By Dr. Paul Jerard E-RYT 500

Initially, enlightenment is living in the present moment and accepting your situation as it is. That is a pretty heavy task for anyone in any time. It is often said that an enlightened person cannot be angered by small talk or negative energy.

Many people are humble and believe that they will never be enlightened in this life. They also believe: The goal of enlightenment is too vast for the average person to achieve. However, should you just give up?

What can you do to attain enlightenment?

You should practice Yoga and meditate daily: This will help you connect to the world around you. This is an awareness of plants, animals, people and many things around you that are often not appreciated or overlooked.

Meditation will enhance awareness of yourself, everything around you, and the connection between the two. This will bring out the ability to see reality as it is – with the ultimate goal of reaching a state of “pure consciousness.”

Understand the value of prayer, mantras, and singing. Even if you only practice in your mind, this will strengthen positive energy within you. Many people resort to theses practices; to gain comfort in times of need. This is a shame because you can gain the positive benefits of prayer, mantras, and singing, any time.

Remember, enlightenment is not a race: You would be shocked at the number of people who put pressure on themselves to be “instantly enlightened.”

It is good to have goals in life, so creating a log to track your progress is a beneficial practice. Your log may track your meditation sessions, your ability to deal with negative situations, your ability to create positive energy and project it to others, and your ability to see reality.

If you continue the process of keeping and maintaining a log, your results will be encouraging. You may also want to join a group with compatible religious beliefs, search for a spiritual teacher, or share your practice with a friend on the same path.

Lastly, do not be frustrated by uncertainty and learn to accept what you cannot control. If all humans could maintain enlightenment, we would experience world peace. We could all accept each other, despite differences of culture, nationality, color, sex, religious beliefs, or any other thing humans can find to develop a pre-conceived notion about each other.