The world moves at breakneck speed, and it’s too easy to get swept up in the daily churn. A screen in your hand, a to-do list in your head, and the constant pull of family, friends, and everything in between.
No wonder you have this looming sense that you’re always behind.
But what if the stillness you secretly crave wasn’t something you had to chase amidst the craziness? What if it was already there, waiting for you to tune in?
Ascension meditation shows you how to do it. It shifts your perspective from scattered to steady, from overthinking to knowing. You stop searching for peace and start living it.
Because the truth is, the peace you’ve been looking for has always been there within you. All along, underneath all that fog.
What is ascension meditation?
Simply put, ascension meditation techniques help you get out of your own head so you minimize overthinking and amplify your inner knowing. Or, in short, less noise, more clarity.
No sitting still, trying to force your thoughts into submission.
When you master this practice, you rise above them, effortlessly. Instead of fighting your thoughts or shutting them out, you learn to let them be and observe them without attachment.
After all, it’s not about ignoring those mental chatters, says Vishen, the founder and CEO of Mindvalley and trainer of The 6 Phase Meditation program. “We bring them into our being and transform them,” he describes the life-changing practice. “It’s how problems turn into projects.”
People confuse meditation with having to clear the mind. But what you want is to align yourself with the most beautiful emotional states.
— Vishen, founder and CEO of Mindvalley, and trainer of The 6 Phase Meditation program
And that’s where the shift happens. You step into a state of expansion, where your intuition speaks louder than words. And in its wake, everything just clicks.
The history and origins of ascension meditation
The roots of this practice trace back to Vedanta and Ishaya ascension meditation, two wisdom traditions that believe enlightenment is something you uncover, not chase.
The Ishayas, a sect of monks believed to have originated in the Himalayas around 2,000 years ago, developed a series of phrases designed to rewire awareness.
The thing is, these aren’t your typical affirmations. They are activation triggers that tune your mind into higher states of being through praise, gratitude, love, and compassion.
For centuries, these techniques were kept secret and passed down only through direct teachings. But today, they’re accessible to anyone ready to rise above mental noise and experience clarity in a natural, not forced, way.
How is it different than other meditation styles?
There’s no effort in ascension meditation—just a shift. Unlike other meditation techniques that focus on breath control or mindfulness, this practice works with your mind’s natural tendencies to help you experience expansion effortlessly.
Here’s a look at how meditation, ascension style, compares to other approaches:
| Meditation style | Core focus | Main technique(s) |
| Ascension meditation | Expansion of consciousness beyond thought | 1. Observe thoughts without attachment or judgment 2. Repeat specific ascension meditation phrases rooted in praise, gratitude, love, and compassion |
| Mindfulness meditation | Present-moment awareness | 1. Observe thoughts without attachment 2. Focus on breath or bodily sensations to stay present |
| Transcendental meditation | Deep relaxation and stress relief | 1. Silently repeat mantras throughout the meditation session 2. Allow thoughts to flow without resistance |
| Vipassana meditation | Spiritual insights and self-awareness | 1. Focused attention on breath and bodily sensations 2. Observe impermanence and detachment from thoughts and emotions |
| Kriya yoga meditation | Energy control and spiritual awakening | 1. Practice controlled breathing techniques (pranayama) 2. Master internal energy movement and visualization |
| Zen meditation (Zazen) | Non-attachment and mental clarity | 1. Observe thoughts without attachment or judgment 2. Sit in stillness with eyes partially closed |
| Loving-kindness meditation (Metta) | Cultivation of compassion and positive emotions | 1. Repeat phrases of goodwill and compassion 2. Send love and kindness to oneself and others |
| Yoga nidra | Deep relaxation and subconscious healing | 1. Guided meditation that transitions the brain into theta waves territory (the state between awakeness and sleep) 2. Full-body awareness and conscious breath control |
| Chakra meditation | Visualization and goal manifestation | 1. Follow audio guides or instructions from teachers in meditation classes 2. Use mental imagery to create desired emotional or psychological states |
| Mantra meditation | Mental focus and transcendence | 1. Repeat a word, phrase, or sound (like “Om”) to anchor attention and induce a meditative state 2. Minimize mental chatter and deepen concentration |
| Healing meditation | Energy alignment and emotional release | 1. Uses visualization, breathwork, or sound frequencies to promote emotional and physical healing 2. Focus on channeling energy into specific areas of the body or mind for restoration and balance |
Most meditation techniques ask you to focus, quiet the mind, or follow the breath. Nothing wrong with that. But ascension meditation works differently.
