The Natural Self? What is that? Many questions can arise when we make an effort to understand what being our natural self is. When I say natural self, I am not talking about walking around naked, or acting different than you normally would. No, not at all. What I am saying is that every person has their own unique frequency. That unique frequency is created through the flow of beliefs, perspective, choices, actions and reactions through all moments of your life, collectively settling as the sum, or current actual self. There are many things involved in how your vibe affects the world, including if your natural self exist present in the moment the majority of the time. Many of us may have the question, how can I notice the difference? There is one particular way that I know how to begin to re-align with my natural self. It has worked gracefully and I am grateful. This practice is Vipassana Meditation. It is a practice where you are coming to know the natural self through observation of sensation arising in the body. The sensations we experience are in the moment. They occur moment to moment, continuously.
Our lives are so overran with generational programming, propaganda, as well as social engineering through advertising and media. When we give our attention to that, it keeps us looking at the next hot topic, popular product, music or whatever is trending in the current flow of the current narrative. These new actions taken on the regular are changing our brains and influencing how they work. An imbalance can form in our life very easily. An example would be, a time arises where we no longer feel aligned with our natural self, so we feel lost. Another issue may be, we are not aware that alignment with a natural self is even a thing. This includes the bodies subtle communications that it has to clue you in on what your body and mind needs.
With all these fast pace communication devices flooding our daily conscious existence, it is wise to remember that we are natural beings, in a not so natural environment any longer. With the constant external influence coming from devices, internet, TV, radio, podcast, media, this world has become so high pressured compared to twenty years ago. For the most part, our minds are doing a great job of keeping up with the fast pace changes occurring with technology, but the ever growing attention needed to keep up with technology and social media as a form of communication, is slowly diminishing our connection to the original origin of our lives.
Falling away from where we originate, the connection to nature, and our natural self, will lead to destructive choices manifested by walking away from the creators rhythm. Blind choices are the result and becoming lost as a culture created by god. Collectively we are walking away from the system that is and was naturally created. We are failing as a culture to balance our attention in our natural self and nature’s ways.
Within the natural rhythm and laws that exist, we can live a fruitful life, being supported by the very wave, the natural rhythm, the force of nature that we align with in our journey. A good choice is to be vigilant in observing the natural self and the natural rhythms that exist without outer influence. In this current landscape that we are caught up in, we have a new situation in our culture. Compared to natural influences on this earth, the electronic and computer influences are very strong at collecting our attention. As well, there are frequencies consistently flowing around. Some examples are, EMF waves, ELF waves, and radio waves that are all influencing us unnaturally, daily. With this all occurring along with visual and auditory influence, the understanding and alignment with our natural self is more important than ever.
I think an important thing to define is what is “Natural.” In advertising of products and packaging all around the world, the word natural is used continuously. This means by legal standards that it came from a natural source, not that it is still in a natural healthy form. In the same way, we may be living a more natural lifestyle when it comes to food, green living etc.. but still be completely out of alignment with our natural self.
Doing things in nature, gardening, hiking, all the outdoor activities that put you in nature without the influence of technology are very good ways to influence realignment with your natural self. Working on using yes and no in our daily lives when choosing how to respond to anything that we may or may not be aligned with, is a huge navigator to aligning with what is right for us. I practice Vipassana as well as gardening, hiking and being with the natural creation to stay connected and aligned with my true self. Being present in nature, be sure to use it as a Living meditation. This means you are being present and doing what you are doing in the moment that you are doing it.
Vipassana is an observation technique to get to the root of who we are. This breathing technique is my favorite for this task of aligning with the natural self. Vipassana Meditation’s first stage of training is called anna panna, sounds like, (onna)(ponna). In this exercise, one will simply sit comfortably, hands facing upward stacked on each other laying on the lap. When practicing, always remembering to pay attention to the sensation of the air passing in and out of the nostrils, while breathing only with the nose, mouth closed. While we are doing this, we close our eyes, focusing our eyes attention on our third eye area and pay attention to only the sensation of the air passing in and out of the nostrils.
