I really do think that the key to solving so many of the problems or challenges that people ask me about is simply being able to distinguish the voice of the Negative Ego from the voice of the True Self. Whether it’s feeling more content, hearing guidance, manifesting more strongly, being a more effective and empowered person, it all comes down to the fact that the Negative Ego gets in the way.

Once upon a time, when the sabre tooth tigers roamed the earth, we needed a really powerful survival instinct to keep the species alive (us, not the tigers), and it made sense that everything that didn’t feel safe or stable was to be avoided. Most of us these days live in fairly solid buildings, and we even have electricity. The world is changing really really fast, and we can communicate instantaneously with people on the other side of the globe. Being able to adapt, to embrace change, is a useful skill nowadays; but that old survival instinct is still playing by the old rules and fighting us every step of the way. Most of you reading this are higher up on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs than needing to take care of basic sustenance and shelter.

It’s that survival instinct that tries to distract you from growing and evolving as a spiritual being. It’s that survival instinct that still labels change as something bad, something to be avoided, even something to be fought against. It’s that survival instinct that tells you you’re not enough, that there’s not enough, and that there will never be enough.

And it’s lying to you.

The most effective way I know of to start to differentiate between the loud committee that our survival instinct or Negative Ego has become and the still, quiet voice of your True Self, is through meditation. If you start by simply observing your thoughts, doing your best not to participate in them, pick them up, or take them personally, it becomes easier to start to separate your identity from that noise.

Because you are not your thoughts. That noise actually has nothing to do with you, other than it’s happening in your head. All it does is sabotage you, get in the way of your growth, and keep you from being in your full potential.

So meditate. Observe what’s going on in your head as if it were a radio station in the other room. It’s about that important. If you’re really struggling with a meditative practice, try guided meditation or even chanting. Take a workshop. Focus on your breathing. But do some form of meditation, or you’re going to continue to feel stuck or blocked.

Since your Ego will do everything in its power to distract or dissuade you from a meditative practice, it becomes especially important to do it anyway, no matter what. The Negative Ego is powerful, and will create just as much chaos outside of you as it feels inside of you. You see, it’s convinced that, should you embark on a path of change and growth, if you let down your guard, you will die. So it’s going to try every trick in the book to get you to not meditate. You need to be just as dedicated if you’re going to succeed.

What tricks will you employ to stay on a growth-oriented path?

Ayamanatara will be offering a workshop on Chanting as a Form of Meditation on Tuesday, July 19th, at 6:30pm at Everyday Zen Relaxation Studio in Long Beach. Please call 562-424-2444 for more information or to reserve your place in the class, or join the meetup group.