Educating The Ego For Inner Freedom – Intensive 1 : Recognising The Ego - by Stephanie Aurand

COURSE

Educating The Ego For Inner Freedom – Intensive 1 : Recognising The Ego

With Stephanie Aurand

This course is the first of five intensives in the Educating the Ego for Inner Freedom series. It builds upon the Foundation Course and is designed for sincere seekers who are ready to deepen their enquiry into the nature of the ego and the Higher Self. Many traditions speak of transcending or annihilating the ego. Here, we take a different approach. Rather than treating the ego as an enemy, this course shows how the ego can be guided and educated – shifting from confusion and control into alignment with the truth of who you are. Through four sessions of teachings, guided meditations and reflective practices, you will learn to recognise the ego’s two primary movements: identity and reaction. You will discover how the ego constructs false stories of self, how it reacts when these are threatened and how to redirect it toward its rightful place – as a tool in your service, not the master of your life. Rooted in non-duality and the recognition of Oneness, this course offers signposts rather than dogma. You will not be asked to believe blindly but to explore directly through your own experience. With patience, compassion and presence, you will begin to rest more deeply in the Higher Self – the timeless Awareness that illumines every moment. This journey is not about becoming something new, but remembering what you have always been. By the end of this course, you will be able to: • Recognise how the ego constructs identity through labels, roles and stories. • Understand the reactive aspect of the ego and how it seeks to defend its false sense of self. • Practice simple techniques to pause, observe and return to the Higher Self amidst daily challenges. • Learn to educate and integrate the ego rather than resist or annihilate it. • Experience guided meditations that soften identification with the body–mind and strengthen awareness of Presence. • Begin to cultivate compassion toward yourself and others by recognising the shared struggles of the ego. • Rest more deeply in the peace and stillness of the Higher Self – your true nature. It is strongly recommended that you complete the Foundation Course: Educating the Ego for Inner Freedom before beginning this intensive. The Foundation Course provides essential context and practices that will allow you to engage with this deeper exploration more fully. Copyright © 2025 S Aurand. All Rights Reserved.


Meet your Teacher

Stephanie has been a teacher on Insight Timer since 2020 and, like many, her spiritual journey didn’t begin in a state of perfect peace. Instead, it emerged from the raw and real depths of personal struggle. In early 2018, she found herself at what felt like rock bottom, painfully entangled in the grip of addiction and the lasting pain of various abuses. Life felt unmanageable. She felt fractured, heavy and more than anything – disconnected. Disconnected from joy, from purpose, from others and perhaps, most heartbreakingly, from her own True Self. Yet, as with many of our greatest turning points, that time of crisis became a sacred threshold. The darkness, instead of being an end, was actually an invitation to go deeper. It was an invitation to move beyond the surface of life, beyond temporary highs and lows and into something far more stable and eternal. Through honest inner work, consistent daily meditation and a deep willingness to keep going– even when she didn’t feel ready or worthy – life began to subtly shift. Glimmers of light, moments of clarity and a quiet sense of peace began to emerge from the darkness. By late 2018, she began guiding meditations – not because she had it all figured out but because something deep inside knew the immense value of walking this path together. Since then, she's continued to grow, stumble, reflect, and rise, recognising the spiritual path is not about reaching perfection but about returning – again and again – to the deeper truth of Awareness within. Stephanie is a qualified Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist and a certified Meditation Practitioner.

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4 Days

42 students

5.0 stars

14 min / day

Connection

English


Lesson 1

What Is Self-Realisation & Do We Really Want It?

This opening session invites you to explore the true meaning of Self-realisation beyond spiritual ideals or mystical experiences. Together, we uncover the seven stages of awakening - from ignorance and identification with the ego, to the quiet recognition of the Higher Self as our unchanging essence. Through gentle guidance, reflection and meditation, you’ll begin to see that Self-realisation is not about becoming something new but about remembering what you have always been: whole, free and complete in the stillness of pure Awareness.

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Lesson 2

The Ego Is Not Your Enemy

In this session, we explore the misunderstood nature of the ego - not as an adversary to be defeated but as a part of ourselves that can be educated and guided into harmony with the Higher Self. You’ll discover how the ego’s protective patterns arise from fear and identification with the body-mind, and how awareness transforms these reactions into wisdom. Through guidance, visualisation and practical exercises, we learn to let the Higher Self take the lead, allowing the ego to relax into its rightful role as a supportive companion on the path to inner freedom.

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Lesson 3

The Ego As Identity – Seeing Beyond The Story of “I”

This session invites you to look deeply at the identity the ego creates — the personal story of “I” that defines how we see ourselves and the world. Through gentle enquiry and guided awareness, we uncover how this sense of self is built from memory, belief, and conditioning, and how easily we mistake it for who we truly are. By learning to observe the story without becoming lost in it, we begin to recognise the silent Presence that exists before all identity — the Higher Self — where lasting peace and freedom naturally reside.

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Lesson 4

The Ego As Reaction – From Defensiveness to Freedom

This final session explores how the ego expresses itself through reactivity - the instinct to defend, justify, or control whenever it feels threatened. Together, we’ll examine the roots of defensiveness and how it obscures our natural peace. Through gentle self-observation and rehearsal, we learn to pause before reacting, allowing space for conscious response rather than unconscious habit. As reactivity softens, we begin to experience a deeper freedom in the quiet strength and clarity of the Higher Self, freeing us from the need to defend, compare or blame.

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5.0 (3)

Recent Reviews

Megan

November 25, 2025

Loved this. The lessons resonate and seem simple when listening and learning, but once out in every day life, it’s challenging - I guess that’s why they call it a practice. Thank you, Stephanie! 🙏🏻Looking forward to the next intensive course.

Karey

November 24, 2025

Stephanie’s gentle steady voice guided me along the path of caring for my ego and beginning the process of educating the ego. Thank you. I am looking for the next course now. 😊💖

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