Where to start personal development? Individuality - a bright, unique person. Consultation with a psychologist

In recent decades, the development of psychology is closely connected with discoveries in the natural sciences and achievements of philosophical thought. I decided to devote my next article to such an issue as the direction of psychology, which in my student years caused a stupor and forced me to shovel mountains of abstruse textbooks. I hope my article will be interesting to you and you will learn something useful for yourself.

Spiritual development - three ways of self-improvement

Philosophers of the ancient world argued: “Seek new knowledge, read wise books and listen to wise people, but treat everything you hear and read, treat everything you see thoughtfully, passing everything through your ears, through your mind and through your heart. Separate truth from lies and collect this treasure throughout your life. And if you do this, you will find the great wisdom of this world.”

So each of us has three paths of spiritual development:

1. Books. To achieve harmony and develop the greatest intellectual potential, you should choose a wide variety of books, and not only of an entertaining nature, but more often of an educational nature. History, philosophy, fiction, religion - this is what allows you to develop your mind and soul. Technical sciences contribute to the development of logical thinking, without which a developed personality is also unthinkable. Books on psychology, and not textbooks and teaching aids, which contain only a condensed theory, but practical guides will allow you to lift the veil of the secrets of the world and your own capabilities. Of the psychological works, the most notable are the works of Dale Carnegie, in which the author pays special attention to such an important issue as personality development. Dale Carnegie has long become a world classic of applied psychological science.
2. Art. “Art is peace. This is an opportunity to speak with the Universal Mind. This is a way of spiritual self-realization and comprehension of the world. The ability to create and perceive art is the highest happiness of a person,” said Dante. And it’s true: it is high-quality art that can set thoughts in the right direction, cleanse the soul and receive a powerful charge of positive energy and inner strength. A person in art is a thinking person who has his own opinion. So, subtly, imperceptibly, it shapes personality and life attitudes. It’s good to accustom yourself to studying classical painting and listening to calm, beautiful music before going to bed, not necessarily classics; the music of Paul Mauriat, Vladimir Cosmas, Raymond Lefebvre gives no less charge.
3. Meditation, yoga. Recently, meditation techniques have become very popular. Indeed, when done competently, with arrangement, they are able to bring the body and spirit to a state of harmony and balance, which is especially important amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the crazy rhythm of a big city, oppressive with its dustiness and crowdedness.

Along with the above, a significant place in the issue of personal growth is occupied by psychological attitude and self-hypnosis. But let's look at this issue in more detail.

Self-installation and self-knowledge

The power of our faith, the power of our thought is a huge force. The way we set ourselves up for the day, to complete a particular task, directly affects the final result.

Psychologists recommend that before every serious undertaking, conduct a little mental auto-training in front of the mirror: “I can do it. I deserve to win. I will succeed. I believe it! I know it! It is worth saying these simple words three times, without taking your eyes off your mirror reflection (preferably looking into your own eyes), and there will be no trace of your former doubts.

Doubt is the cause of most defeats. Thus, a self-confident person with minimal physical capabilities can win a fight with a real giant who is not confident in himself. That is why it is so important to train yourself in this direction and working on yourself will bring positive results. But do not confuse self-confidence with self-confidence, which no longer leads to anything good and good.

The topic of self-knowledge and self-development is one of the richest, multifaceted topics that you can talk about endlessly, each time discovering something new, significant, and interesting.

Now, having studied the basics of this knowledge, choose your own method of personal growth. And I sincerely wish you good luck on this path!

Sooner or later, a moment comes in a person’s life when he begins to think about who he really is, what abilities and possibilities are hidden in him. Therefore, self-development and self-knowledge is a topic that is relevant for all people of all ages.

What is self-development and self-knowledge? And how are they different?

Self-development

Self-development - as is clear from the word's composition - is the development of oneself, independently. A person engages in self-development, regardless of whether he is an esotericist or not. In the course of life, everyone comprehends his experience, draws conclusions, as a result of which his soul, spirit, and mind develop.

Self-knowledge

Self-knowledge is the process of observing oneself, resulting in the accumulation of knowledge about oneself. In essence, this is studying yourself, exploring your strengths and capabilities.

