Discovering Your Higher Self Through Meditation and Visualization: A Beginner’s Guide

Part 1: Introduction to Discovering Your Higher Self through Meditation: A Beginner’s Guide Meditation is a way to give your brain a chance to slow-way-down and allow for the space to simply BE. It is the same concept as going to sleep to give your body time to recover from the stress of your day. When you sleep, your breathing slows, your muscles relax, tissue growth and repair occurs and your energy is restored. Sleep helps you to thrive by contributing to a healthy immune system. Meditating gives your brain time to recuperate just as sleep helps your body recover. Meditation has other benefits as well, such as significant brain wave activity, namely increased Theta and Alpha, which are associated with wakeful and relaxed attention. Meditation is also calming to the central nervous system and can benefit those who suffer from hypertension, anxiety and depression. It is disheartening that we as a society have been conditioned to believe that, if we aren’t always doing, multitasking, or taking care of someone else’s needs first before our own, we are less valuable. That “doing” defines our value as a human being. My belief, and one I am compelled to share with you, is that we are all Human Beings who do not always have to be Humans Doing. I believe anxiety is the biggest stumbling block in starting and maintaining a meditation practice. Being able to relax, let go and be fully present for 10 or more minutes without checking out mentally can bring up all kinds of anxiety around our self-judgment, -criticism and -worth. I struggle with this every day, so the one thing I want to offer you in this program is the opportunity to allow yourself the time and space to begin and maintain a practice. If you stick with it, the benefits 100-percent-outweigh the challenges you will face starting. Meditation is not only a way to quiet and calm yourself but a way to receive higher guidance, which I like to refer to as “your own personal inner navigation system”. This guidance comes from your infinite connection to the universe and your soul, also known as your higher self. My personal belief is that we all have Spirit Guides, Angels, and Helpers who are assigned to us from the beginning of our existence. They watch over us 24 / 7 and are always there to assist us whenever we reach out for help. Because we have free will here on earth, the Spirit Guides and Angels cannot interfere without being asked – so ask when you need guidance. And then get quiet, be open and willing to listen to what comes through. You may not be aware of these beings unless you make getting to know them a part of your conscious awareness. If this terminology does not fit into your particular belief system, you may simply call this being God, Buddha, Jesus, or whatever you are most comfortable with. This practice is your unique and very personal process and can be designed by you to fit you. I will refer to the beings as the Divine, Spirit, Soul or Higher Self to make it simple to follow. Once you have settled into a regular practice and are able to sit quietly without racing thoughts, you can actually make a game of it. An example of this is asking your higher self or Spirit for a symbol or sign to watch out for on a daily basis. I would suggest doing this as you start to establish your connection with this being, and you have the hang of it. As you see more signs that your Angels and Guides are near, express your gratitude as a way to confirm that you are being accompanied on your life’s journey. I do this regularly and when I see these symbols, or experience synchronistic events, I like to write about them in my journal, in my blog or in other editorial pieces. You can decide for yourself how you want to express these building blocks of faith. Your first step in getting started is to create a connection with that special being. You may want to name the being(s) or you may intuit a name; however, I will preface each meditation with a direction that you call forth only the “Beings of the highest light and vibration who are a part of your Spirit Family” for your protection. I would encourage you to do this each time you meditate. (See the bonus meditation for a grounding and protection exercise.) Once you have established a regular meditation practice and are able to bring yourself into your center fairly easily, the next step is to get into the habit of making the connection. You will want to get a feel for this being’s or these beings’ energy and the way in which you receive your guidance. Do you receive messages through vision or seeing (also known as clairvoyance), do you hear messages (also known as clairaudience), or do you feel them (which is known as clairsentience)? You can even have a combination of two or more types of connection to the Spirit world. There are others I won’t go into here because I am simply giving you a guidepost to pay attention to as you get further into your practice. As you start to receive guidance, you then must learn to trust and have faith that the first thing that pops into your head or that you hear, see or feel in your heart is your answer. Remaining open and without attachment or judgment is a good place to start because sometimes you may not get the answer or answers you want. However, the answers you do receive will always be for your highest good and the good of all concerned.