...

Did you know these principles? I hope that you have learned something new today and that this article will be of help to you when you decide to consciously change something. And if at any time you need professional psychological help, get in touch with us.