Connect with Source by Connecting with Self
Love Always, Self was dreamed up as a way to encourage people to learn to connect with their own sense of Self, the collective consciousness, and Source. So it’s important for us to discuss why we should be connecting with Self, and how to practice this.
Why is it important that we deepen our connection with Self?
We are better able to discern our own needs
We will address and heal traumas and triggers that have created limiting or negative patterns.
We are able to reprogram our minds with new patterns that better serve our greatest and highest good
We are able to recognize and build self-worth based on perception of self, rather than based on the perceptions of others about yourself
Opportunity to practice giving and receiving compassion with self
By connecting with self, we are more attuned to the connection to all things outside of us
By connecting with self, we are able to better connect with our Higher Self, Guides, and Source
Without connecting to Self, you are more likely to be numb, or less aware, to what is wrong or no longer in alignment with you. This can present as physical or mental illness.
One way to start learning how to connect with Self, is doing the practice of daily body check ins. Because the body generally speaks more quietly than our Ego mind, doing this will help us to learn how to use our discernment to determine if we are receiving from our Ego-mind's responses or our body’s response.
But first, let’s clear up what the Ego-mind is and does. Many times when we refer to our Ego, it can be thought of as a bad thing, like being arrogant or prideful. However, the true nature of the Ego-mind is to assist us in survival; this is our survival mechanism, and connected to our fight-or-flight response. Unfortunately, because of the way we have been living our lives under constant duress, we are living with chronic stress and our Ego-mind has become over-worked and we are constantly in this state of fight-or-flight. It’s not that the Ego-mind is bad, but we’ve learned a pattern of receiving first from our Ego-mind and frequently acting on the limited information that this provides. It’s time to allow the Ego-mind to rest, but first, we must re-program this pattern to teach that it is ok and safe for the Ego-mind to step out of survival mode.
Using affirmations can help in calming the Ego-mind. Practicing affirmations regularly will assist in the re-teaching of the Ego-mind by offering it (and our self) reassurance, acceptance, appreciation, and compassion.
It may be difficult for some to hold compassion when recognizing that the Ego-mind is a part of us. By looking at parts of ourselves, including the Ego-mind, from a third-party perspective or the watcher, it can be easier to start practicing compassion for these areas of ourselves. Shame and judgment must be set aside because acceptance is a part of our survival needs and these can trigger an egoic survival response. Only with reassurance, acceptance, and compassion can we teach the Ego-mind that it is safe and secure, that YOU are safe and secure.
Examples of affirmations to calm the Ego-mind:
Ego, I love you and appreciate your help in our survival.
Ego, at this time we are safe.
Ego, it is safe for you to relax.
Want to learn more about affirmations? Episode 11: Affirm Your Reality; Differences Between Affirmations & Afformations
Getting in touch with your body, by way of doing daily body check ins, can help you to determine the baseline of your personal energies and help you to become more aware of when something may be out of balance or need attention. By learning what it feels like to be in your body, recognizing the energies and life force coursing through your veins, the better you will be able to use your discernment about how energies outside of yourself are affecting you. When you start to become attuned to this, you will start to experience the connection that we each have with everyone and everything around us.
Here are the simple steps to start practicing daily body check ins:
Be in a quiet space
Take 3 deep breaths, focusing on how it feels to inhale and exhale
Ask your Ego to step aside so that your body may answer
Your body will respond more quietly than the Ego, so it is important to address this as you begin this practice. You may need to give reassurance to your Ego, as discussed above. With time you reteach your Ego to relax with this new way of communicating with your body.
Speak to your body (I find greater intention in verbalizing this aloud)
“Hey body, how are you feeling? Is there anything that I can do to support you at this moment?”
Listen with an open heart and mind, be open to receiving
Ex of what you may receive: glass of water, use the restroom, go for a walk, rest, take time for you
Honor your body’s needs
Because we are learning to build a relationship with our body, it is important that we follow up this practice of giving space for our body to be heard by providing for the needs expressed
Want to learn more about daily body check ins? Episode 31: Connect w/Source by Connecting w/Self
When connecting with our Higher Self and our other guides, we have several modalities that we frequently use in our spiritual practices. Of course, there are many other modalities that we will not review now, but I encourage you to discover ones that work best for you and build your individualized spiritual practice.
What is Higher Self? Higher Self is another version of ourselves, maybe in the future, in another dimension, or another reality. Maybe from all of these? I don't really know and I'm not going to limit it. What I do know is that we can access our Higher Self for guidance, other perspectives, or a deeper understanding of ourselves.