In contrast to self-development, self-knowledge is rather a passive process; you can get to know yourself, but at the same time move in development rather slowly. Still, it is believed that self-development is the process of changing oneself for the better through some kind of effort on oneself. And this is a more active process than self-knowledge. However, one is impossible without the other - as we develop, we get to know ourselves. And by recognizing our capabilities, we get a chance to develop them.

How to engage in self-development and self-knowledge.

The process of internal cognition starts when a person begins to observe his thoughts and analyze the actions (of himself and those of others). The process of internal improvement is the second step on the ladder of self-development. It occurs when a person begins to carry out internal work on himself in order to improve, improve his thoughts and actions, his health, energy, and therefore his entire life. After all, knowing yourself will not have any meaning if there is no internal work on yourself. This implies the fact of recognizing one’s own ignorance and, as a consequence, the desire to obtain true Knowledge.

What helps in self-development and self-knowledge.

It is important to understand that mind and logic are not the tools that are needed on this path. Self-analysis alone, coupled with mental activity, is unable to lead to knowledge of oneself and the mysteries of the surrounding world. It is necessary to awaken the consciousness of your higher nature and rely more on intuition and sensations than on logic. You may be asking "Why?" Often, techniques and practices related to the topics of self-development and self-knowledge defy logical explanation and understanding - but they really work! You probably even personally already had the opportunity to verify this from your own experience. If not yet, you can find various techniques on our school’s website - http://site
All esotericism operates with immaterial concepts and categories, such as “thought”, “intention”, “desire”, “energy”, etc. We are talking about what is not manifested on the physical plane: we cannot, for example, “see” physical through the eyes of a person’s thought, but this does not mean at all that he does not think about anything. It’s exactly the same with energetic influence: the inability to see it with our physical eyes does not mean its absence. Esotericism lies beyond the understanding of the brain. In most cases, we are dealing with the work of consciousness and subconscious, which are practically limitless. Consciousness has no limit, which means there are no boundaries for development. Absolutely any person has incredible hidden abilities that he can develop and use for the benefit of himself and the world. With every step he will discover new and new possibilities in himself, the existence of which he did not even suspect before. His attitude towards people, events, and life will simultaneously change.
Since it is consciousness that produces changes, which are then reflected on the physical plane, i.e. Those changes that we can observe in our real life, self-development and self-knowledge, are primarily associated with a constant increase in the level of consciousness.

General characteristics of self-knowledge. Self-knowledge and its significance in human life. Professional self-knowledge and self-development of a psychologist.

Soboleva Maria, 1G

General characteristics of self-knowledge.

Every person at least once in his life asked himself the questions: “Who am I?”, “What am I?”, “What is the meaning of my existence, my life?” Different people answer these complex philosophical questions in different ways: some never find answers to them; others try to give themselves a detailed description, determine the directions and prospects of their life activities; Still others, having answered the questions posed, nevertheless remain dissatisfied with their answers.

The very formulation of these questions is remarkable and indicates that humans, as rational beings, have a fundamental need for self-knowledge, which is absent in animals. Indeed, the inner world of each of us is an inexhaustible universe, as endless as space. You can live your life without looking into some of its hidden corners. Therefore, throughout the history of mankind, interest in self-knowledge has remained unchanged, and it will remain so as long as people show curiosity about the world, as long as they are able to cognize the surrounding reality.

Self-knowledge - this is the process of knowing yourself, your potential and actual properties, personal, intellectual characteristics, character traits, your relationships with other people.

For some people, this process may take little time, happen unexpectedly, instantly, instantly. For others it can take years, decades, even a lifetime. But this process is irreversible, since it is very important for all humanity.

Self-knowledge and its significance in human life.

From a scientific point of view, the meaning of self-knowledge is most fully revealed in psychology. Here the most diverse facets of the meaning of self-knowledge are highlighted. Here are just a few of them:

Self-knowledge is a condition for achieving mental and psychological health of the individual;

Self-knowledge is a means of gaining inner harmony and psychological maturity;

Self-knowledge is the only way for a person’s self-development and self-realization.

Of course, all these sides are closely interconnected and do not act in isolation.

A mature healthy person, through self-knowledge, learns to effectively participate in conflict resolution, seek paths leading to true good, understand his own deep motivations and share acquired knowledge with others in an accessible form, and in such a way as to promote human unity and progress.

Only by knowing himself can a person become an individual, feel happy, make those around him happy, also help them understand themselves and understand the truth of existence.

