Presence and connection 

Everything is coming and going just like clouds in the sky. Mooji(Everything comes and goes like clouds in the sky) 

I remember, at the end of my twenties, having taken a course on self-esteem. At one point the facilitator asked the group to give a definition of self-esteem. Suddenly he pointed his finger in my direction for an answer. At that moment I was a bit ‘absent, dazed, with a blank mind and then I looked at him without answering, breathing, in silence. And he said: this is self-esteem!  

After much research on spiritual well-being, now I understand the meaning of that moment: it is in the emptiness of the mind, in the silence of the ego, in pure being, that we find the value of ourselves and of life.

When we forget who we are, where we come from, and where we go, a void is created and a state of pure presence remains . In this state there is no room for self-criticism, only connection and deep calm.  

In the void of presence we let go of all identity and become like children when they play. Children have no self-esteem problems, they just play . Their mind is not yet developed, so there is no self-criticism, just instinct. There is no interpretation, only experience.

In the present moment and in the game there is no judgment, only pure joy and creativity. So is the mind the problem underlying self-esteem? In my experience, the mind can cause great suffering . The good news is that we have the power to direct it, as well as possess a more intuitive and authentic way of living, based on connecting with the universal inner creative force.  

So let’s see step by step how to overcome negative mental and emotional states, which block this state of presence and connection, at the basis of self-esteem and unconditional love of the self.

Read also Bach flowers for self-esteem >>

Observe the mind and empty it

We don’t see things as they are. We see things as we are. Anais Nin (We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are)   Neutral observation and the release of negative thoughts, emotions and physical tensions allows us to free ourselves from external conditioning and to live without comparison . It is about listening to oneself deeply, looking at external reality with detachment, releasing forms, automatic thoughts and behaviors that do not belong to us.  

We live in a society that bombards us with images of how we should be and act. Family, school and culture of belonging impose on us rules and models of behavior : prefixed images with which we identify ourselves, and which become mental filters through which we interpret existence.

Think for example of the stereotypes about women , emotional and dedicated to intimate relationships, and those about men, rational and always ready to fight. Or to the scientific paradigm of the Western world that ignores the world of subtle energies, instinct and archetypes of the soul .  

These predefined images influence our vision, we are in fact invaded by the visions of others. Conforming to roles and rules prevents us from having a fresh and original experience of ourselves and of life . In the lack of expression of our authentic self, self-criticism and a negative judgment of ourselves emerge. Awareness and release of our thoughts is fundamental, as is that of the related emotions reflected in the body.

Listening without judgment makes us fluid , thoughts and emotions observed with neutrality enter and leave the body. For example: I am not thin enough ….. in and out, I failed as a mother, in and out, I am not good with money, in and out …. I am afraid, in and out …. I have pain in the heart, in and out. Observe and empty . Let it all go like passing clouds across the sky.  

It is especially important to listen to tensions in the body and emotions. The mind in fact tends to repress them, as a defense. How do I feel right now, what happens in the body? Observe the tension in the body and let it go. Observe the emotion and let it go . Use the breath , I inhale and breathe slowly, observe and release.  

The practice of observing and emptying leads you to stay in the present, to let go of thoughts about the past and expectations about the future. When you empty all memories and all desires, only you remain in the present. And a silence rises from the depths . A great sense of peace, made of breath and emptiness. 

This is not an original idea, it belongs to many religions and philosophies. I talk about it because I applied it and it works. It works because it’s simple. You don’t have to oppose your critical thinking. You run it through, without resistance.

You don’t have to repress negative emotions, which when unexpressed turn into physical tensions as well. You listen to them and let them flow. You feel them and let them go. You become as transparent: everything passes through you. Fear comes and goes, anxiety comes and goes, pain comes and goes, anger comes and goes. And my Self looks detached.  

And do the same with the thoughts and emotions of others, with their wrong behaviors and their judgments . You let them flow in and out of your body. They are nothing more than projections of their ego, of their wounded personality. Do not get angry. Be transparent.  

We all have a spirit inside that wants to free itself and the first step is to empty everything, so that we can listen to our essence, eternal, magical and precious.  

Perceive with the senses and beyond

Whoever brought me here, will have to take me home. Rumi (Whoever brought me here will have to take me home) 

Perception, as the ability to receive information from the environment, creates self-esteem . It provides us with an inner compass that guides us in every single step in life. The force that brought me into the world, which allowed the growth of my body and moves the entire universe, must also be able to guide me in coherence and harmony.  

To receive this guidance, to feel the messages of the soul and the universe, I have to open up, put myself in a state of receiving. It is about perceiving the environment around me, facts, things, thoughts, behaviors with clarity and without interpretation.

And perceive my inner voice, the truest one that belongs to my essence. It is about putting experience before the interpretation of the mind, first I feel then I interpret.

It is about being in the present moment, the empty mind, and just perceiving, with the 5 senses and beyond. If you observe a sleeping cat you can understand what I mean. The cat is relaxed but suddenly wakes up, all of his senses are on the alert. Then very still he perceives: a sound, a smell, the tactile sensation of the wind, a small animal running away, his mouth watering from the smell of food.

Listening with the 5 senses. In this way, a lot of information is received , in neutrality and the mind is calm because it does not think, it only listens, sees, smells, tastes and feels with the skin. Perceiving means listening to the body. Shamans know this well when they say that the higher self speaks to the body directly, bypassing the conscious mind.

