The integration of consciousness
is a result of having achieved balance within the bodies. Each body must be in
alignment with the next: the physical with the etheric (vibrational), with the
emotional, with the mental, and finally with the spiritual. In order for each
to come into harmony with the next, all must be under the auspices and guidance
of the higher self. If the higher self is not operational or only operational
some of the time, then any of the bodies may act out, like children who feel
they have free range and can run wild when their parents go away for a few
hours.
An individual must make a
conscious choice: the choice to follow the personality and ego mind, or the
choice to follow the higher self. The higher self exists without duality; it
does not split. It is connected to, and is, Oneness. There is no question.
There is no indulgence in lower emotions. There is no over-riding the body.
This aspect of your consciousness is always ready to serve you. It awaits your
conscious choice to empower it, and then it steadfastly, swiftly, and
impeccably acts on your behalf. The higher self acts as a loving parent whose
only interest is to love the child and to always act in the child’s best
interest.
When you experience synergistic,
harmonious energy, the higher self is at work. Most people have a hit or miss
experience of the higher self because they have not consciously chosen to
surrender to its guidance all of the time. Having succeeded in aligning with it
once in a while, we are given the experience of alignment, synergy, and
harmony, so we know that this level does exist.
Inner spiritual training can teach us how to find this alignment and
stay there. This is the beginning of the end of suffering. As you develop
this alignment over time, inner conflict begins to melt away, questions are
resolved, and abiding trust takes the place of self-indulgent behaviors. The
polarities begin to settle into Oneness.
There are five simple steps to
begin the end of internal suffering:
1. Commit to a daily meditation
practice of at least 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Learn how to do deep, yogic
breathing called The Golden Circle Breath.
The
Golden Circle Breath can be done in an upright, seated position, with the spine
erect, or can be done lying down. Inhale through the nose, drawing the breath
in slowly. Contract the back of the throat slightly, making an “ahhhhh” sound
as you draw the breath in. The mouth remains closed in meditation. As the air passes over the windpipe, it sounds
like a tire being inflated. By contracting the back of the throat, the air flow
can be regulated, thereby allowing the inhalation and exhalation to be
prolonged. Continue with long, slow inhalations. Let the abdomen relax and
expand as you inhale and receive the breath. Exhale slowly to fully empty your
lungs. Control the flow of the breath. Naturally and gradually, as you relax
into the breath, the breath will start to “breathe itself.”
3. During meditation, promise
yourself to bring your attention back to the sound and sensation of the breath
each time you see your mind wandering.
4. As you “witness” or watch yourself
from within, make no judgments; simply observe what arises and continue to go
back to the breath.
5. Drop any expectations of what a
successful meditation looks like. Be grateful for the mini-victory of simply
being willing to sit with yourself for a few minutes each day.
This may sound too simple to
effect any real change, but with time and commitment, you are allowing your
higher self to be front and center each day. You are thereby giving yourself
the opportunity to change your habitual reactions to the irritations that arise
daily, simply by doing nothing other than sitting and breathing consciously.
This is entry training to inner development and the beginning of the end of
suffering.