It is impossible to exaggerate the role of self-knowledge in the process of personal growth. It develops the ability to find creative approaches and new constructive ways to solve problems, based on the principles of mutual understanding, empathy and mutual assistance. It is these abilities that determine a leader in any society.

Meanings of self-knowledge:

At the religious level, this is a way of unifying a person with God through the knowledge of the Divine principle within oneself;

At the superficial psychological (everyday) level, it is a means of making the most full use of one’s capabilities, a means of controlling other people;

At the deep psychological level, this is the way to gain psychological health, harmony and maturity, the ability for self-development and self-actualization.

Thus, self-knowledge allows a person to answer important life questions: “who am I?”, “what am I?”, “what do I want and what do I dream about?”, “how do I feel about my activities and the people around me?”, “ what can I?”, “who and what do I want to become?” etc. By knowing yourself, you can manage your life. This is the readiness of a person to independently organize his life.

Professional self-knowledge of a psychologist.

Like self-knowledge in general, professional self-knowledge is updated under the influence of a certain motivation, which is determined by the uniqueness of the teacher’s activity, communication and personality.

Motives for professional self-knowledge:

Professional self-knowledge is motivated by interest in oneself, the desire to understand one’s strengths and weaknesses as a professional, to expand one’s horizons about one’s own personality;

The need for self-knowledge arises when an educator or teacher discovers an imbalance between his work and its results, which also stimulates the process of self-knowledge;

Self-knowledge is activated as a result of critical comments addressed to oneself by others: administration, colleagues, parents, and sometimes students;

Motives of professional self-development can act as incentives for self-knowledge: self-affirmation, self-improvement, self-actualization.

Self-knowledge is organized by methods of pedagogical technology: self-observation (observation of oneself in activity); comparing yourself with others (psychological games); introspection (creative activity), three “I”: “I” real (What do I know about myself?), “I” ideal (What do I want to be?), “I” mirror (What do other people think about me?).

Self-knowledge is impossible without the teacher’s awareness and assessment of his lifestyle, self-analysis of his inner world. Working on oneself, overcoming oneself, and social activity arise in a person from experiences of contradiction between the demands of life and one’s own imperfection. But dissatisfaction with oneself cannot constantly “nourish” the desire for self-improvement. A person must simultaneously look at himself positively, realize his uniqueness, his difference from others, and rely on self-esteem.

Professional self-development of a psychologist.

Professional self-development is a process of integration of external professional training and internal movement, personal development of a person.

Professional self-development can go in the following directions: self-affirmation,

self-improvement and self-actualization.

Self-affirmation- this is the desire to meet some standard of the image of a teacher, to be no worse than others, to be at the level of the requirements of the administration and management.

Self-improvement- this is the desire to surpass oneself today, achieve higher results, improve one’s skills, acquire

personally significant qualities.

Self-actualization- this is the highest level of self-development, which begins from the moment of self-improvement and self-affirmation and, under favorable conditions, goes far beyond them.

Criteria for professional self-development:

Self-organization of qualitative changes in personality and activity;

Dominance in the structure of pedagogical activity of teacher actions aimed at professional self-renewal. Changing your ways of working;

Setting and solving pedagogical, psychological, organizational, subject-related tasks in relation to oneself and one’s activities;

The teacher’s ability to perceive various manifestations of the environment as prerequisites for his professional development.

The mechanisms that ensure professional self-development of a teacher include:

Self-awareness associated with understanding, recognition, acceptance of one’s Self;

Self-determination, shown by designating the boundaries of one’s Self;

Self-actualization associated with the manifestation and release of what is embedded and formed in the human self;

Self-realization represented by the expression of the potential of the Self;

Self-activity that a person carries out as a subject and in which he objectifies and develops his Self;

Self-regulation, connected with a person’s management of various aspects of his personality and their integration;

Self-construction associated with the targeted cultivation and development of certain (integrally significant) abilities, aspects and qualities of the individual;

Self-identification, represented by identifying and disidentifying oneself with any position or role;

Self-esteem associated with the correlation of “actual self” and “potential self” on various scales.

As studies by teachers and psychologists V. I. Andreev, A. Adler, B. G. Ananyev, W. James, D. D. Leontiev, A. F. Losev, A. Maslow, G. Murphy, G. Allport show, K. Rogers, V. A. Slastenin, V. I. Slobodchikov, S. A. Smirnov, V. A. Sukhomlinsky, E. N. Shiyanov, K. Jung and others, the need for self-expression is one of the main ones for humans .

