Who Am I? Discover Your Authentic Self

Explore the profound question "Who am I?" beyond story, pain, and conditioning. This deep self-inquiry meditation guides you to recognize your true essence and live more authentically.
Through gentle questioning and somatic awareness, discover the unchanging consciousness that observes all experiences but remains untouched by them.

Transcript

So welcome everyone and thank you for joining me.

So we'll explore today,

We'll make an inquiry and we'll ask Who am I?

Now,

Not who you think you should be not who others expect you to be but who am I right now in this moment when I strip away everything that is in me.

Now we often define ourselves by our stories what happened to us in the past what we have overcome,

What we have achieved what we have lost we identify with our victories achievements and also our pain and our struggles but what if all of these things were just experiences you've had and not who you truly are.

So let's practice today meeting ourselves without our story trying to see what remains when I'm not trying to be anyone at all.

Now I am not losing my past or dismissing my experiences but I'm discovering the unchanging essence that may have been present through all my stories all my pain all my joy the you that existed before you learned to define yourself and the you that will also remain when all the stories fade.

Now before we begin find a comfortable position sitting up,

Lying down and now when you're ready very gently just close your eyes and start by taking a few breaths also feel the weight of your body being supported right now in this moment you don't have to be anyone other than exactly who you are.

Now just take a moment to notice what's present in you in your awareness right now perhaps thoughts just letting them be emotions sensations in your body letting all of them be sounds around you letting them be too and now just notice everything witness everything without trying to change anything now this awareness this noticing is who I'm choosing to be right now now this is you probably closer to seeing who you really are than anything else that you might think about yourself now in this state of witnessing and allowing where I'm just aware of my thoughts of the sensations of my body of any sounds let's let's begin by gently exploring the stories you tell about yourself now they are not bad or wrong simply what I've accumulated throughout my life now just bring to mind how you typically introduce yourself to others now maybe you say I am someone who or I am the kind of person who and just notice what comes for you after these words how do I define,

Introduce present myself to the world I am someone who I am the kind of person who and see what shows up for you what comes to mind when I talk about myself my personality my ego my identity what is it that comes up my stories my past who I think I am now just for this meditation just for the next few minutes imagine setting down that introduction you don't need to carry it right now let's take a moment to think about the stories of our past the story of your past the events that have shaped you the challenges that you've overcome and the successes that you've achieved now see this story like a book that you've been carrying imagine the events that have shaped me the challenges that I've overcome the successes that I've achieved and now see this story my story as a book that I've been carrying and I'm now going to feel the weight of this book in my body and just notice how much energy it takes to carry your story with you wherever you go now just for now let's gently put this book to the side besides you your story isn't disappearing it's just resting while you explore and you can pick it up later if you choose to and as you do that notice what it feels like to not be defined by your past right now who are you when you're not here who are not the sum of your experiences now feel into this space of not knowing now there's something refreshing,

Peaceful about not having to be the person your story says you are now many of us have become so identified with our pain and our painful experiences that we wonder who we'd be without it while honoring all the pain all the painful experiences let's explore this now gently slowly now think about a pain that you carry perhaps an emotional wound a loss a drama a pattern of suffering that feels like it's become part of your identity just notice how this pain has shaped you and how you see yourself maybe you think I am someone who struggles with or I am damaged by or I survived and whatever experience,

Thought,

Memory is coming up for you that's exactly what you need to see today now imagine this pain like a heavy coat that you've been wearing for so long that you even forgot now that you've put it on feel the weight of this in your body and very gently imagine beginning to unbutton this coat now you're not throwing it away or pretending it never mattered you're simply taking it off for a moment to remember what you feel like underneath as you remove this coat of pain notice what remains who are you?

And you're not defined by what hurt you feel into this part of you that existed before your pain arrived feel into this part of you that observes the pain but is not consumed by it now this isn't about spiritual bypassing or pretending that pain doesn't matter it's just about remembering pain is something that you experience not something that you are who are you in this space between your pain and your story about your pain and now we come to the heart of our exploration today just ask yourself this question and listen with your whole being who am I?

Who am I?

Who am I?

Not who you think you are not who you've been told you are not who you think you should be who am I?

And when the mind offers an answer I am this,

I am that and gently notice that these are still stories who is the one aware of these thoughts?

Who is that?

Who am I?

Ask again,

Who am I?

Just notice just notice that there is something that remains constant through all your changing thoughts emotions and experiences something that was present when you were a child and is still present now something that's aware of sadness and happiness but isn't limited by either this awareness this presence the sense of I am exists before you add any descriptions just rest in this for now who am I without my labels?

Without my roles?

And without my identity?

Now let's drop deeper together into this question feel into the space of your heart the energetic center of your being in this space who are you?

Maybe you sense love peace stillness openness or joy maybe you don't sense anything specific just the quality of being home feel into your belly now your center of power and instinct in this space who are you?

Maybe you sense strength groundedness knowing life force maybe a wild authenticity that existed before you learned to be polite or appropriate now feel into the space around your body your energetic field feel into the space around your body your energetic field in this space who are you?

Maybe you sense connection oneness love that extends beyond yourself maybe a vast spaciousness that includes everything now feel all of these spaces this is at once heart belly and energy field and this is closer to who you are than any story that you could tell throughout your entire life there has been something present that has never changed not your mind not your body not your thoughts not your emotions but there has been a constant witness a steady awareness that has observed all the changes without itself changing the witness was present when you were happy when you were sad during your successes your failures your pain and your healing feel into this unchanging awareness and this is perhaps the closest you can get that you can come to answering who am I?

I am the consciousness that is aware of all experiences but is not limited by any of them now as we prepare to close consider how you might remember this deeper sense of yourself throughout the day maybe it's through asking the question who am I?

Whenever you feel caught in the stress or the story maybe it's through taking moments to drop into your heart and remember the awareness that's always present maybe it's through noticing when you're trying to be someone and gently relaxing back into simply being now this authentic self isn't something you need to create it's something you can remember just a presence to embody now that we have had a glimpse of who I can be without my stories my pain,

My past my future,

My identity I will now return to the world as myself with this expanded awareness place both your hands on your heart and feel the aliveness that's always been there you are not your pain you are not your story you are not your achievements you are not your failures you are the awareness in which all of these experiences arise and pass away you are the love that remains when everything else falls away take a moment now to thank yourself for having the courage to make this inquiry and when you're ready gently open your eyes and return to the world as who you truly are now the question this inquiry is not meant to be answered once and forgotten it's a living inquiry that can guide you back to your true essence the more you stay with this you don't need to reject your human experience to know your true nature as long as you remember all of these things are happening within the vast spaciousness of who I really am and also when you stop trying to be someone and simply allow yourself to be you unconsciously give other people permission to do the same so thank you for joining me and taking the time for this journey inwards and until next time Namaste