Self Guided Journey : Chapter 2 — Inner Wisdom

Previously we began our consciousness journey together by exploring intent. We paused, and took stock — inquiring, compassionately: ‘How am I, right now?’ We formed an intent — a guiding star — and practiced connecting to it each morning.

How was this, for you? I would love to hear about your experiences.

Remember, the inner journey is a courageous one. Our first chapter together may have felt hard, or frustrating, or overwhelming –and that’s absolutely ok. There will be ambiguity. You will experience confusion and stuckness and irritation at times and I know with perseverance you can get to the delight and joy of practicing and presencing life through you.

Remember that here ‘I don’t know’ is an entirely acceptable answer. Here, we are not trying to solve anything. Here, we are just exploring.

Life asks us to grow. And it will bring us everything we need in order to do so. Our role is simply to notice our response to these requests. When do we wobble, resist, or judge? When do we fight, flee, or numb ourselves?

Our task is to learn to recognise — without judgement: ‘Ah ha! This is my learning edge! Right here!’ Here is life trying to grow me. How will I respond? Will I expand into, lean into it? Or contract back into old patterns?

I feel like life is continuously wanting to update old versions of myself. It is always calling me to expand to include “this too”. Some are delights to include, some at the time feel like they could annihilate. My intent and my deep vows to my own growth help me in these times. Plus the experience of knowing the annihilation doesn’t come and there is peace and expansion after the waves.

This month we are exploring our wiser self. We will learn to recognise this voice, to nourish this part of ourselves, and to use this inner wisdom as a guide. As a navigational tool.

When life offers us turbulence — requests to expand — our wiser self is where we can find guidance and perspective. It is like developing a “tracker “ of our life, a wise tracker that helps us work with the waves of growth, witnessing, watching and holding us in love. It is the whisper that we can trust. We often just need space and practice to hear it.

Inquiry — Your wiser self

This month lets dive into your wise self. In your journal, take some time to explore your inner wisdom — the part of you that just seems so connected, authentic, and trusting. Maybe you already have a name for that place. Some call it their centre, their core. Their essential self. Maybe for you it’s spirit, wairua, mauri — your heart, your higher self. Your inner mentor.

Perhaps you hear from this place often, or perhaps this line of inquiry feels really uncomfortable. Either way, that’s fine. Put aside your assumptions and judgements, and get curious. Below is a list of questions to get you underway — pick a few that fascinate you, and start journalling.

• Do you have a name for this wiser part of you?

• What is your relationship with this place inside you?

• Do you know it is there? Or do you find that hard to trust?

• When do you hear from this wise voice? When can you connect to it? What takes you away from it?

• How do you know you are connected to it? Does it have a colour? A texture? A sensation in your body?

• Have you developed practices to help you listen to it?

• What are its messages? Its desires?

• Do you trust what it tells you?

• Does it feel renewable? If so, how do you nourish it?

Action — Nourishing your wiser self

Choose a name for your wiser self. It doesn’t matter what you call this place — but naming it will help you connect with it. Pick something that resonates with you.

And then, over the month, pay attention. When do you feel connected to that deeper part of you? When do you feel that you are nourishing it? What delights this part of you?

Makes notes, and maybe take pictures.

Practice — Connecting to your wiser self

Think of a word, a symbol, a colour — something that can represent your inner wisdom. Something that immediately feels calming, spacious, and centering. Then, connect to the place in your body where you feel your wiser self lives, and place that word, symbol, or colour there.

Each day, many times a day, visualise that — pause, and connect to that place. Practice speaking from that place. Practice walking while connected to it. Practice listening to it — let it guide your daily choices. Use this visualisation to centre yourself over and over again.

Our heads and our conditioned mind patterns so often get in the way of us hearing our deeper whispers. Practice having your head and this part of you at a table and ask what each one thinks. Let’s give the mind it’s voice and then see if our deeper self has a different view. See if you see and feel beyond any “should-ing”.

And watch — is there a different quality to your voice when you are connected to your inner wisdom? Do you relate to people differently? Do people respond to you in new ways? How does remaining connected to that place inform your decision-making?

This month, practice letting your wiser self speak. Let it navigate you.

If everyone did this we would have a very different world that navigates together from this place.