In this regard, education is a continuous process of self-development, self-knowledge and self-improvement.

Professional self-knowledge and professional self-development are closely related to each other - they determine the vector and strategies of teacher development

as a professional.

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There is a law in psychology - if you create an image in your brain of what you would like to be and keep this image for a long enough time, you will soon become exactly what you thought about

William James

Self-education and self-development: Tabula Rasa Theory

The theory of Tabula rasa (Latin for “Blank Slate”) was first proposed by the Scottish philosopher David Hume.

According to this theory, all people are born without any mental content, in other words, pure. Everyone acquires these resources throughout life, when the desire for self-development is developed.

Based on this theory, it is possible to explain the phenomenon of why children quickly, a lot and easily absorb all the information, knowingly or unknowingly, provided to them, since, in essence, a person’s personal self-development is inherent in nature.

As a result, an adult is nothing more than the result of the consequences of experiences received in childhood. A direct proportional dependence of a person’s development on the conditions in which he grew up can be traced. Aristotle also said: “What you print will be printed.”

The events of the twentieth century brought many discoveries in psychology, but one of the greatest was the discovery of self-concept: the willingness and ability to develop oneself.

The idea of ​​the Self-concept theory is that, starting from birth, each person gradually builds a set of certain beliefs about himself, thereby choosing his own motive for self-development.

Our thoughts, feelings, and, as a result, actions are formed on the basis of self-concept. Thanks to this, each of us is the creator of our own lives, changing our way of thinking and attitude towards ourselves and the world around us.

The concept of “self-development” (self-concept) is not innate. It is acquired during life. By interacting with the world around him, changing his attitude towards certain things, consciously or unconsciously using various mechanisms of self-development, a person, like masonry, builds his “I”.

We are the result of a collection of ideas and impressions that acquire the status of truth through childhood experience. Everything that is supported by faith becomes truth.

Principles of self-development: three parts of self-concept

I'm perfect is a unique idea of ​​oneself. It includes hopes, dreams, as well as illusions and ideals.

This is a self-ideal that has absorbed all those highest values ​​(virtues) that we want to see both in ourselves and in the people around us. It is he who directly influences the formation of our behavior style.

The ideal self is well formed in leaders - men and women who are distinguished by strength of character and a clear idea of ​​their goals and ideals. Guided by high standards, they rarely compromise.

These are people whose fortitude inspires confidence. They are always taken into account. They never idealize, but embody ideals, while adhering to clear definiteness and clarity.

I am real - this is how a person sees himself, this is his own image. In some sources you can find the name “Inner Mirror”. Each of us has looked into this mirror at least once to choose a style of behavior in a given situation. Like a crystal bridge, this image connects our ideas about norms of behavior with their external manifestations.

While developing the doctrine of psycho-cybernetics, Maxwell Maltz introduced into psychological use the concept of “self-image,” which includes self-education and self-development.

This is kind of like a program that is written every time before starting a particular action. A person, as it were, subconsciously imagines himself in a particular situation, its outcome, in order to then embody it in the form of words and actions in a real situation.

Most positive changes begin simply by improving the images in your mind. The influence of internal images on our emotions and behavior is undeniable.

Not only our attitude towards the world, but also the attitude of the world towards us depends on how positive the self-image is. By developing your self-image in a positive way, you will accordingly change your way of thinking, and therefore your life.

I am self-esteem It is also an important factor determining our thoughts, behavior and sensory components. The level of self-esteem directly tells you how much you like or dislike yourself.

And this, in turn, determines how successful your activities will be. And vice versa, certain successes in activity or a good result can raise your self-esteem.

Your personality is like a flower, and your self-esteem is like life-giving moisture. The availability and quality of moisture determines how the flower will grow. Moderately high self-esteem will raise the bar of standards, set the scale of goals, and therefore the strength of perseverance to achieve them.

Your self-esteem directly affects the quality of your communication. A confident person always evokes more sympathy and respect from others. In business, this factor becomes of critical importance.

Judge for yourself, having a high level of self-esteem, you can, at a minimum, through persistence, get a position, increase sales, and conclude major deals. The level of self-esteem is also important in personal interaction.