As you practice, you will get sensations, thoughts, all kinds of distractions all around and within, do not give them any importance over the sensations in your nostrils from the air passing in and out. All sensations are equal is the teaching here. When we do not give way to the assigned reaction to any sensation that arises, and we are able to stay focused on one task at a time, the sensation of the breath for lengths at a time, this means we are doing well in the quest for mastery over the mind.
In this meditation, the goal is to allow your natural breath, fast, slow, deep, shallow, in one nostril or two, what ever it is at the moment, the goal is to be aligned with your natural rhythm, your natural breath. This is the connection you have to being one with yourself. You can align your self in the moment when your attention is on the breath coming in and out of your nostrils at a natural pace, no thinking or self talk involved, just being with what is.
When meditating to align with the natural self, you will find the mind wanting to wonder, to keep running around, making the rounds to what you think is important currently and sometimes even just random things coming up from the past through the inner screen. Our job while doing this kind of meditation is to stay focused with our original goal of paying attention to the air passing through the nostrils, staying aligned in our current natural breathing patterns, whatever they are. When we are feeling uneasy, or need to stay focused or refocus the mind, this practice is a most helpful tool. When our minds wander and we realize it has happened or is happening, just come back to the breath, again and again, training the mind. This is like doing a workout at the gym, lifting weights in the mind to get stronger focus into the moment on the daily. Doing this will eventually give us a practice and tool for using in any moment, to stay present and not be a product of the subjective mind.
Our subjective mind, the house of ideas, creativity, beliefs and worries, is where fear and insecurity builds up in a thought process brought forth by a reaction to a sensation arising in the body from the current situation we are in. The breathing exercise that I have been describing, helps you spend time without thoughts being the primary function within the experience you are having. Getting some polarity in awareness of what is, without any interpretation, just observation, can bring some serious balance into the nervous system as we give down time for the habit patterns of the mind.
There will be things, thoughts and other emotions that will come up from deep within, but it just wants to be acknowledged and then you can go back to the breath, the air going in and out of your nostrils. Nature, the natural process will allow this to arise and pass away as all things do, its a natural process. It is when we turn our attention to what arises and feed it with attention, it grows within us. It grows trees, and the fruit of the tree multiplies the feelings of what the original seed has formed. Happiness or misery will spread through your vibe, the broadcast of what energy is created by your inner beliefs and workings.
When misery arises, go to the breath. Allow it to pass like a storm, we go inside structure during a storm to be out of it, but watch it out of a window, unaffected by its influence. While you pay attention to the air moving in and out of the nostrils, it’s like looking outside a window at a storm rather than being rained on, feeling all the wet and cold. The things that are arising within are habit patterns from how we have been doing things in our lives. When we stay with the breath, these old habit patterns that lock us into life cycles normally can be released when not watered with attention. When they come up, do not engage with your full attention, allow them to be there but do not give them full attention. The breath, the air passing, the rhythm of the natural aspiration of you, this is where the real you is. This practice will give you mastery over your mind and begin you on a journey of living beyond hidden self made limitation.
When we come to the close of Vipassana meditation, we say these words, starting with yourself first. May I be happy, May I be Peaceful, May I be free, liberated, liberated, liberated. May all beings, physical and non-physical be happy, be peaceful and be free, liberated, liberated, liberated. Honor your self and the other.
We can tell when we are becoming aligned with our natural self when we have a natural flow of happiness, a sense of ease. Regardless of how tough life may get or how good it is, the natural sense of happiness is still present overall. As the habit patterns fall away in our lives, new open honest communication with new found wisdom is the result. We now enjoy our lives with a different idea of what natural is. What ever makes us naturally happy, what brings peace into our lives and hearts, is something to cherish, respect and love.
Our future generations are counting on us to not loose the natural connection to the earth and what was not created by man, but by God. In perfect balance with itself, it will show us the way to perfectly balance our lives in the current age. It is our effort and care that will guide us through to succeed for the coming generations.
May you be happy, may you be peaceful, and may you be free.