BOOK
From Person to
Conscious Presence
An inner journey filled with integrity.
T
his journey often entails
many unexpected, and not
always comfortable,
encounters with aspects of
oneself and one’s personality that one
would rather flee from with the help of
external distractions.
Life, however, very seldom allows this
kind of arrogance to unendingly
persevere. Life sees to it that our life
situations provide us with exactly the
challenges we need to move beyond
this superficial and often egocentric
mental structure.
Wikipedia offers the following
explanation of the word “person”: an
individual from the human species.
When one examines the Latin word
“persona” used by the ancient Greeks
when referring to theatrical actors, one
finds a description that complies with:
role, mask and person.
A description that sounds rather
truthful; a mask and role that is borne
by someone. A continuously
changeable and adaptable role that
shapes a person or personality in
interaction with genetic and social
structures and imprints from the
environment.
In addition to mental and physiological
structures that give us form, we also
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have a much deeper, more subtle,
formless dimension. It is this dimension
that we often completely disregard. The
abstract and concrete dimension
exercises such a magnetic pull on our
human, stimuli-craving senses that we
tend to continuously seek out new
fleeting kicks causing us to “miss” the
subtle reality that permeates us.
To become conscious of this inner
subtle dimension, the essence within, is
the first step on the way to meet oneself
on a deeper level. To be “one” with the
essence within is what I would call true
presence and self-awareness. It is also
in this dimension we find lasting
fulfillment and it is here where healing
of imbalances in the mental and
physiological structures take place. A
healing of the causes of imbalance and
not simply an alleviation or suppression
of the symptoms.
After nearly fifteen years of teaching
Yoga, it is of greatest significance to me
today that my students will come into
contact with this deeper dimension
within. To be present in the body is the
key to this inner journey or unification
with the essence/life force within.
My texts and books also embrace these
deeper contemplations and at regular
intervals point the reader within. To the