Instead of trying to control your thoughts, it lets your mind do what it does best: expand.
Benefits of practicing ascension meditation
Most meditation practices help you chill out, and that’s great. But ascension meditation does more than that. It rewires how you experience life, beyond your day-to-day identity and roles.
In Vishen’s words, “What you’re going to learn is a form of transcendent practice that allows you to go into your mind and optimize the very act of being human.”
And when you commit to this act of spiritual transcendence, you’ll start seeing, thinking, and moving differently in the world. In real life, here’s what these changes can look like.
1. Mental clarity is now on autopilot
Telling yourself to “stop overthinking” never works. The mind doesn’t like being controlled, but it does respond to expansion. And through ascension meditation, you begin to access that process naturally—the minute you stop condemning your thoughts when they come.
“People confuse meditation with having to clear the mind,” Vishen explains. “But what you want is to align yourself with the most beautiful emotional states.”
And that shift has real benefits. A study by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai shows that meditation strengthens brain regions tied to emotional balance and memory. This explains why it leaves you feeling clear-headed and steady.
What’s more, it’s shown to manage attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, by boosting your brain’s executive function while reducing inattention spells.
Translation? More focus, less stress.
2. Your intuition is sharper than a lie detector
Gut feelings aren’t random—they’re signals. But when your mind is crippled by stress and second-guessing, it’s easy to miss them.
But ascension meditation flips the whole script by strengthening your ability to hear those signals loud and clear through increased cognitive control, emotional regulation, and empathy.
And when those beacon calls are strong? You get to make decisions with more confidence in make-or-break situations, whether it’s contemplating a career move or knowing when to walk away after spotting red flags in a relationship.
“When you practice this, you begin to access a level of intelligence beyond logic,” Vishen says. “You stop searching for answers outside yourself and start trusting what’s already there.”
3. You know who you are
Strip away all the daily distractions with deep meditation in monk mode, and something powerful happens: you see what truly matters to you, plain as day. And you’ll begin aligning with it.
As Jeffrey Allen, a world-known energy healer, explains in his Mindvalley program, Unlocking Transcendence, “Your purpose isn’t something you need to go out and find—it’s already inside you, waiting to be uncovered.”
The proof is in the pudding. Entrepreneurs who practiced mindfulness-based meditation were found to experience greater resilience, creativity, and adaptability. These are critical traits that help them make bold decisions that pay off while navigating uncertainties on their path.
But here’s the kicker: you don’t have to be building the next best Fortune 500 company to need that kind of clarity in life. You can harness it anytime you’re called to act in line with your higher purpose, like starting a small side hustle or moving to a new city to start anew.
4. Life’s plot twists no longer rattle you emotionally
“We are not our thoughts, but we do get to choose how we engage with them,” Vishen explains. “And when you master that, life stops feeling like a constant reaction.”
In short, you can’t control life, but you can control how you respond to it.
Where does ascension meditation come in? Well, it helps you regulate your emotional baseline so stress, setbacks, and negativity don’t throw you off course.
How? By altering the amygdala—the part of the brain that processes fear and stress—so you stay “zen” even when things don’t go as planned.
That’s right: less emotional whiplash. More steady, grounded energy. And a mind that bounces back from upheavals faster than before.
The principles of ascension meditation
Remember the motto with this practice: no force, no struggle. And to tap into its full potential, every session comes down to two key elements: the right phrase and the right technique.