With high levels of self-esteem, parents will experience positive behavior, thereby increasing their children's self-esteem. Children will increase this quality in themselves, attracting peers who have similar qualities. Equally high self-esteem is the key to harmonious relationships.

How to engage in self-development on your own?

How to put your thoughts in order so that you can tune into the right mood? The problem of personal self-development in psychology is defined by nothing other than independent work on oneself, and in order to achieve good results, a person must have a specific motivation for self-development, thanks to which he will constantly move forward.

• The first thing you need to do is decide on your ideals. The ideal person - who is he? What qualities should he have? How would you behave if you were this person? In fact, determine the tasks of self-development and choose certain methods of self-development for yourself.
• Think at least 15 minutes a day about what you want to achieve. Try to focus on those moments in which your thinking plays the most important role in your emotions, relationships or actions.
• Imagine what you would look like in the area that suits you best. Start acting in your imagination.
• Imagine your interaction with people important to you, business partners. What should this interaction be like in order to be as close as possible to them in spirit?
• Try to imagine exactly those areas in which you like yourself most. Try to feel the growth of self-esteem in these moments. What else can you do to increase your self-esteem even more?
• You are an excellent person who will in no way limit your capabilities by citing obstacles, and will overcome all barriers to self-development that you encounter along the way.
• Having painted a complete picture of the ideal life of an ideal person, try to imagine that you are already such a person, living such a life.

After doing this auto-training several times, you will notice improvements within a few days.

Whoever has once found himself can no longer lose anything in this world. And whoever once understands the person in himself understands all people. S. Zweig

Amocognition begins from the moment you become aware of yourself. This process is embodied very early, even in childhood, and reaches its peak in the years of adolescence, when the thirst for knowledge is great, the mind is insatiable, demands new discoveries and impressions, and the soul strives for high goals and it seems that it is possible to embrace the immensity.

All this is exactly so, but with the burden of responsibility that social status imposes, new responsibilities, and simply the daily whirlpool of events carries away with its speed, a person forgets about the purity of impulses that once filled his life with meaning. And now, realizing the vanity of existence, he looks back, sees himself in the past and realizes that something is missing in his present life. Is this why she began to seem ordinary to him, so predictable?

Yes, there is stability in it: he has achieved recognition of his merits, he is valued by colleagues and respected by friends, there is stability in the family and support in life. However, this vague feeling inside does not cease to excite us and the fact that all this surroundings, the external component of being, does not exhaust the diversity that life can offer us.

No matter how unique and beautiful the experience of living in society may be, constantly encouraging us to serve our egregor, nevertheless, the material component of life could not exist if there were no inner life, the one that happens inside, is manifested by the work of consciousness and mind. It is the most important thing in a person, that which is hidden from view, but from where we draw strength to implement projects; she is a source of inspiration and creativity; the place where consciousness and soul live; a reflection of all that is purest in every person.

In moments of misunderstanding by others, it is this source that you will turn to in order to regain self-confidence. This is the inner pulse that connects us with the Absolute. It contains the entrance to the countless kingdom of knowledge and virtues. You need to be able to use it, find the key to it. The inner world of a person is huge. What we habitually call the inner world are just approaches to it. To recognize the entire Universe hidden behind the inscription “inner world,” we resort to a technique called self-knowledge.

The path of self-discovery

The path of self-knowledge is so close, and at the same time its horizons are boundless, that a person sometimes does not know where to begin his journey on the path to himself. But you just need to start, awaken the desire for self-recognition, internal growth of yourself as a person, and at the same time a passion for self-improvement will appear. They are like twins: they are similar to each other, the development of one implies the inclusion of the other in the work. Self-knowledge cannot live without self-improvement.

Self-improvement - the desire to achieve the Absolute, getting closer to the ideal

The process of self-improvement is immanent in human nature to the same extent as self-knowledge. The pursuit of ideality is what we live for. Perhaps this is said loudly, and yet every person has a thirst for self-realization, we cannot underestimate this. Due to the desire to realize oneself through various aspects of life, a person constantly strives to improve his knowledge and skills. On this road, he also reconsiders his goals, which are based on values.

Changing value categories leads to transformation of the personality itself. Often the process of transition, finding oneself, is accompanied by changes in a person’s external life: his environment, friends, place of residence, and occupation change. Only one thing remains unchanged - the desire for self-improvement through self-knowledge.

