In the modern-day Capitalist world, it is not uncommon to find people rushing around, at 1000 miles per hour, in order to get everything done and be the best that they can. As examples, businesses put a huge amount of pressure on their employees to work harder and make more money, the type of job you do, your socio-economic status and background appear to define who you are, then there are mothers who struggle to juggle a their working life and spend quality time with their children.
And if that wasn’t enough, there’s the media subliminally telling how you should dress and act, telling you what make-up and clothes you should wear, and how much weight to lose/gain. Newspapers, magazines and websites are constantly telling you to be your best self and live your best life. For a lot of people, this can be pretty disheartening to find that being your best self means knowing how to cook a fabulous meal, which car to get or buying the most stunning outfit to get the highest wow-factor.
It all seems like quite a lot of hard work, which is no surprise when you hear about the increase in stress and image-related disorders which have come to light in the past 50 years or so.
BUT… What if I were to tell you that everything mentioned above is not your best self? What if it transpired that your best self actually has a deeper, more spiritual meaning and that, in fact, it is your Higher Self?
What do we mean by “Higher Self”?
In India, there is a saying that “God, Guru, and Self are One.” The same Power that created the universe – God or Source or Spirit – is also within you. This means that when you are your Higher Self, you allow the divine within you to take precedence. It means allowing yourself to be your truest, to be kind, and to live in a state of pure essence. Your Highest Self goes a lot deeper than just your conscience, it is your spiritual being.
When you encompass your Higher Self, you are in touch with your soul and can experience divinity, love and feel the effects of understanding that you are part of an interconnected world. Knowing you are loved unconditionally will make you more compassionate and loving toward others.
Embodying your higher self is accepting the gift of life and living to a standard far beyond what is conveyed by society. And this happens naturally, without any effort. Unlike the stressful paths most people go through to achieve the high honors in their career, being your higher self is to allow the flow of life to take you where your heart desires, and when you are doing what you love most, it no longer feels like work or effort.
Signs Given By Your Higher Self
Gut Feelings – We’ve all experienced these before. These are the feelings you get when something just isn’t right. For example, a salesman calls you up to tell you that you were involved in a recent accident and are now entitled to thousands of pounds in compensation… Your gut tells you this is a scam and you politely (or not) tell the person “no” (…Or just hang up!), that’s your Higher Self in action, trying to protect you. This can also be something positive when your body speaks to you and tells you what it loves and what will help it to feel and perform better.
Recurring dreams – Ask yourself whether it’s a message, perhaps an instruction and sometimes a warning. Your job is to follow the clues and see if you can make sense of the repetitive signs or scenarios you keep dreaming up. These can also lead you to your calling, so don’t be afraid to follow your dreams.
How the Ayahuasca Experience can help
What is Ayahuasca?
Ayahuasca is a sacred visionary brew that has been used for centuries in healing ceremonies by various indigenous cultures in the Amazon basin. The beverage is a concoction of two key plants, the Ayahuasca vine itself, scientifically known as Banisteriopsis Caapi, and the vision-inducing, DMT – containing leaves of the Chacruna plant, also known as Psychotria Viridis.
The two plants work together in amazing synergy to yield one of the most psychoactive substances known to mankind.
More and more people these days are going on spiritual Ayahuasca Retreats in order to purge any remnants of toxic thoughts and feelings from their bodies, and to fortify the connection with their higher Self.
Ayahuasca Retreats
In the last 30 years, the Ayahuasca retreat has gained global popularity. So much so, that it has extended its reputation to attract thousands of foreign visitors who make their way to South American countries like Brazil and Peru to participate in spiritual ayahuasca healing ceremonies. These Ayahuasca pilgrims travel across the globe for reasons such as relief from trauma, drug addiction, anxiety, depression, and even cancer. Others simply seek to deepen their spiritual connection to themselves and to something greater.
How Will an Ayahuasca Retreat Help Me to Align with My Higher Self?
The best way to approach Ayahuasca is with intention, but without expectations. That is to say, know that you’re ingesting the brew in order to get to know your Higher Self and to strengthen your connection with it. Once the Ayahuasca starts to take effect, open your mind and relax in to the effects. Be open to what is revealed to you so that you can find your highest and best good.
Be aware that the ceremony usually lasts between 5 and 8 hours. The Ayahuasca experience may not be pleasant, in that you may find yourself vomiting and feeling very nauseous. This is normal and is the spiritual being ridding the body of anything unnecessary.
During the ceremony, we may experience visions. This is our spirit reaching out to us. Through these experiences, we learn how to surrender, focus and also confront everything we like and dislike in our life with love, acceptance and compassion. When we drink Ayahuasca, we are able to see a higher perspective and see how to be better humans. We find our true self, our highest potential and how we can cultivate higher spiritual qualities to help us deal with different problems in our lives.
On these retreats, it is not uncommon to have to partake in multiple ceremonies. This is not only to fully purge and heal yourself, but also to make the most of your trip. Once the ceremonies are over, it is important for you to remain committed to some sort of spiritual practice, such as meditation. The plant medicines will expand your consciousness; however, you will need to connect with your Higher Self on a daily basis to maintain this expansion after you get home.
Meditation will help you tap into the inner peace of your being that has always been there, and it will also help you integrate the teachings and spiritual healings the plant medicines have provided for you.
