An Introduction
Meditation is a mind-body practice in complementary and alternative medicine. There are many types of meditation, most of which originated in ancient religious and spiritual traditions. Generally, a person who is meditating uses certain techniques, such as a specific posture, focused attention, and an open attitude toward distractions. Meditation may be practiced for many reasons, such as to increase calmness and physical relaxation, to improve psychological balance, to cope with illness, or to enhance overall health and well-being. This Backgrounder provides a general introduction to meditation and suggests some resources for more information.
The term meditation refers to a group of techniques, such as mantra meditation, relaxation response, mindfulness meditation, and Zen Buddhist meditation. Most meditative techniques started in Eastern religious or spiritual traditions. These techniques have been used by many different cultures throughout the world for thousands of years. Today, many people use meditation outside of its traditional religious or cultural settings, for health and well-being.
Many massage practitioners use a combination of these methods, depending on what the client needs at the time.
Discovering Your Higher Self
When we are born, there is no sense of self, no sense of differentiation or separation from anything else in our awareness. As we grow older, we become identified with our bodies, personalities, families, and all of the thoughts and beliefs that make up our experience of life. As time progresses, we take on new identities: husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, managers, lawyers, office workers, computer programmers, basketball players, and the list goes on and on.
As one begins to earnestly pursue a spiritual path, it’s natural to question these roles and identities and try on new ones. As we move deeper into experiencing the truth of who we are, beyond what we can see with our eyes, hear with our ears, or believe with our minds, the pursuit of a direct and personal experience of our True Nature begins to grow until experiencing and knowing our True Self first-hand eventually becomes the primary goal of our lives.
What is your Higher Self?
There are many great words to describe Who or What your highest identity or Self truly is. Below are just a few:
1) Higher Self
2) I Am Presence
3) I Am That I Am
4) Pure Being
5) Love
6) Spirit
7) Essence of Life
8) Cosmic Consciousness
9) Universal Mind
10) The Tao
11) God
12) Christ
13) Holy Spirit
14) And the list goes on…
Depending upon your spiritual path, background, or religious influence, you may be attracted to one or more of these terms. Ultimately, these words are only ideas that point to the unlimited and infinite nature of your True Self. In the end, it does not matter which words you use. It is directly experiencing your Higher Self that you ultimately seek in your heart.