Listed below are some simple but quite powerful ways of deepening your meditations:

• Meta-Awareness: Can you allow yourself to become aware of your awareness? In basic witnessing practice, you learn to witness your thoughts, feelings and emotions. The next step is to become aware of non-thought, the bare awareness out of which thought arises. Simply shift your awareness to become aware of the sense of presence that is aware. What is aware of being aware?
• Opening of the Heart: What inspires devotion in your heart? Is it God, Goddess, Spirit, evolution, “Big Heart”, Love, the universe? Whatever it is, you can allow it to deepen your spiritual devotion and connection to your heart simply by silently repeating, “I am open to receive,” while simultaneously imagining yourself “breathing” Spirit into your heart and your heart expanding. Rather than repeating it as a mantra, however, just repeat it as your heart leads. This engages you at an uncommonly deep level to not only evolve in consciousness, but to grow in your commitment to surrender the ego in selfless service as well. Another way to tap into the power of the heart is to allow yourself to emit deep feelings of gratitude and love for the object of your devotion.
• Self-Inquiry: Turn your attention inward and become aware of the sense of “I AM” that seems to be aware. From what or where does this sense of “I” arise? Ask yourself, “Who or what am I?” What, exactly, is this “I AM-ness”?
• End Your Meditations with a Blessing: At the end of your meditation, when you are in deep states of consciousness, it is very beneficial to offer a silent, heart-felt blessing to your loved ones, friends, teachers, world leaders, and the suffering world in general. As you do so, the deeper layers of your being are imprinted with the compassionate embrace with which you reach out to the world.