Check in with Yourself

In our busy lives, we often forget about taking the time to be in the present moment with ourselves. To further our meditation practice, it is helpful to “check in” with ourselves as often as possible throughout the course of the day. This is imperative because our planet, as well as our consciousness, is in the process of ascension, moving toward living at a higher level. This means that while our physical body is contained in the human physical reality of our waking life—our consciousness can be elevated, accessing what some call our sixth sense (intuition, telepathy, precognition), and having feelings of “oneness” with others.*

This phenomenon is occurring because we are made of energy just like our planet, solar system, and the cosmos. It is important that we begin to look beyond our physicality and think and live in terms of energy. As we elevate our thought, we help elevate all of humanity. There are a few simple techniques that we can practice to be in the present moment, and we can incorporate into our daily routine.

1. Check in with your breath. As you go through your day, take out moments to breathe in and out long and slowly. This will instantly settle your mind and bring you into the present moment.
2. When you wake in the morning, remind yourself of the date and day, where you are and that you are back in the third dimension and no longer sleeping.
3. When you walk into a room or location, become aware of opening the door; be present (mindful) as you open the door or step into a room or building. Look at your surroundings and tell yourself where you are and what you are doing.
4. As you walk or go up and down the stairs, count each step.
5. When you meet a person for the first time, look at the person and take in as much detail as you can (without making the person feel uncomfortable). Look at his/her eyes; what color are they? What color is his/her hair?
6. Subject/Object/Place (SOP). I learned this technique from my teacher Master DeSoto. This will help you to be more mindful and grounded. 

• Subject – Ask yourself: Who am I? State your name, gender, and anything else that is significant to you and how you identify yourself.
• Object – Look at your surroundings. Ask yourself: Where am I? What do I see? What sounds do I hear? What do I perceive? What am I feeling? What aromas are in this place? What am I doing here? How did I arrive here?
• Place – Where are you? Verbalize the name (if possible, the address), location, state, city, and country where you find yourself at this moment.
• If you are at work, at a gathering, a special event or someone’s home or another place, become aware and verbalize it to yourself.

If you go to a place for the first time, stop and really become mindful and say to yourself that this is the first time that you are here. Take in the experience, own it, and become aware as much as possible.

Use a token. Take a small object and designate it as your personal token to remind you that you are in this third dimension. It can be a stone, a mala, or any solid object that you designate for this check-in process. Every time you handle it, it will bring you back to the present moment.

These techniques will assist your meditation experience because you will become more aware of yourself and your surroundings. Your mind will be more focused, and it will tend to wander less. It will help you to be grounded and aware that you are in the third dimension. These techniques are also helpful for those who practice conscious sleep or lucid dreaming.

Incorporating these simple exercises every day will enhance your awareness and help maintain you in the present moment. Your mindfulness meditation practice will flourish because your mind will become calmer, you will be in-tune with your breath, and your mindfulness meditation will become deeper and elevated.

Submitted by Sandra DeSousa

*Additional References: We are multidimensional beings. When we are in the “flow” of creating, designing, or inventing, our consciousness exists in what is called the fourth dimension, with ideas and inspirations moving freely between our conscious and subconscious minds. Intuition, imagination, daydreams, and lucid dreaming are fourth dimension experiences. Our spiritual realities exist in the fourth and higher dimensions. For example, our higher self-consciousness exists in the fifth dimension.

For additional reading on the dimensions and consciousness, see “Explainer: Just what are the different spiritual dimensions of reality?” by Alan Lew on Medium; http://bit.ly/SpiritualDimensionsLew