Types of self-knowledge. Ways of self-knowledge

Types of self-knowledge may be different. Here everything depends on the position from which the evaluator looks. The main types are presented as follows:

• analytical - associated with the work of the mind, the mental plane;
• creative - the sphere of feelings, the etheric and astral plane;
• spiritual - sacred sphere, causal, buddhial and atmic plane.

Each of these 3 types consists of subtypes that manifest themselves through a specific function.

Analytical self-knowledge of personality

This type of self-knowledge occurs through both introspection and introspection. In self-observation, written analysis in the form of diaries, passing tests, and automatic writing can be used - it is quite rare, but it gives excellent results, providing an opportunity to look deeper into your psyche. You can even talk about your first encounters with the subconscious.

Another way is self-confession. Being honest with yourself is not as easy as it might seem. Internal, uncontrollable fears usually constrain a person, which makes self-confession almost impossible. In order to cross the barrier of fears, you need, as always in such situations, to simply start acting - to start telling yourself about yourself.

Reflection differs from confession in that you do not report to yourself, but simply reflect on what is happening, trying to give less judgment. Although the role of evaluation is great in using this type of self-analysis, you should not exaggerate it, otherwise the role of a judge can lead you to excessive self-criticism, and this, in turn, will negatively affect your self-esteem.

Human creative self-knowledge

Creative self-knowledge is understood as such types when we begin to know ourselves through relationships with others, in interaction, including using techniques of play, theater, joint activities and events.

One example is participation in dramatic productions. Having chosen a role in a play, a person “tryes on” the character and habits of the character, he forgets himself at the time of the play, and this is the decisive factor. Reincarnation helps a person get rid of many complexes, since through the game one experiences certain situations and conditions that in real life cause discomfort. As a result, the role provides the opportunity to be transported to another, “unreal” space and in it to solve a psychological problem, and as naturally as possible. After all, playing by all the rules of the “game”, a person must become different, that is, he does not work with his complex, instead he lives it through this character.

This technique has a beneficial effect on the psyche, because fear and rejection of internal blocks disappear by themselves - here is the theater, and you are an actor in it, portraying a specific character. It turns out that in addition to the effect of deep self-understanding, which completes the process of transformation, this method also has a psychotherapeutic effect, makes a person more liberated and allows him to accept himself.

To the extent that playing in a stage production contributes to self-discovery, other joint activities, such as singing in a choir, participating in retreats, and group yoga classes, give a person the opportunity to look at himself from the outside, enrich his experience of life in society, and provide rich material for analysis and comparison.

After this type of activity, you can end the day by using one of the techniques of analytical self-knowledge, recording and analyzing events in a diary. It should be noted that any type of self-knowledge that you choose has a beneficial effect on the development of your creative abilities. Therefore, you can safely combine the types and methods you use for self-knowledge, because they will allow your individuality to reveal itself even more, penetrate into your true nature, and help you find out who you really are.

Spiritual self-discovery

Spiritual self-discovery- This is a separate species, standing a little further away, since it is different in its methods. By choosing a spiritual tradition for oneself as an example and model for practice, a person determines his entire future path of development and self-improvement. Those laws and concepts on which the practice is built will allow a person to best understand himself, penetrate into the deepest layers of consciousness and change himself in a radical way.

So, having chosen the yogic tradition, with each lesson you will begin to delve deeper into the essence of the positions on which the teaching is built. Studying the history of its origin, reading texts related to the practice, and shastras commenting on the original ancient works will allow you to find answers to long-standing questions not only of an internal nature concerning you as an individual, but also about the general structure of existence.

Improving the thought process through understanding the sastras

Information from primary sources is reliable. It has not undergone many modifications. All you receive is concentrated knowledge that has been preserved through the centuries, and now your task is to understand it, pass it through yourself, get used to the style of presentation and be sure to begin to put it into practice through personal experience - a sadhu.

The theory, knowledge gained from books and seminars must be put to the test through practice in real life, only then you will truly realize the whole truth and the value that they contain.

In the spiritual form of self-knowledge there are two more components: shabda and sadhu. Shabda is a sound, but a sound that comes from a teacher, someone you trust completely on a particular topic. This person can show you how you can rise on the path of self-development, through which practices, reading which texts will help you achieve the desired result and understand yourself.

