When the western psychology meets yoga...

Yogic Definition of Consciousness

• The view of the mind described in ancient Yogic texts, and developed through the Yogic tradition, regards consciousness as the fundamental principle in the universe, from which all of existence is derived.
  
• The mind is a vehicle of this manifestation, with connections both to the pure underlying consciousness and to the external world. Thus it has both a "higher" or "pure" aspect and a "lower" or "impure" aspect.

• Yoga psychology views consciousness as “chetana”, a fundamental property in all existence. It is the ultimate reality, beyond time, space and individual existence. It is the homogenous transcendent and unchanging reality, like the ocean in which we swim.

Western View of Awareness:

Often synonymous with ‘consciousness’ but more specifically, if consciousness is the background state of our experience, awareness is the foreground. It is what is central in our experience at a particular time - attention.Awareness occurs when consciousness is focused and directed. Again, this is a "bottom up" view, in that attention is selective, responding to the most urgent stimulus at the time

Yogic view of Awareness:

• Our ability to bring the light of consciousness into our everyday experience.
  
• Awareness is developed, through yoga, by the functioning of the higher mind, through the agency of buddhi. Developed in what ways?

1. Expansion and 2. Focus