Imagine standing at the edge of a calm lake. You see the water surface mirroring clouds wandering in the sky. But the moment you throw a pebble into the water, ripples scatter the reflection or the mirroring, distorting the image. This is much like our minds. Our mind is often clouded by the ripples of thoughts, emotions, and reactions. What if I told you that awareness, a simple yet profound practice, holds the power to calm these ripples and transform your life?

Awareness, as described by many spiritual traditions, is the ability to observe the present moment without judgment. It’s not about forcing your mind to be still or suppressing thought or numbing emotions; instead, it’s about noticing what’s happening—inside and outside—with clarity, care and curiosity.

Tara Brach, a renowned meditation teacher, often shares that “awareness is the first step in healing.” Think about it: Have you ever been so caught up in a situation, maybe a heated argument or an overwhelming work deadline that made you acted out of sheer frustration? In hindsight, you probably realized you weren’t responding but reacting. In those moments, awareness acts like a pause button. It allows you to step back and notice, “Oh, I’m feeling really angry right now,” or “I’m clenching my jaw.” This noticing creates space, and in that space, you tap into the inner power to choose your response.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, the father of modern mindfulness, likens awareness to a mirror. It doesn’t judge or alter what it reflects—it simply shows what is. This quality is essential because many of us live on autopilot, unconsciously driven by habitual patterns. Think of the last time you reached for your phone out of boredom, scrolled for hours, and then wondered where the time went. That’s autopilot in action! Awareness interrupts this cycle. When you become aware of the urge to scroll, you can choose whether to act on it or not.

The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh once said that, “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” Anchoring ourselves in awareness, even mundane moments like waiting in line or washing dishes become opportunities to reconnect with the present, and who we truly are.

One thing we should remember however is that self-awareness isn’t always comfortable. It can reveal truths about ourselves we would rather ignore—our deepest fears, insecurities, or regrets. But, as spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle reminds us, “Awareness is the greatest agent for change.”