BNL: The Simplest Technique for Spiritual Awakening

Have you ever felt that spiritual awakening seems unnecessarily complicated? The truth is, the path to discovering who you truly are—to self-realization or enlightenment—can be profoundly simple. So simple, in fact, that I hesitate to even call it a “technique.”

When you go deep enough into understanding what I’m about to share, you’ll discover that this isn’t just a practice—it’s your true nature itself.

Keep reading to learn more or watch the full video below:

Why Simplicity Matters on the Spiritual Path

I’m Ra Netjer, a spiritual awakening mentor who experienced my own disruptive awakening journey and dark night of the soul. Since then, I’ve helped hundreds of people navigate their spiritual paths because I recognized this as my higher purpose.

I’m creating this post because I’ve noticed how many people make spiritual awakening unnecessarily complex. While there is certainly a place for intellectual understanding and complexity, these shouldn’t hold you back from seeing the profound yet simple truth of who you are.

Let’s return to simplicity and dive into this profound technique I call “BNL.”

What is BNL?

To help my students remember this practice, I sometimes call it the “Big Nose Llama”—creating a visual of the Himalayan animal (not the Buddhist Lama, though that works too if it helps you remember!).

These three letters—B, N, and L—represent a practice that can stay with you and be implemented at any time, even during difficult moments when you find yourself stuck in your head or drawn into egoic qualities. This simple technique can help free you in those moments and guide you deeper into your awareness.

Let’s explore each component of BNL and how you can practice it in a practical, real way that might help you experience a breakthrough on this “pathless path” to self-discovery.

B – Breathe

The first letter stands for something incredibly simple: Breathe.

You’ve been breathing your entire life—since birth and until the moment you leave this body. It’s no coincidence that the word “spirit” comes from “breath.” Breathing is profound because it connects this physical body to spirit. It’s what keeps you in this physical vessel through which you experience your humanness.

When you breathe not unconsciously (as you’ve done most of your life) but in a very conscious way, paying attention to your breath, something magical happens. You become grounded in your body. You become present in this moment—this very edge of reality happening right now.

In this dynamic present moment, it becomes difficult for your mind to run away into the past (which is just memory combined with your interpretation) or into an imagined future. The past is merely imprints of what happened combined with our stories of “I,” “me,” and “mine”—the mantras of the ego.

When you breathe consciously, you become so grounded in the present moment, in your body (which is always anchored in the now), that you cannot fly off into fantasy land.

This is why so many breathing techniques and breathwork practices—including the ancient practice of pranayama (control of life force)—have been developed. Your consciousness, mind, and breath are deeply interlinked. By beginning with conscious breathing, you set yourself up perfectly for the next step.

N – Notice

The second letter stands for Notice—paying attention.

I use the word “notice” very deliberately because it’s about observing what is here. Breathing already begins to help you notice your body, the present moment, where you are, and what’s happening now. After breathing, you notice this present moment as deeply as you can.

If that’s challenging, you notice what’s happening in your mind. You observe your thoughts. You notice what the mind is grasping onto, because the mind has this habit of holding on to something.

Noticing isn’t really an action—it’s bringing awareness. And you are awareness. This is your true nature. Your awareness is naturally aware; it’s simply being itself. So noticing is actually a little trick to get you back into your awareness—into who and what you already are.

While you can use this in a straightforward way (“I’m going to breathe, now I’m going to notice”), as you practice, you’ll realize you’re just coming back to the natural faculties of your innermost being. You’re doing it consciously to deepen your already-present being.

L – Let Go

After breathe and notice comes the final step: Let Go.

Again, this isn’t really an action. Our ego mind is always grasping—that’s the action. It grasps everything: “I like this so much I want to hold on to it as long as I can” or “I dislike this concept so I have to obsessively push it away.”

Both desire and aversion are forms of holding on. You might grasp a concept, a thing, a person, an idea, or a story. Sometimes this grasping is obvious; other times it’s subconscious, lurking in the back of your mind. That’s why “notice” comes first—it expands your awareness to see what’s hiding in the shadows.

Once you notice where you’re grasping, where your ego mind is obsessed with something, you can let go. This isn’t inaction (staying inert), but rather what I might call an “un-action” or “de-action”—simply stopping the holding on. It’s like relaxing muscles that have been tense for too long.

When you let go, you often wonder, “Why didn’t I do this before?” It brings relief from the mind’s obsession, which has been limiting your awareness to just one thing, making it smaller and smaller.

You are an unlimited being. You are eternal. You are vast.

Yet human consciousness can become so small when you hold on tightly to a single thought or idea. These stories and worries occupy your consciousness with “I, me, mine,” making you forget your divinity—the essence of who you are—even if you’ve previously had profound realizations.

Making BNL a Trigger Practice

To incorporate BNL into your daily life, make it a trigger practice. Whenever you’re triggered in any way—whether by fear, anger, or simply noticing you’re captured by the ego mind—use this practice.

This approach helped me tremendously in my own awakening journey. Even after profound realizations and breakthroughs, I would sometimes fall back into small stories that would capture me. I needed something to help me remain vigilant of the mind.

I set up this practice: Every time I felt stressed or caught in thought patterns, I would just breathe. That breath alone would expand my consciousness. From that expanded state, I could notice what I had been grasping onto, and then naturally let go.

It’s a natural sequence that, at its core, isn’t really a technique but simply being. As Ramana Maharshi taught in his most essential teaching: “Chumma iru” (in Tamil)—”Simply be. Just be you.”

BNL makes this “just be” teaching practical. The three steps provide structure and deeper understanding so you can embody the practice and trigger it anytime—while walking, talking, eating, or falling asleep. This practice removes the layers you’re holding onto, clearing away filters upon your consciousness to reveal what’s already here: enlightenment, the light of who you are.

Beyond BNL: Releasing Limiting Beliefs

Our spiritual journey often involves identifying and releasing the various beliefs and myths we hold onto in our minds. Understanding these limiting beliefs more deeply can enhance your practice of letting go.

When you practice BNL consistently, you’ll find yourself naturally releasing the grip of these limiting stories and beliefs, returning to your natural state of aware presence.

Your Spiritual Journey Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

The beauty of BNL lies in its simplicity. While the spiritual path can seem complex and overwhelming, sometimes the most powerful practices are the simplest ones.

Breathe. Notice. Let Go.

These three simple steps can bring you back to presence, to awareness, to who you truly are—not through complex spiritual gymnastics, but through the simple act of being with what is.

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