a man with a peaceful smile sitting in meditation pose outside on a bridge
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In this Article:

  • What is the true self, and why is it essential?
  • How the True-Self Breath can reconnect you to your inner wisdom.
  • What role do thoughts and emotions play in disconnecting from the true self?
  • How does mindfulness meditation enhance true self-awareness?
  • Which meditative techniques are best for discovering your true self?

Connecting to Your True Self with the True-Self Breath

by Patrick Marando.

Technically, it is impossible to disconnect from our true self — it is our essence and always there. In other words, we cannot escape our river because it is who we are. What happens is we pinch ourselves off from the flow of our true self. The more we cut ourselves off, the less we can access our inherent wisdom.

We usually create this disconnection with our thinking patterns and beliefs which then in turn motivate our action. The true self is always there and available for us to connect with at deeper levels in any given moment as we no longer continue to pull away from it. The more we connect to our true self, the less we have to practice connecting to that part of us, because we are living life more from the point of our true self and less from only our conditioned or raw self.

People can connect to their true selves in different ways, and a lot of the time, particularly when we are not lost in our thoughts and emotions, the connection occurs spontaneously without any effort required. Usually when we are in the flow with something or hit our groove, we are living in the moment and from our true self. At least until we get caught up in our conditioned thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Ideally, we want to learn how to consciously connect to our true self and utilize the wisdom of this connection at any given moment — whenever we need it. We can consciously connect to our true self by using the True-Self Breath, something that you can practice as often as you desire. Usually, the more you practice, the better you get at it.

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The True-Self Breath

  • Set your intention that you wish to connect to your true self (you can do so by thinking it or speaking it out loud).

  • Choose to intuitively or instinctually tune in to where your core is within your body.

  • Envision a small golden sphere at your core the size of a golf ball.

  • Place your hand on your body at that spot or bring your focus to that area.

  • Inhale and envision your breath going through your body and into that sphere.

  • Exhale and envision that same breath exiting the sphere.

Connecting to our true self may not feel hugely different. The sense of connection may be subtle, but it is there.

Anywhere, Anytime

We can connect to our true self at any time we desire. If you ever notice you are losing your connection, repeat these steps as often as you like. More often than not we want to connect to our true selves whenever we feel an unpleasant emotion or make a decision.

When we have unpleasant emotions, we are usually being controlled by our conditioned egoic mind or raw self and are most likely to deal with situations in habitual ways which may not serve us. If we can connect more deeply to our true self in those moments, it will give us greater clarity about how or if to utilize that emotion for our greater benefit or to allow it to be there and live from the point of our inner truth.

True Self Meditation

Meditation is another important way to connect with our true selves. When we sit in meditation long enough, the flow of thoughts of the conditioned egoic mind will eventually slow. In the stillness of mind, the pinching-off eases and our connection to our true self automatically grows stronger.

Although definitions of meditation vary, any meditation that assists us in observing our mind and emotions or not identifying with our thoughts or emotions can increase the flow of connection to our true self. Even activities which help still the mind and can create a meditative state are useful if you find it difficult to sit still — activities like cleaning, ironing, painting, playing sport, walking, playing music, listening to music, yoga, tai chi, reading. Any activity that helps you slow down and keeps you from getting caught up in the mind or emotions can be useful.

If you find a meditation style that suits you, continue to do it. The more you meditate, the more you will automatically connect to your true self in a deeper way. You will most likely begin to develop a greater sense of peace. This is also a good time to listen to your inner voice and go beyond hearing — feel what it is saying.

Practicing Connection to Your True Self

I believe the meditation styles that help you discover and sit in the energy of your true self or provide insight into the functions of your conditioned egoic mind work best as a means to practice reconnection to your true self. Three meditation styles I personally recommend are meditative self-inquiry, mindfulness meditation, and simply resting as you witness the mind and allow it to go wherever it likes.

Meditative self-inquiry is a meditation style where you sit quietly and ask yourself the question “Who am I?” What will come up are the different ways we identify ourselves — be it our gender, a belief system we have, our personality traits, our emotional states, our body, our sensations, or even the roles that we play within our lives (mother, brother, sister, friend, worker).

The second question we can ask is: “What remains when these thoughts about ourselves change or disappear?” In the space between the thoughts and beliefs resides an inner awareness or essence that transcends external things. This is the true self — always there, watching, noticing, and waiting for us to discover and live from it. Always ready for you to access its wisdom and to enter the peace of its flow.

Mindfulness meditation is a type of meditation where you choose to place your attention onto anything that is occurring in the present moment in an open and non-judgmental way. Most commonly it is the breath, but you can choose a sound, an emotion, a thought, an activity, whatever it may be. When you become aware of your attention drifting or dragging, notice this, and gently return your attention to the original point of focus. Repeat the exercise as often as necessary.

Whenever you notice any specific emotions, thoughts, beliefs, desires, urges, or behaviors, track them to the source and begin to understand how they are attempting to control an emotion. All in all, engaging in any mindful meditation is the practice of seeing through the eyes of the true self.

The third type of meditation does not really seem like a meditation in the traditional sense. It is a practice of sitting in stillness and allowing your attention to wander wherever it wants to go. If your mind gets lost in thoughts, allow it; if it focuses on the birds singing outside, allow it.

Follow your mind wherever it wants to go. It may move once or one hundred times. Follow it and be aware of where it goes. Also recognize the aware part of you — the part of you doing the noticing. Eventually you will find your mind will become more still and you can sit as the awareness. Wherever your mind does go, recognize that the awareness is doing the noticing, not “you.”

As a whole, I find using all three types of meditation in a combination can serve best to connect to your true self and to give you the greatest insight into your true self’s communication and desires, as well as the functioning of the raw and conditioned egoic self. If you find a meditation that helps you to connect, follow the method that gives you greatest connection and insight.

Time spent meditating is a sure-fire way to create a deeper connection to your true self. I suggest adding five to ten minutes of meditation into your day as it will make a big difference in increasing the flow of your connection to you. As you do this, you will develop greater insight into how the true self relates to you and the different parts of your life-experience.

Copyright ©2024. All Rights Reserved.
Adapted with permission.

Article Source:

Book: Waking Up to Your Self

Waking Up to Your Self: A Guide to Living Your Truth
by Patrick Marando.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience as a spiritual teacher and psychologist, Patrick Marando has written a guide to remembering who you really are -- teaching how you, too, can live from the state he calls the true self. Patrick provides a guide to remembering your truth and fully awakening to who you are. The result: a life of well-being, peace, and fulfillment. He also explains how to utilize our minds to help -- instead of limit -- us. With his clear explanations and practical exercises, Patrick has created a step-by-step guide to being human and overcoming the barriers to living your truth.

Click here for more info and/or to order this paperback book. Also available as a Kindle edition.

About the Author

Patrick Marando is a spiritual teacher and psychologist from Sydney, Australia with over 20 years of experience. His spiritual teachings revolve around bridging the gap between spirituality and psychology using his studies in Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Non Dualism, New Age philosophies and modern psychology, and focus on living from a state of truth. He had his first awakening experience at the age of 28 and since that time his awakening has grown deeper and deeper. for more info, visit https://www.patrickmarando.com/ 

Article Recap:

 The article emphasizes the impossibility of being disconnected from the true self, explaining how thoughts and beliefs create perceived separation. It introduces the True-Self Breath as a practical method to reconnect consciously with the true self. Through meditation styles like self-inquiry and mindfulness, readers can enhance awareness of their conditioned minds and foster a deeper relationship with their essence. The guidance aims to cultivate inner peace, emotional clarity, and a harmonious alignment with one's authentic self.