Inner Self

"The greatest journey you will ever take is the one that begins within".

I think we can all agree that life is whatever we choose it to be but, too often we become attached and drawn to circumstances outside of ourselves thus leading us further and further away from what truly matters, our inner self.  I speak on behalf of what I believe to be true so if you do not feel this way, I honor and accept what you believe and I hope you all will do the same :)  After all, we are brothers and sisters of the same Universe!

Our inner self is and can be interpreted in many ways but to make it simple, it is the "self" that is metaphysical; "meta" meaning (beyond) and physical meaning what we experience with our five senses.  So together metaphysical means: beyond our physical body.  This definition is one that resonates most with my understanding of it.  Keep in mind, metaphysical is defined in other ways.

Yes, believe it or not, we have a body within our physical body.  This is also known as our spirit, soul, Buddha nature, Christ nature, inner self, true self, essential being, divine self or whatever you wish to define it as.  We define this aspect of ourselves with what fits our belief system.

So there is one question we may or may not be asking ourselves at this moment... how do we connect to our inner self?  I wish I could give you "the way" to do it but that would be irresponsible of me to do because there are countless ways to do such.  What I can do is offer you are methods that have guided me to a deeper connection to my inner self.  These specific styles may or may not work for you.  One thing to keep in mind is that the "right way" is the way in which works for you and fits your belief system.

Here are 2 methods/thoughts with explanations of how I have taken the journey within to deepen connection and understanding of my inner self.

1.  Meditation:  This can be a very complex concept for some but to put it simply, meditation is the practice of being present.  What I mean by being present, is out of the three tenses (past, present, and future) present is what is happening here and now.  As you are reading this, you are being present with this information.  Now take this feeling and experience and turn it inward.  Personally, I meditate 2x/day for 10-15 minutes in a seated position.  If you have not practiced this seated position before, maybe start by sitting in a chair with an erect spine and your hands resting on your knees facing up (receiving) or down (grounding).  In all, find the most relaxed position you can in a quite space preferably.  You could also lay down, tuck your shoulder blades underneath you and begin there with your legs extended and relaxed.  Nonetheless, start by closing your eyes and directing your focus to your breath.  Start be inhaling through your nose, feel your breath, and then exhale.  At first, just let yourself BE.  Have no specific focus or goal in mind.  Set a timer on your phone for 10 minutes or less to start.  As you allow your breath to flow in and out, keep your attention on the sensation of breath.  Your mind may be going a million miles an hour or you may be thinking about something in the past or future.  Envision your thoughts as clouds in the sky, they are there but just like clouds, the come and go, just as your thoughts do.  An important thing to remember is to not control or stop your thoughts, let them come in and out just like your inhale and exhale.  Remember, there is not "right way" to do this.  Lets start here for now and in following posts I will dig deeper into other ways to meditate.  Keep it simple and know that merely taking a seated position and breathing is enough.  With practice and time you will begin to experience a great sense of connectedness to your inner self.

2.  You are not your thoughts or emotions:  One extremely important thought for strengthening connection to our inner self is understanding what we are not.  We all create thoughts and experience emotions that shape our day to day lives.  When we have a thought about ourself, good or bad, we tend to let it gain power over us and let it dictate what we will experience throughout our day.  More so, we let our MIND or EGO solidify this thought into our being which is ridiculous when you think about it.  Our ego is the inner dialogue we hear but have you ever thought about who is the one listening to that dialogue?  The listener or observer rather, is what we can define as our inner self.  We are not our thoughts, we are the observer of those thoughts. I hope this is beginning to make sense.  When it comes to our emotions, sometimes we become so attached to them and forget that they are temporary.  A beautiful example of this is depression.  I have personally experienced depression and what I have come to realize is just that, an experience.  We are not our emotions i.e, we are not depressed; we are merely temporarily feeling this emotion.  This leads me into my finishing statement that we are the feeler of our emotions.  The feeler can be viewed the same as the observer which is part of our inner self.  Simply put, our inner self is the listener, observer, and feeler.  When we begin to understand this more, we will start to connect with our inner self and realize that our thoughts and emotions carry very little substance due to their impermanence.

I hope this entry about inner self was one that shed new light into your lives.  Whatever happens today, just remember, it is only temporary.  If you are feeling and thinking good, begin to feel and think even better.  If you aren't feeling or thinking good, take a few deep breaths, take a moment to reflect on what your grateful for, and remind yourself of your impermanent nature of thought and feeling "like clouds passing through the sky".  Smile, laugh, live in humility, be kind to yourself and others, and from one vessel of light to another, namaste.