Lucid Living with Kikta
Over the course of the next 365 days I will be incorporating into my daily life a method of spiritual practice and a way of living which I have developed for myself and which I call “Lucid Living”. I will document my inner journey through daily entries in this journal. Lucid Living is a philosophy based on the realization that this life, this world, and indeed our entire universe is in fact a dream. Every manifestation that we see or experience springs from the subconscious of The Dreamer- The Fountainhead, God, The Absolute. Indeed, ultimately, Lucid Living begins with the realization: The Dreamer is me, and I am the Dreamer. When The Dreamer becomes awake in his own dream- this dream- he is Lucid. I AM AWAKE!!!
I believe that Lucid Living will help me to gain clarity of mind and peace of heart, and will lead me to fulfill my purpose in this dream. Ultimately, I also believe that it will decrease suffering in my life and in the life of others. Below, I have provided a short description of the method and practice. Neither my explanation of Lucid Living nor my entries in this log are intended as any sort of doctrine or creed for anyone else. Rather, I present this experiment in a public forum as a testament- to the reality that the implementation of a rigorous daily spiritual practice is possible even for a layman living and taking part in today’s modern world. My goal is not necessarily to encourage the reader to follow my philosophy or practice this method. It is more my aspiration to inspire and challenge him or her to develop and practice his or her own- and put it to the test in a similar way.
As anyone who has ever practiced Lucid Dreaming knows, maintaining a lucid state in a dream is a skill which must be trained and developed. This life is simply another level of existence in which one can also become lucid, but as with lucid dreaming, the depth of lucidity can vary, and the state is not easily maintained. Hence I have developed my practice with the intention of training myself to cultivate a stable state of Lucid Living.
For the sake of clarity I have organized the practice into three separate elements, but in actuality, they are integral.
1.) Physical Well Being- In order to attain an awakened state, one must first cultivate clarity of mind, and an effective way to promote this is to facilitate the flow of energy in the body. I believe that body and mind are not separate but integrated. One is the other and the other is the one. Problems that we encounter in the mind can be addressed through healing in the body and vice versa. Therefore, the first part of my daily spiritual training regimen will be one half hour of yoga. I have found the practice of yoga to be invaluable in maintaining the natural flow of energy which is so necessary for clarity of mind. I do not pretend to be an expert in yoga. My routine will be rudimentary and composed of poses and stretches which I have learned through attending various kinds of Yoga classes. Additionally I intend to incorporate at least 3 days of additional athletic activity into my schedule- one day of moderate strength training, and two days of aerobic activity. I will also maintain a healthy and balanced diet of (as much as possible) organic food with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables. I will not however be practicing vegetarianism.
2.)Meditation- Immediately upon completion of my daily yoga exercises, I will be devoting myself to 45-60 minutes of silent meditation (my method of meditation consists mostly of Zen Meditation breathing exercises mixed with some Kriya Yoga chakra energy exercises). Meditation is the cornerstone of my spiritual practice and in my opinion absolutely vital to attaining the awakened state. It quiets the mind- just as spending an hour in darkness will sensitize the eyes to light, so will an hour in meditation re-sensitize the mind to the flood of stimuli which makes up our perception of reality. It is the mechanism which provides and maintains the clarity and perspective necessary to recognize the dream state.
3.)Lucid Choice/Lucid Action- this is the element of “Lucid Living” which harmonizes the clarity and insight which is gained through meditation with the material world and our interactions with our environment. It is the art of using the penetrating insight which Meditation provides, to see, recognize, and interpret the symbols which the subconscious of The Dreamer continually creates in this reality. Lucid Choice/Lucid Action is the practice of using these symbols as a compass or a map to navigate through the dreamscape of this life in the most meaningful and satisfying way. It is the recognition of the nature of The Dreamer’s mind in our reality- that every moment is created originally and that everything and every person is infinitely dynamic. Hence, a “Lucid Life” has no set of rules and no moral paradigm. Lucid Living is the art of becoming fluent in the symbolic language of The Dreamer in order to inform the improvisational flow of ones choices and actions within this dream.
I invite you to follow me on this journey… Use this link to the Lucid Living section to follow my journey.
Wake up and live!!! – Bob Marley
Kiktá means “awake” in Native American
About me: I was born in Mexico City to an American mother and a Mexican father. At the age of 8, my family moved to Southern California where I lived for 15 years. I have played violin since the age of 6, and after getting a degree in music in California, came to Europe to further my education. I worked as a professional violinist until 2007, when a personal shift compelled me to move away from being a professional classical musician. One year later, I started my own business, which I have been working on and living from ever since. I continue to play music, but not with a professional goal or focus. I developed an interest in meditation 10 years ago in an effort to find new ways to improve my violin playing. After a few years of regular practice, it became apparent that in fact it would be my musical training that would be helpful in improving my meditation. I have been married for 6 years and have a 12 month old daughter who is my Guru…