Guru guiding personal search

The teacher, your siksha guru, or at more advanced levels - diksha guru - guides you and your consciousness along the path of knowing the true essence of things through the study of scriptural texts - shastras, and you, through your personal experience - sadhu - apply and test the knowledge gained in life. Nothing exists separately, abstracted from one another - everything is connected both in the world and within you.

I am not upset if people do not understand me, but Confucius is upset if I do not understand people.

Concept of self-knowledge

External experience and internal life interact, their influence on each other is equal. By knowing yourself, you come to know everyone else. Each person will become more understandable to you, you will find logic in the world order and the order of things. Then Goethe’s words that “man knows himself only to the extent that he knows the world” will be filled with new meaning for you. Think about it. External and internal are one. You are part of the universe, and at the same time you are a microcosm.

Values ​​in self-knowledge through yoga practice

Through the spiritual practices of yoga and meditation, a person comes to know the basic values, what to strive for and what to profess. The first stage of yoga - yama - represents a set of value rules that must be followed:

• Ahimsa is the principle of non-violence, also practiced through the vegetarian diet;
• Satya – truthfulness and veracity;
• Asteya - non-stealing;
• Brahmacharya - chastity and non-promiscuity;
• Aparigraha - detachment from worldly goods, renunciation of hoarding.

Through the practice of the 2nd stage of Ashtanga yoga, a person lives according to the principles of niyama, where the following must be observed:

• Shauchya - the principle of internal and external purity;
• - practice modesty;
• Tapas - performing austerities on the spiritual path;
• Svadhyaya - development of thinking through reading primary sources;
• Ishvara-pranidhana - Following the ideal - the highest Reason.

Thus, having a formed list of spiritual life values, a person understands what to strive for and what criteria for the correctness of actions he needs to be guided by as he walks through life.

Need for self-knowledge

Why do we even ask questions about the truth of life’s path, the meaning of life, and eternal values? How to understand yourself and others? These questions are generated by the need for self-knowledge, and it is inherent in a person, a seeker, someone who is not able to simply be satisfied with the material benefits of the world around him. He is constantly in search, so the concept of the meaning of life comes to the fore, because it cannot be found without understanding oneself.

The practice of yoga and meditation opens the way to new discoveries on the road of self-discovery. First of all, these classes allow you to increase your spiritual level, since initially these were exclusively practices of spiritual comprehension of the world. With the advent of the modern era, the understanding of these disciplines has changed somewhat, and the physical aspect has come to the fore, strengthening not only the spirit, but also the body.

However, by correctly understanding the goals of yoga and meditation as its integral part, you can continue to practice yogic asanas, strengthening your health and improving spiritually. One complements the other. Although the world is dual, its two parts - physical and spiritual - can be harmoniously reunited using yoga techniques, implementing the laws prescribed in the first 2 steps of the eightfold system.

Inner peace and self-knowledge

In fact, the very meaning of life is not external. It is just inside - in the inner world of a person. Once we are able to realize this, life and our understanding of it change completely. Therefore, monks appear who sell their Ferraris, and we see sadhus who have parted with their past lives in order to fully follow the spiritual impulses that they felt within themselves. But it's not that simple.

For such people, following the path of spirituality is not just a fleeting, emotionally charged hobby, it is, first of all, a conscious decision dictated by rare spiritual needs. Their lives are no longer determined by the laws of a modern society built on consumption, they have chosen the needs of the inner world as a beacon, and now their whole life is directed from within. They observe what is happening in the outside world, but now life for them has turned into meditation, where the consciousness contemplates actions, but does not participate in them.

The result of self-knowledge. The process of self-discovery

In the process of self-knowledge, any person becomes a sadhu to a certain extent, because he learns through personal experience. Knowledge gleaned from various sources is applicable in practice; as a result of acquiring new experience through spiritual self-improvement, a person reaches a higher level of self-awareness. He not only better understands the laws of the world and interaction with people, but he himself increasingly feels like a part of this world, inextricably linked with all living beings and nature.

It is not without reason that one of the goals of the meditation method is merging with the Absolute, dissolving in it. A person understands that there is no loneliness in life, everything is interconnected. Each part of the universe depends on the whole, everything is in everything. The process of self-knowledge logically leads to this conclusion. You can understand this through logical reasoning, supplemented by spiritual insights gained through the experience of meditation.

The most difficult thing is to know yourself, the easiest thing is to give advice to others Thales