I also use the principle for shopping: if a dress gives me a feeling of expansion in my heart, I buy it, if it causes constriction in the third eye, I leave it. The body connects us to our instincts through precise and individual sensations . Try small things, listen to the reactions in the body to people and ideas, to foods and environments. Feel with the body.  

Another concept that belongs to shamanism but also to quantum physics, is the fact of living in a sea of ​​living and conscious energy, an intelligent universe that interacts with us continuously . Shamans listen to the mountains, the wind, the sea and the woods, receive messages from nature and listen to her wisdom.     

I recently went trekking in Slovenia and while climbing I asked the mountain to send me a vision of my future. I saw hardworking ants all over the place, which spoke to me of community. At the top of the mountain, I felt the power of the rock and the earth but also the stars and the cosmos. This taught me that I need to be grounded but also have an expanded view.

I also understood that if I take one step at a time I reach the top, despite the fact that it seems like an impossible mission (4 hours of walking with little training!) Another type of listening is the inner metaphorical perception or our subconscious that speaks to us through symbols, myths , archetypes and deities. Our soul is expressed in a complex language, often more dreamlike than logical, but no less effective. Again in the example of climbing, after the first 20 minutes I thought I was dying! With my heart pounding and my leg muscles shaking, I was about to give up.

I asked for help and I got the image of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent God. This snake moves slowly crawling with its belly on the ground but can ‘rise with powerful wings. It is related to the third eye and the ability to see, as as a flying being he sees things from above, with a wide perspective.

I immediately shifted my attention to the center of gravity of the belly and to the legs … At first I was in fact with all the energy in my shoulders trying to push myself forward. I started crawling, moving only legs and hips, and it was so much easier!

At the same time, I focused on the image of the refuge , as the final vision of my journey. Identifying myself with the snake, I let myself be enveloped by its coils, inhaling the energy from the earth into the legs and along the spine, my third eye fixed on the goal of refuge on the horizon. Proceeding slowly but determined and lightly, I reached my goal.  

In summary, the ability to perceive connects us to a navigation system, instinctual and personalized, which increases our self-confidence by giving us the ability to pursue our goals. Climbing Mount Triglav boosted my self-esteem, I found I could do something I had never done before.  

Imagine and mean 

You create your own reality. Seth (You create your reality)

In terms of pure energy mechanics, perceiving means receiving from the universal unified field . The unified field can be compared to the internet and we to users looking for information. 

It becomes that the other side of communication is the transmission. As beings of light we creatively transmit our energy to the universe. We do this over and over with words, emotions and actions, but the first step is our ability to focus on precise intentions and imagine different visions of reality.

As we manifest and become creators, we increase our sense of personal worth and power , as well as the pleasure of expressing our talents.  

The practice of setting goals and imagining different scenarios of reality creates an energetic matrix that attracts events, people and synchronicities. In every area of ​​life, health, work, personal relationships, wealth, fixing long-term visions creates an energetic anchor to hang on to in the present.  

There are various ways to create this transmission in the field and perhaps the most important element is to simply do it, with confidence. The process may seem confusing at first. There are many things we want in life, sometimes in contrast with each other . This is why the first two steps outlined, that of emptying and receiving, are important.

In silence, thoughts, images and feelings of what we want slowly emerge. Sometimes what we want are qualities like love, courage or freedom and it’s okay to start like this : imagine how it would feel if this quality were present in our life now, feeling it with all being, mind, emotions and body.  

When you imagine a small goal or a great vision, it is the final result you want to represent: the ideal home, work, lover. If we had all the necessary resources what would we really want to create in our life?

What is the final goal? To create a vision we can use symbols, objects and colors, creative writing, written and verbal affirmations, lists of projects and ideas, lists of talents we have, of successes already achieved, of friends who can help us. In the beginning the process is like a free stream of consciousness, during which it is best to remain fluid and accept the confusion of ideas .

Slowly, in fact, the vision takes shape and becomes more and more specific. With a specific and essential final vision it becomes easier to focus.  

One aspect that can emerge when we intend to convey our vision is resistance, that is all those reasons why it is impossible for our dreams to come true . Wounds from childhood, mortifications or other negative environmental conditioning can come to the surface.

Becoming creators involves becoming responsible for ourselves, becoming parents of our inner child and mentors of ourselves , in the constant unconditional acceptance of our strengths and weaknesses, failures and successes.  

When the doubt, the difficult emotion or the sense of limitation emerge, it is necessary to empty again, going into inner silence. Emptiness can be uncomfortable and scary. It is often easier to fill ourselves with things to do. But it is in silence, in the deep breath that we can hear the true voice of the soul and understand what we really want to create.  

Simplicity is the ultimate perfection. Leonardo da Vinci

To conclude, the circle closes in on itself, with the three indicated steps of neutral observation, perception and intention, which combine together in a dynamic and non-linear process.  

In the field of energy the equation is very simple: I empty, I receive and I transmit. In the field of words, when I free myself from limiting patterns, rules or thoughts, I have the freedom to make original choices, and in constant connection with an intelligent and magical universe, I experience the ecstasy of creative expression.   There is no separation between us and the divine , between our energy body and the unified field. We are light and we are creators.