How to Connect With Your Higher Self for Guidance

The higher self is a term in spirituality that is often used interchangeably with the soul, spirit or intuition.

There is a lot of advice that points to a higher self vaguely, but doesn’t provide a lot of insight into what it is. Is the higher self the same as our soul or spirit, and why should we connect with it in the first place?

Today I want to explore what the higher self actually is, why it’s so important and how to connect with this aspect of yourself.

What is the higher self?

The higher self is an aspect of our soul that knows what’s best for us. It guides us in completing our life purpose.

In a sense this is similar to our soul or intuition, I think we are using different terms to represent different levels of this one thing.

With the soul being the widest representation of God or the Universe, then the higher self which is most connected or relatable to our human self and then the intuition which is the manifestation of it.

When I refer to the higher self I am talking about an aspect of our soul that is here to guide the human self. What do I mean by this?

I think each soul, which makes up part of a larger soul group, has a specific purpose. The reason we categorize things like this is simply because it is easier to understand as a human using language, although each of these elements isn’t exactly ‘separate’.

The more you venture down this path, the more you realize it is all ONE.

How to connect with your higher self

Your higher self is YOU, baby!

The higher self is you at your most joyous, most free, most aligned. We connect with the higher self in the same way we do with our intuition – by getting to know ourselves better!

We’re not looking to find anything new (even though it does feel like that at times) but to reconnect.

The clearer our relationship with our human self, the easier it is to pick up and act on the spiritual messages we receive; because there isn’t a big smoke screen in the way.

Our identity, ego, mind isn’t getting wholly in the way of our spiritual selves, even though those aspects of us are important and essential in their own way.

It’s less about getting rid of the mind or ego and dissolving all human identities and inclinations, and more about putting them into the right context and working with them constructively.

Create space

When we get into this spiritual space it’s very easy to find a bunch of new techniques and practices and try to apply them all at once. This can often just create extra noise.

So my first recommendation is to simply create space! Spend a few days taking inventory of your current life, your routines and habits.

As you go about your day, gently note a few things you want to release. What thoughts, patterns and beliefs can you let go of so you are closer to yourself?

Build a manageable meditation routine, perhaps starting with just five minutes a day and increasing your time gradually.

Get in tune with the body

Another important step to connecting with the higher self is to get more in tune with your body.

The connection between the physical body and spirituality is often understated, but essentially if our bodies are overwhelmed and tired it is going to be very difficult to receive clear spiritual guidance.

A lot of this is out of our control. There are a lot of stressors that we’re not going to be able to get rid of – if we live in a draining family or work environment for example.

What’s most important is giving your body some much needed care and attention regardless of the circumstances – focusing on what you can control.

Practices like breathwork, exercise, grounding, alongside meditation/mindfulness, are going to make it easier to integrate the higher self down the road. To get to a point of relative peace and calm within the body, so our spirit can be truthfully expressed.

Pay more attention to how your body feels when you are happy, joyful or at peace. This represents how the higher self feels. With a little practice you can come back to this base vibration in times of stress or upset.

Create spiritual rituals

You do something for your mind with meditation, something for body with somatic exercises and something for your spirit.

One of the best ways to connect with your spirit (same as the higher self) is to cultivate some spiritual rituals.

Rituals act as little anchors throughout the day, that you remind you ‘I am a spiritual being in a physical body’.

The rituals themselves are important but I also think it’s helpful to figure out what you are devoted to, so that you are practicing these rituals with clear intentions.

Are you devoted to God, the Universe, or is your focus closer to home? Are you practicing spiritually to become a better partner, parent or person for those around you?

A ritual can be as simple as lighting a candle during the major phases of the Moon and setting a specific intention, writing a page in your journal led by your intuition, or going to an altar each day and praying. It doesn’t matter what you do, so long as it makes sense to you.

Get in touch with your higher self or intuition (similar concepts) with a daily prompt. This could be asking ‘What message do I need to hear today?’ or something to that effect.

Visualize your higher self

Another thing you can do to reconnect with your higher self is to visualize.

We are visualizing all the time but often we are not using this sense constructively. There are a few different ways you can go about this.

Think of what your higher self ‘looks like’. Of course there is no concrete appearance to the higher self because it is an energy construct not a physical thing, but we can use visualization to get a rough idea of what acting in our power means.

Think back to a time where you were feeling your absolute best. Perhaps there was a tinkle in your eye or you were smiling widely. If you had to guess, what colors would have made up your aura? Hold an image of this version of you in the mind.

Visualize how a peaceful or ‘good’ day would go for you, starting from the moment you wake up. What activities would you do, what spaces would you be in, who would you be surrounded by?

When we feel most peaceful, calm and balanced we are most in tune with our higher self. Visualize the sort of circumstances needed to bring your higher out and welcome more of them into your life.

Let go

Connecting with our higher self is all about creating space. Creating space for our higher self to come in, to create change and welcome new experiences.

When our mind is filled with distracting thoughts and our body is overwhelmed, it’s difficult to really feel ourselves. This sense of balance and self-knowledge is what you can feel for to know you are on the right track.

If we are holding onto too much, it’s difficult for new energy to flow throughout our lives.

Most of us know the benefit of letting go, but the concept can be a bit tricky to implement. To make things easier, pinpoint a few different areas you’d like to let go in. Do you need to release control in your work life, relationships or the inner work you are doing?

Where are you placing too much pressure on yourself to perform rather than just be. Then identify some concrete action steps.

This could include clearing one space in your home that feels heavy, or carving out one hour to spend in quietude with yourself each week.

𖦹ׂ ₊˚⊹⋆｡𖦹°‧

My experience with the higher self

One of my first direct experiences of the ‘higher self’ (we are always experiencing the higher self even if we are not aware of it) was after a full hour or meditation.

