Meditation On Being Your Authentic Self

Being your authentic self is about embracing who you truly are, without feeling the need to conform to others’ expectations.
Being your authentic self is a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, where you align your actions and your thoughts and your feelings with your TRUE values and beliefs. Join me for this meditation based on a recent live session. Music by Chris Collins. #78

Transcript

Welcome,

And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.

Today I want to talk about being your authentic self,

And this meditation is based on a live session that I did recently.

Being your authentic self is about embracing who you truly are without feeling the need to conform to the expectations of others.

I said if I was here sitting in the lotus position with my hands expressing the chin mudra wearing a shirt with the OM symbol on it,

I would not be being my authentic self.

That's not me,

That's some marketing guy's idea of me looking meditative.

Being your authentic self is a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.

It's where you align your actions and your thoughts and your feelings with your true values and beliefs.

And to do that,

You have to try to understand what your strengths and weaknesses are.

You have to look for what you're really passionate about.

You have to look at the things you fear,

And this helps you to make choices that are true to yourself.

When you can be open and honest about your feelings and your experiences,

Even if it means showing imperfections,

It can foster deeper connections with others.

In this age of social media,

It's harder to be your authentic self.

And that's because it's considered uncool to show your imperfections,

Because everyone else is putting their best stuff forward.

It's all about likes and hearts and smiley faces.

And sadly,

It's often about portraying something that you really aren't.

Now,

I'm going to take a break here for a minute to let you think and breathe,

And then I'll be back.

I've said before in these sessions that I can only be what I am.

I can only be myself.

I may be a crazy old man,

And I happen to have been meditating for a long,

Long time.

But I can't make myself do things that aren't authentic.

I can't sit here in a pose that's not comfortable,

With my hands making an ancient gesture.

I can't wear a shirt with the Aum symbol on it,

Just like I can't gaze at the sky like I'm getting power from the sun.

I just can't.

To me,

That's all marketing.

Sitting on a beach,

Or with mountains behind you,

Or during sunset,

Or sitting in the jungle.

I get entertainment every day from looking at the images here on Insight Timer.

Because to me,

So much of the photography is just hokey.

It's marketing,

And I can't do it.

What you see is what you get,

And I am at peace with myself.

One of my grandchildren takes a picture of me sitting in a chair,

And that's what you get.

And I really think that all of you can feel it,

And it's authentic.

To be authentic,

You have to act in ways that reflect your true self,

Regardless of the situation or the company you're in.

And that builds trust and integrity.

Embracing your authentic self can lead to greater fulfillment and happiness.

It allows you to live a life that feels true and meaningful to you,

And that's what's important.

I'm going to take another break here for about a minute,

So you can breathe and think,

And then I'll be back.

So here,

I'm going to enumerate a few things that can help you to be authentic.

Self-awareness,

Understanding your thoughts and feelings and your motivations.

Self-acceptance,

Embracing your strengths and your weaknesses and without shame or judgment.

Honesty,

Being truthful with yourself and others.

Courage,

Having the courage to be vulnerable and express your true self.

Integrity,

Living in accordance with your values and beliefs.

Living authentically can lead to greater happiness and fulfillment.

And when you're authentic,

You attract genuine connections,

And you'll have reduced stress and anxiety.

Authenticity encourages personal growth and development.

Spend some time reflecting on your values and beliefs and desires.

Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings and without judgment.

Identify and challenge negative beliefs about yourself,

And find healthy ways to express your thoughts and feelings.

Just remember,

Becoming more authentic is a journey,

Not a destination.

And it takes time and effort,

But the rewards are well worth it.

So close your eyes now,

And let's get in touch with our breath.

As always,

It doesn't matter if you're sitting,

Standing,

Lying down,

Or sitting in your most comfortable recliner.

The only thing that matters when you're meditating is that you're comfortable and alert.

We're just breathing,

Breathing in,

Breathing out.

One breath at a time.

We're going to breathe a little differently for a few minutes.

What we're going to do is we're going to inhale through our nose for a count of four,

Then hold your breath for four counts,

And then exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six.

And this helps trigger your nervous system.

So I'll count,

And you can breathe.

So if you're ready,

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale through your mouth,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale through your mouth,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

And now just breathe normally and don't force anything.

And as you just breathe normally,

Scan our body and relax even further.

Relax your face,

Unfurl your brow and unclench your jaw.

Relax your neck and your shoulders,

Common places of tension in today's world.

Relax your arms and your hands and let go of any tension in your chest and belly.

And feel yourself getting heavier with each breath.

Relax your legs and your feet.

And as you begin to relax,

Let's focus even more on our breath.

Our breath is like a river as it flows in and flows out.

Just inhale gently and gently exhale and notice your breath as it flows in.

Notice where you feel it in your body.

A cool sensation as it comes in through your nose.

Or the movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows in and flows out.

It's all the while we're just breathing,

Just breathing.

Breathing in and breathing out one breath at a time.

Now if you feel agreeable,

I'd like you to repeat these affirmations either to yourself or out loud.

I am enough.

I am enough.

I honor my true self.

I honor my true self.

I embrace authenticity.

Authenticity.

I embrace authenticity.

And now feel the truth of these statements resonate within you.

Now as you continue to breathe,

Imagine a warm golden glowing light at the center of your chest right where your heart is.

And with each breath,

Visualize this light expanding,

Expanding and filling your entire body.

And feel it radiating love and acceptance and authenticity.

Now ask yourself,

What does authenticity mean to me?

And just allow any thoughts or feelings to arise without judgment.

Now as we come to a close,

Open your eyes and come back into the room.

Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive.

How good it is to be in this moment.

How good it is to be your authentic self.

I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.

And I'm so honored that you've invested some of your time to be in this moment with me.

It always helps when you can be authentic and be exactly who you are.

Till next time.

Reviews

This was so inspiring and freeing. I am learning to be my authentic self & not feel like I have to please others & it feels good. Thank you.

Thank you, Michael, for your wisdom and inspiration. Your authenticity shines through 🥰 A great mentor you are! So encouraging & affirming 🙏 Love this talk ♥ (also, very much appreciate the meditative pauses 🙏)