Ego Meditation

This meditative technique helps unpack the ego and move closer to understanding one’s true self. Ego and identity shape many of our life goals and often get in the way of our progress. By dissolving the ego, we gain more control over our actions. Ego: The Obstacle to the True Self, The True Self: Pure Existence Beyond Dualities

A lot of the goals that we have in life are shaped by our by our identity. And a lot of what gets in the way is our ego. So this is a meditative technique that’s sort of designed to help you unpack that to help you sort of weaken or almost dissolve the identity or the ego. And as we dissolve our ego we find ourselves more in control of our actions.

Practice:

1. Sit up straight and close your eyes.
2. Ask yourself, “Who am I?”
3. Let any answer that arises float to the surface without justifying or arguing against it.
4. Examine the answer: Is it a physical sensation, a thought, an emotion, or a memory? Can you locate it within your present experience?
5. Recognize that the answer is a construct, not an actual thing.
6. Take a deep breath and exhale, discarding the answer and letting it go.
7. Repeat the question “Who am I?” and continue the process, peeling back layers of identity.
8. Ground yourself in the present moment and your actual experience, recognizing that your true self exists beyond these constructs.
   Unpacking the Ego to Discover the True Self, Grounding in the Present Moment

So in this practice, what I want you to do is ask yourself, Who am I close your eyes and then whatever answer comes, try to find that answer within you. Is it a physical sensation? Is it a thought? Is it an emotion? What is it find that aspect of yourself?

During the “Who Am I?” meditation, it’s important to recognize that thoughts, memories, and physical sensations that arise are not the true self. They are merely constructs produced by the mind and do not represent truth or fact. By breathing into these experiences and letting them go, we can move closer to our true selves. The “Who Am I?” Meditation, The True Self: Pure Existence Beyond Dualities

What you may notice is there may be a thought there may be a memory. There may also be a physical sensation, like a tightness in the chest, or a constriction in the throat but those are just tightness in the chest and constrictions in the throat. Those are just thoughts and memories and so appreciate that. For a second. Now what we’ll do is breathe. Expand the chest and exhale and relax. And whatsoever that part of your identity is whether it’s a sensation, whether it’s a thought whether it’s a memory, whether it’s a belief produced by the mind, with a deep breath in and a deep breath out. Let it go. Breathe it out.

As you practice the “Who Am I?” meditation, ground yourself in the present moment and your actual experience. Recognize that your true self exists beyond the constructs of thoughts, memories, and sensations. The more you practice this technique, the closer you’ll get to your true self, peeling away layers of ego that hold you back. The “Who Am I?” Meditation, Unpacking the Ego to Discover the True Self

So as you ground yourself in this existence. Breathe in and as you exhale, discard that third thing. And now go ahead and bring yourself back. Open your eyes.

And the really fascinating thing is that most of the things that hold us back are actually from our ego. I want to be perceived a certain way. So I don’t want to go to a party because if I go to a party and I misspeak everyone will think that I’m an idiot. I don’t want to raise my hand in class because if I get the answer wrong, people will laugh. I want everyone to think that I’m smart. And so we don’t end up raising our hand and we don’t end up engaging with other people.

Reflective Questions:

• What aspects of my identity or ego do I cling to most strongly, and how might they be holding me back?
• How can I practice grounding myself in the present moment and my actual experience, rather than getting caught up in thoughts, memories, and sensations?
• What insights or realizations have I gained through the “Who Am I?” meditation, and how can I apply them to my daily life and spiritual practice?

In this meditation, we will take away layers of the self, until we discover what is on the inside. The self is like an onion – you can peel and peel until you eventually find emptiness.

Step 1

Ask yourself, “Who am I?” and notice the first answer that comes to your mind. Don’t resist it or try to find the right answer. Whatever answer comes, let it be.

• What arises when you ask yourself this question? Is it a thought? Memory? Physical sensation?
• Find its origin. Where did this come from?

Step 2

Notice that in this moment of experience, that it is just a thought. The thought is not attached to your existence.

• The thought is a shell of your identity.
• Observe something – anything about your existence. Notice your weight in existence, your breath, or your faculty of seeing.

Step 3

Next, discard that element of identity.

• Notice that if you think you are a failure – that is not something you can see in this moment, not something you can experience.
• Breathe in and then with an exhale, discard it – let go of it.

Repeat these steps three times in a row.