Here’s how to master them:
Ascension meditation phrases
Instead of just mindlessly repeating affirmations, you get to use phrases to activate higher states of awareness. In more ways than one, the ascension meditation mantras help you learn how to reprogram your subconscious mind and experience a paradigm shift.
So, lo and behold, some go-to phrases that kickstart the process:
- “I am peace.” This phrase grounds you, helping you tap into the peace that’s always within you. No searching. Just being.
- “I am light.” This one pulls you into the vibration of higher consciousness, bringing clarity and balance to your energy.
- “I am love.” An activation phrase that connects you to the universal force of love, expanding your emotional frequency.
- “So hum.” Sanskrit for “I am that,” this phrase aligns you with the universe, reminding you that everything is connected and you’re a part of it.
Each one gears you into deeper, more expansive states of being already inside you.
There’s no need to force anything. Every time you practice this meditation, repeat the phrases, look out for any physical, mental, and emotional sensations, and let the shift happen naturally from there.
Nothing else is needed—just you, in the now.
Ascension meditation techniques
There’s a reason ascension meditation hits differently compared to other styles. It has less to do with sitting in silence, willing your brain to behave, and more to do with noticing the shift you experience as you detachingly observe your thoughts.
To cultivate this winning detachment, follow the three expert-backed steps below:
- Imagine your thoughts as an object. By tagging them to a symbol—clouds, passing cars, ripples on water—you train yourself to observe them without thinking they’re you. “We are not our thoughts, but we do get to choose how we engage with them,” explains Vishen, emphasizing that the language of the subconscious mind is imagery.
- Let the stillness come on its own. The goal isn’t to force it. Your silent awareness should emerge naturally. Whenever you find your hands balled into a fist as you control your breath, let go. Ease the tensions in your body and allow clarity to come without trying to make it happen.
- Keep gratitude front and center. “Take note of the miracles in everything,” says Jeffrey. “The moment you shift into appreciation, your entire energy changes.”
By taking these steps, you naturally elevate your state of consciousness.
How to do ascension meditation
Here’s how to create the right setting for this powerful practice:
- Lock in your intention. Why do you want to meditate? And why in this style?
- Breath consciously. Begin with deep, slow breaths. Focus on the rhythm of your inhales and exhales. This grounds you in the present moment. You can go with any mindful breathing technique that suits you.
- Picture yourself in a calm, clear space. Then, conjure an imagined bubble of light floating above your thoughts. This helps clear mental clutter and makes space for clarity.
- Repeat your phrase of choice as you continue to breathe and visualize consciously to ground yourself mentally. Let them ease you into deeper awareness.
- See those unexpected thoughts come in. Watch them pass by without getting caught up in themThis is the hard part that gets easier with time. Let them float away.
By practicing these techniques, the clarity and peace you deserve will naturally set in.
Find your spiritual superpower
The clarity. The deep sense of trust in yourself. The effortless way of moving through life, knowing you’re exactly where you need to be. What if that became your default state?
That’s the end goal of ascension meditation: to help you remember your true potential.
With The 6 Phase Meditation program, you get to experience that shift in a way that fits your life. It is, as Vishen calls it, “essentially meditation for the modern Western world, meditation for super performers.”
When you sign up for the free session, you’ll get a firsthand glimpse of what this method can unlock:
- A new level of emotional resilience so life’s challenges don’t throw you off course.
- Crystal-clear focus and intention so you can create more opportunities and react less to challenges.
- A stronger connection to yourself and others. Let those relationships deepen and flow naturally.
- Inner peace, no matter the external noise so that stress loses its grip on you.
And guess what? It has helped thousands of people rediscover themselves.
Medina Mathew, a digital marketing leader at CASIO, says The 6 Phase Meditation helps bring her vision and goals to life. “You are not just floating happily throughout the day,” she says on the effect of following Vishen’s guidance. “You start to feel your purpose, your true value, you discover hidden compassion and love for others.”
That part of you that’s always known the way forward? It’s time to wake it up—just like Medina did when she chose to bet on herself.
Welcome in.
