Our Oldest Gift - The Gift of Higher Self
Our oldest and oft forgotten gift is our connection to Spirit, often known as Higher Self. This is our source of all good things flowing through our lives, yet inexplicably we seem to forget, falling into the distractions of our daily lives. Yet connection with the Higher Self remains easy to access, this connection is nurtured through meditation, chanting, yoga, or any practice that takes you into the deeper reaches of your own quiet heart and mind. The trick is in remembering, a certain amount of consciousness is required for us to hold onto this knowing throughout the day so that we can listen to the guidance coming from the quiet stillness within.The practice of meditation, i.e., quieting the thoughts and the emotions is a fundamental step towards connecting with one’s Higher Self. This is so because it is our negative thought patterns, all those places we get stuck and run in loops, that distract us from the pure nature and light of our Higher Self. In these habitual thinking processes, we are chronically taking on forms that are not our true nature, seeing ourselves as less than, worrying, projecting blame, focusing on problems or tasks. All of these processes block the light of our soul and hold us at a lower vibration. Ultimately these thoughts serve to keep us perceiving ourselves as a human body, a personality, having human problems and struggles.In meditation we learn to concentrate, and to create spaciousness of mind in which we begin to see that we are indeed not our thoughts, and similarly not our feelings. In this way we come to recognize our true self as the observer of our thoughts and feelings. “When he can do this the lower spectacle of the rapidly changing forms of thought and desire fades away, and the realm of the soul, the true field of soul knowledge, can be seen and contacted.” - Alice Bailey, The Light of the SoulFull connection or merging with Higher Self is attained through the act of surrender. When we surrender, we merge the lower self that we commonly perceive to be “ourself” with our Higher Self. We shift from perceiving our self as form to higher consciousness, an awareness of “oneness,” and our awareness shifts from self as a human being, to an awareness of illumination and a sense of oneness because we move from body awareness to the light of soul awareness.The gifts of this process are beauty and delight made manifest as the experience of being filled with light, seeing oneself and the world through the eyes of beauty and compassion, feeling filled with love, clear knowledge that you are indeed beautiful and lovable as is everyone else, and an awareness of how easy it is to connect with your Higher Self in this way. When you are in connection, you are your Higher Self, there is no difference, all thoughts that say otherwise have vanished, and it is clear that you are the one who opens the door or closes the door to this light, to this connection, simply by forgetting, by going back to the old habits of mind that have you playing small, feeling small, going back into those narrow passages of thinking.A specific gift is the clear knowing that Higher Self is always present, is indeed part of your very nature. An awareness gained with this clear knowing is that sometimes, often perhaps, you don’t let her / him in because you don’t feel worthy. You shut the door. It’s as if you are hiding, feeling alone and afraid. We are never alone. It is clearly us, the one who thinks he is form / body / personality, who opens or closes the door.It can be difficult to convince yourself that you are lovable when you are stuck in the feelings of shame and the accompanying thought forms of feeling small and incapable. Rather than fighting the thoughts, spend a few minutes in which you practice quieting your mind while focusing on light. Visualize a candle flame in your heart, and / or the sun shining down on the crown of your head, spilling golden and white sparkling light all over and around you. Imagine breathing it in, feeling the warmth and the healing of this light. This practice of meditating on light is an easy doorway to connecting with your Higher Self, and the more time you spend in connection with your higher self, the more you are anchoring in higher consciousness. The gifts of higher consciousness come naturally and effortlessly and remain with us as long as we allow them, meaning as long as we remain in the presence of the light.Give yourself the gift of presence this month, by slowing down and being in the present moment, and inviting Divine Presence in.