In Brief

• The Facts:

  Many people believe that there are spiritual/metaphysical aspects to themselves, that there exists a deeper part of ourselves that we all have the ability to connect to.

• Reflect On:

  How often do you take the time to connect with the deeper aspects of yourself? How often do you practice mindfulness techniques, if you desire to do so?

In our busy lives, we might find it tough at times to connect to deeper parts of ourselves on a daily basis. Yet, it’s so important that we not only take the time to meditate, but also to check in with ourselves to see more clearly how we’re feeling, what we want to do at various points in our lives, and ultimately to get guidance, on a more conscious level, from our higher selves.

First off, what is our higher self? In my definition, our higher self is our soul. It’s the aspect of us that is observing this entire experience we call life. It’s the aspect of ourselves that is here to experience human life through this vehicle we call a body and through the game we call life. Through a number of experiences — ‘good’ and ‘bad,’ as we like to label them — we gain a deeper understanding at our soul level of all we can create. Simply put, when you have a gut feeling, when you get a strong love or passion for something, when you have foresight, it’s your higher self connecting with your conscious mind.

Becoming More Aware of Thoughts

I thought it would be helpful to offer one potential method of becoming aware of the connection we have with our higher self. We can use this method to receive guidance on decisions we might be looking to make or feelings we might have about certain experiences, or simply to help become more aligned with our soul’s purpose at any given moment. I often check in with myself in this way a couple of times a month, but the more you practice being present, the more your higher self is already in your awareness.

First we have to remember to be aware of the labels and definitions we put on things and ourselves, as this is the first step toward becoming more aware of the mind and ego. Why do I bring this up? Mainly because these states of consciousness, mind and ego, are what we are most often engaged in when we are “out of touch” throughout the day. By becoming aware of this, we create a reference point of what the mind feels like compared to what no-mind feels like. This helps us to get more clear on connecting with our higher self versus just hearing mind thoughts.

As you are more present and pay attention to the way the monkey mind thinks and creates thoughts, you will begin to not only discern the patterns in which it operates, but also the feeling or frequency that you/it emits when those thoughts run rampant. The more you pay attention, the clearer it gets.

How to Connect to Your Higher Self

Allow yourself time to learn this. You may have to practice this method several times to connect regularly. The steps are simple and I will explain each in detail below.

1. Sit and breathe to become more relaxed.
2. Place your hand or fingers over your heart chakra.
3. Ask your question and feel through the physical connection of your hand over your heart.

Start by relaxing and taking some deep breaths in and out to begin clearing your mind as best as possible. Focusing on breathing works very well when trying to slow the mind down. Don’t worry or fret if thoughts come in; just allow them to pass by not following or attaching to them.

Alternatively, you can stare at a candle flame if you prefer a visual meditation. In this method, do the same thing, letting any thoughts that might come into the mind just float away as you continue to breathe. After about maybe two to five minutes of breathing and quieting the mind, you should begin to feel a little more relaxed and in the moment. This is an important space to be in for the exercise.

Next, put your first two fingers or hand on your sternum area (heart chakra) and turn your attention to feeling. By bringing our hands into play and placing them in a particular area on our bodies, we tend to have an easier time focusing through the physical connection on the area where our hand is. Since our higher self is often felt through our hearts, I have found that focusing on the heart chakra helps in discerning our intuition from our minds more clearly.

Reference for the heart chakra location.

Next, you can begin asking some questions and feeling for your answers. Try not to get too concerned with what it should feel like or whether you should hear anything or see anything. The most important thing here is that we are learning and developing our innate intuition skills and figuring out what works best for us. This is a process, and it may take a couple weeks of practice before you truly start to get into it. Having patience and sticking with it is the key here.

After you have asked a question, it’s typically the very first answer that comes to your awareness that is your higher self. Whatever comes after is often the mind work that starts when the ego begins to doubt what came in. “That can’t be it,” it often says.

You can go on asking more questions after this if you like, but this is the method. It’s a simple technique that, when practiced regularly, is quite powerful. In fact, I’ve found most powerful practices are quite simple.

It is best to do this exercise with no expectation for results. Having expectations can often cloud the experience and get us waiting or looking for something too intensely. As a result, we may miss what arises in place of what we were looking for. Remember, it takes time to discern between mind and higher self. I keep repeating this because we often will get discouraged and stop because it ‘didn’t work’ the first couple of times. You can do this! Just remember not to overcomplicate the process with doubt.

As you practice more and more, the connection builds, much like a muscle does, and a simple breath in and out usually connects you very quickly. Have fun with it and don’t get too frustrated. Be at peace and have patience. You can also use this method to simply enjoy some quiet time or even step into a creative space — no question and answer necessary. Feel free to share your thoughts and results below!