I had gotten into the habit of meditating for longer periods of time while partaking in other activities. In an effort to make even ‘dead time’ productive in some fashion.

After this meditation session I left the bedroom I was in and went downstairs to make myself something to eat. It was still quite early in the morning and the Sun was shining in through the windows.

Everything just felt different, as if everything suddenly had a lighter airier quality to it.

Then I began to hear my higher self speaking to me. Guiding me in every little action I took. Turning on the water faucet, preparing breakfast. I was being moved to do everything in the calmest and most aligned manner.

This presence felt like a very loving parental figure.

After experiencing a looooong dark night of the soul around 2017-8, I have gradually felt my ‘vibration’ increasing. I suppose when you go to a low low, it’s inevitable that you bounce back to a new high.

Over these years I have worked a ton internally to align with my higher self, and a big part of that was changing my inner dialogue. Really, starting from scratch because the way I talked to myself was so negative.

Our higher self is always there, it wants us to be our brightest most creative selves, but sometimes the energy we are holding is not allowing us to access that.

I don’t like the pressure that a lot of New Age teaching put on positive thinking. I certainly don’t find it easy to be super positive all the time, but finding a healthy middle ground is so important!

So, in my work I emphasize that balance. How to build an internal dialogue that is supportive but realistic so you can sustain it long-term.

What does the higher self do?

One of the main things the higher self does is facilitating situations that will bring us growth.

It is usually quite obvious when these situations are taking place because they’ll have that magical feeling to them.

When our spirit or higher self intervenes like this, there is often a sense of dejavu. I feel the reason this happens is because we are almost reconnecting with an old friend, there is an uncanny familiarity present that we can feel but can’t logically explain.

Similarly the higher self can bring about synchronicities, illuminating a specific path that is going to help us grow in some way.

A simple way to encourage our higher self to come forward more often is to show appreciation – give thanks whenever you have experiences like this. This will increase the amount of synchronicities and signs that come your way.

Signs you are connecting with your higher self

At a base level, you know you’re beginning to connect with your higher self if you understand yourself as a multi-dimensional being.

You know you are more than just a physical body with a mechanical brain, not just on an intellectual level but deeper down. You approach and perceive things as spirit.

This could be an instinctual knowing that you’ve had for as long as you can remember, or one that has built over time with experience.

Another sign you are connecting with your higher self is that you feel guided towards a specific goal.

You no longer feel like a cog in the machine, doing things because you should or have to, but acting consciously, interconnected with everything else.

You might feel drawn towards a specific career or space and want to help people in a very specific way. You understand your intuitive insights and creative energy.

Last on this list, is that your spiritual awareness is having a constructive impact on your daily life.

What I mean by this, is that you aren’t just taking in spiritual concepts for the sake of it, but are integrating those principles into each action you take.

Recently I have really felt the higher self coming in to be integrated. I have experienced seemingly ‘random’ floods of emotions, acceptance, deeper knowing.

The difference this time is that I feel much more capable of balancing and integrating this volume of emotion, rather than feeling overwhelmed by it.

Almost as if something above is going ‘You are ready to hold and use all of this energy’.

Shadow work is a key step in integrating our higher self, because it is all about getting comfortable with emotions we’ve pushed aside.

The shadow (unconscious side) is essentially energy that at some point, we were unable to properly process, integrate and use constructively.

Being honest about our emotions, thoughts, beliefs is crucial to aligning our actions in the ‘highest’ manner.

Signs that your higher self is trying to get your attention

The higher self will try to get our attention in many ways.

• Vivid dreams
• Clear intuitive insights
• Synchronicities
• Sudden life changes
• Chance encounters
• A pull towards solitude

Our higher self sends us messages that will help us understand our purpose better and take clearer action. Along with the usual intuitive nudges and insights, when our higher self is activated we’ll be called into a period of solitude.

We’ll be drawn to higher quality relationships, jobs, environments. We might find ourselves taking up hobbies from childhood or ones we otherwise abandoned. We’ll feel a pull towards introspective practices like meditation and mindfulness. Overall, we’ll feel more compelled to do self-care practices and be more present in day to day life.

The integration of the higher self can also be more dramatic in nature. If we are completely in the dark and disconnected, sometimes we need a reality check. This can come in the form of a job loss, a relationship ending abruptly or a nervous breakdown. So often it is these heavy life events that finally get us to see ourselves clearly and start a better path.

Integrating your higher self

Integration is a word thrown around in spiritual spaces but it’s not always obvious what we are referring to. Integrating the higher self essentially means taking the higher self as part of you; not as some separate thing that is above.

This isn’t about intellectually reasoning with yourself or understanding wholeness as a mental concept, but making sure your actions are aligned.

When you feel the higher self coming through, acknowledging it as part of yourself. When you feel this higher aspect, identifying which uplifting traits/qualities you want to bring into your daily life.

If when connecting with your higher self you feel warmth and ease, how can you embody these qualities daily. How can you bring an uplifting energy to each interaction you have – at home, in public, at work.

The higher self vs ego or lower self

So there is also a lower self’ which we might call the ego. This is the finite, one-dimensional aspect of our being that can get in the way of self-actualization.

However, the language we use can be tricky. As we’ve discussed the higher self isn’t exactly ‘separate’ just like the ego; they form part of the whole.

I use the term higher self because this is a common phrase that makes explaining these concepts easier. However as we connect with our higher self and come to know our ego, it’s important to stay grounded.

To understand the importance of all aspects of our being, and to acknowledge both the ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ as they show up. Practicing acceptance towards the parts of ourselves that aren’t so constructive or ‘positive’.

We all have negative habits and inclination, a shadow side, that we might hold some resistance towards. Coming to peace with it all is a life-long process.

What is your experience connecting to the higher self?