Of course, this connection to ourselves in a different time or space or reality, all sounds like science fiction, because science hasn’t yet developed the technology to prove or disprove this. What we do know are the facts from a decade-long CIA project that developed the Gateway Process for remote viewing and astral projection (this contains other awesome findings, so you should read it if you haven’t already and you can watch a discussion on it in this episode,Episode 21: Is It Spiritual or Is It Science? // A Correlation Between Science and Spirituality). This project gave us the knowledge that we have nonlocal connections to others, meaning the ability for a person to know, feel, or experience what another person is experiencing in real time and independent of distance. Entanglement is required for nonlocal connections. Because we are quantumly entangled with ourselves, then it makes great sense to me that we are always connected with other “higher” or other versions of ourselves, independent of “where” or “when,” and it is up to us to practice connecting with Self.
Our other spiritual team members can include ascended masters, teachers, guides, loved ones and angels. This has been lovingly acronymed in our practice as MT GLASS. The two “S” representing Self and Source, which is our primary focus in this, so let’s connect deeper with Higher Self.
First, let me address what it feels like to connect with Higher Self, for us. Every communication will be in the frequency of love, meaning that if we are feeling anxious or negative in response to information received, then it’s not from our Higher Self. It isn’t always filled with lovely dovey words, though. There are definitely some harsh truths revealed, but it’s only done out of love for us and for our greatest and highest good.
Meditation. I know, I know. Surprise! But learning how to listen, watch, and learn from our own thoughts and inner knowing through meditation is a great way to practice connecting with your Self and Higher Self. Meditation can be used to quiet the mind, yes, but this can sometimes make meditation feel daunting because we attempt to resist the thoughts. Meditation is not about resisting, but rather aligning with different flows of energy, be it peace, calm, love, acceptance, or joy.
Here are the simple steps to start practicing connecting with Higher Self in meditation:
Find a quiet, comfortable space that you won’t be distrubed in.
If you want, you can use soothing instrumental music in the background, but silence is peaceful as well.
Sit comfortably; it’s ok to shift or adjust yourself.
(Option )Have a notebook and pen available to jot anything down that comes up.
Sometimes you will need to write repetitive thoughts, so you are reassuring the mind that while you are asking to let the thought go, it will not be forgotten.
You may receive a “download,” or information that is relevant and helpful in examining a situation or relationship.
Just write whatever you feel you need to, or all of it, whatever feels right
Perform gentle deep breathing exercises and connect with your body as the oxygen moves through you.
This will connect you to and bring focus to Self
By keeping your focus here it will give your Ego-mind an opportunity to relax out of fight-or-flight
Ask your Ego-mind to step-aside and visualize a protection bubble to assist in easing any remaining tension
Begin to talk to and ask questions of your Higher Self
If it feels negative, then it is not your Higher Self
Communication with your Higher Self will always be in a frequency of love
Open your heart and mind; be willing to receive
Stay aware of the different sensations that present while receiving
This will help you to learn how to discern the differences between your Self, Higher Self, and different guides
You are not looking to find what feels “uncomfortable,” but different
Automatic writing is another tool that we use in our spiritual practice. Automatic writing is like opening a direct channel between your Higher Self and your hands. What it feels like to me is, like receiving the words directly through the pen and not through my thoughts. This practice, for me, took quite some time to be able to do it the first time and I am definitely still learning. It feels as though I am stepping out of the way of that neural connection with my writing hand.
Using Tarot and Oracle cards and the imagery on the cards to receive guidance from within is another modality that we use in our spiritual practices. While we do use the guide books on occasion, I find that the information I receive in response to the imagery on the cards tends to be just as profound and helpful. But, when in doubt, I do reference the guide books.
Finally, what does it feel like to connect with other guides?
You may feel one presence, or multiple
Different guides present differently with different energies, communication styles, different intensities of energy, and be felt different in our physical body
It may be perceived as a vibration, gentles pressure, whispering
The above modalities of meditation, automatic writing, and using cards to receive information from Higher Self can also be done with our guides. It is simply a matter of setting the intention and trusting that whatever energetic connections that show up in that moment is the one that you need.
Card pull by Karista using Energy Oracle Cards by Sandra Anne Talyor; see the cards on YouTube here: Episode 31: Connect w/Source by Connecting w/Self
Or watch the entire episode of Love Always, Self: