“ABOUT PRINCIPLE BASED TEACHING”

Through better understanding of the basic Principles of Awareness we can become more aware of the Principles that govern our daily lives and growth.

What exactly is a Principle?

Principles are 2 things...

1. Constant/Unchanging 

2. and Universal 

A true principle will not change over time, whether because of new technology or from one person's use of it to the next.  

True principles are also universal, they can be applied to many areas of life, not just those that seem the most obvious.

Take for instance the principle of "hammering". 

Surely techniques and tools for this process have changed drastically since the very first prehistoric “hammering” process was discovered. However, the principle of one object striking another to drive it into something else has remained unchanged. It has always been the same, just defined differently.

It can be universally applied when used for "hammering" a nail into wood and to any other "hammering" processes.  In fact, you could use the "hammering" principle to explain figuratively "hammering" an idea into someone’s head to get them to learn the lesson more fully.

This is more than wordplay and use of figurative phrases.  

Principles can be tested under the scrutiny of these two factors... 

• Does it change over time? with technological advances or societal norms etc.

• Can it be applied Universally to any number of life's situations ?

Now what are Awareness Principles?

By understanding & improving our own awareness, we begin seeing the principle-based nature of our world.  In effect we can use “awareness principles” to go back and take an uncomplicated look at what is driving us and what role we play in that moment. 

The Principles of Awareness are all around us, nature likes to present opportunities to stop, become less distracted & enjoy life by feeling it more fully.  So there are infinite opportunities to be more aware, but the way to do it is finite.  

Take a breath and really FEEL where you are, in this moment, I bet you can't do it without immediately becoming aware of imbalances in your life, perceiving the world a little more sharply or detailed, or any number of other ways.  For me it becomes less SEEN and more FELT.  I'm not just watching the world I'm in it participating.

This isn't just take a breath and all will be revealed, it takes serious intention and more than anything else, openness.  If you don't allow yourself to be vulnerable to the whims of nature or the universe (or God), it will be pretty difficult to FEEL your connectedness.

currently, we are taught to "dumb down" our senses when learning

The pitfalls of Learning "Techniques"

There are so many techniques for becoming more aware, yet sometimes we get so involved in learning a specific technique or every one out there; in our quest to achieve the perfect path and execution, we forget why we are there in the first place. It is easy to become so acutely aware of how we perform the technique, and any shortcomings doubts and "failure",  that the expansion of our awareness fails to extend beyond the technique itself. Often we halt our exploration at this self imposed criticism boundary, forgetting that the true goal of any awareness exercise is to expand our perception past these and other limits created by our own minds.

 I have found this to be the pitfall of many practices that support improved awareness. The focus shifts from increased awareness to increased awareness of how you are performing.  However, this is not necessarily a vital flaw in the technique itself but rather it is in fact operator error.  A "failing" based on our own attachment to and preoccupation with, the technique and how well we are doing it.  We all want to do it well, especially when there's hope of expanding our awareness of the life experience.

In the Awareness Principles classes we strive to avoid this pitfall through the use of principle-based teaching, and no expectation of flawless performance (whatever THAT means) of a technique. By design there is no "Right Way" to experience life, while there is a reason behind each movement or purpose behind doing things a certain way (Breath in sync with wovement), WHATEVER WORKS always takes precedence.

To make the most of any learning experience focus on what principles you discover rather than doing techniques picture perfect.  The Awareness Principles curriculum places prime emphasis on learning the PRINCIPLES rather than encouraging students to fixate on form or be overwhelmed by the technique.  Learning the basic principles of awareness will give you the tools to distinguish and observe the other various principles that regulate the events of your life both internally and externally. And that will set you up for life.

Through learning the principles of awareness you will become more aware of the other principles that surround you. No matter what techniques or methods you have learned, or have yet to experience, there is always room for improved awareness.  This principle-centered learning will make you more effective in whatever techniques you wish to learn and will keep steering you toward the techniques most appropriate for your life's PURPOSES.