Welcome to your daily meditation.
Today we'll be focusing on the concept of self-inquiry.
This is the ability to reflect and gain awareness of oneself.
Often when we think about ourselves,
There are identities that we connect with.
Being a parent,
Perhaps being a child,
Doing a particular job or profession.
In this particular practice we move away from that and go beyond to try to get a sense of our true nature.
We'll do this through the practice of using a question that's repeated in the practice.
The question to ask yourself is who am I?
Now in this practice I want to discourage as much as possible that you try not to answer the question but just explore it and be.
So let's get comfortable shall we?
Sitting up tall,
Spine is lengthening as if the crown of your head is being pulled by a thread.
And if your knees are high off the ground maybe you want to slide some cushions or a rolled up blanket to support you so you can stay here in comfort.
Or perhaps you want to lay down.
That's a wonderful option too.
Just try not to fall asleep knowing that if you do you can come back to the start of the recording.
Option to close the eyes or keep them open with a gentle soft gaze and then taking a deep breath in through the nose.
Exhale through the mouth just letting go your day.
Let's do that again two more times.
Inhale,
Exhale.
One more time breath in,
Exhale through the mouth letting go.
And continuing the flow of breath watching it enter and exit.
The question for today's practice is who am I?
Three simple words but a particular focus on the eye.
Repeat this question throughout your practice particularly as your mind may shift and drift.
As mentioned please don't answer this question intellectually.
Don't try to rationalize just experience.
Be curious.
Who am I?
Creating an openness to this question to just navigate and explore.
This question may invoke some mysterious perspectives.
Just perhaps instead of following a particular story,
Observe what's going on.
Sensations,
Just watching the thoughts or emotions that may arise in wonderment.
Aha.
Continuing with your breathing in and continuing to breathe out.
You may notice some tension in the body and if you are just try to ease into your practice.
Ease into the body.
Let's try that with the next few exhales.
Deep breath in,
Letting go on the exhale.
It's really easy to want to attach ourselves to a particular label or identity or even the duties,
Responsibilities that follow.
The expectations.
Try not to follow that path and if anything,
The sincerity,
Ask yourself the question,
Who am I?
Passing no judgment and surrendering into what may be coming up.
Setting no expectation of yourself.
Stay with your breath.
Who am I?
If you find yourself trying to answer the question yet again,
You can say to that thought,
Not right now.
Not this nor that.
The practice of neti neti.
Not this nor that.
Who am I?
It's not about a particular end goal.
It really is about the journey here,
Being here.
I welcome you to stay here for as long as you need to today and when you feel the urge to move and get on with the rest of your doing,
Your day,
Take three more conscious breaths in and conscious breaths out.
When you're ready to start moving,
Bring yourself back into your body.
Maybe feeling your fingertips touch one another.
Maybe feeling the weight of your body touching the ground,
Connecting with the ground.
This is a beautiful practice to return to at any point to learn about your true essence without judgment,
With wonderment,
With awareness.
Wishing you a beautiful day or evening.
Peace.
