A meditation on wisdom.
This is a meditation on wisdom where,
Through different scenarios,
We repeatedly ask ourselves the question,
Who am I?
There is no need to search for an answer.
However,
This practice is simply about asking the question,
Not finding the solution.
So don't let the question confuse or unsettle you.
Instead,
Simply allow yourself the time and space to sit with the inquiry in stillness.
I invite you to find a comfortable place to sit,
Making sure your spine is straight and tall,
Your chin is gently tucked so that it is parallel to the ground.
Begin connecting to your breath,
Perhaps taking a few slow,
Deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth,
Sighing on each exhale,
Allowing your body to settle and relax.
A few conscious,
Deep breaths in,
Then gently allow your breath to settle into its own natural rhythm,
Flowing softly in and out through your nose,
Without force or control.
Bring a sense of gratitude for giving yourself this time and space,
Simply to be here.
Now notice your forehead,
Allowing the frown lines to soften,
The corners of your eyes to relax,
Your eyelids soften,
Your cheekbones and temples relax,
Jaw softens,
Lips,
Chin,
And your tongue rests gently in your mouth.
Your whole face is soft,
Relaxed,
And calm,
Keeping your attention on your breath,
Letting it be your anchor.
And if your mind begins to wander,
Simply bring your focus gently back to the breath.
See yourself sitting here,
With your body breathing naturally,
Fully present.
Now gently begin to ask yourself,
Who is breathing?
No need to answer,
Simply ask the question,
Who is breathing me?
If your mind drifts,
Gently bring it back to your breath,
Your anchor.
Who is thinking?
Whose mind is drifting?
I have a name,
But I am not only my name.
Who am I?
Breathe into this space without needing an answer.
I have a body,
But I am not my body.
I have relationships,
But I am not those relationships.
Who am I?
Staying with your breath.
Who am I?
I have memories of the past,
But I am not those memories.
I have had reactions and behaviours,
But I am not those reactions or that behaviour.
Who am I?
I have hopes and dreams for the future,
But I am not those thoughts.
Who am I?
When everything I think I am,
Falls away,
What remains?
Who am I?
Imagine now that everything you believe yourself to be,
Your labels,
Your identities,
Your stories,
Are like clouds in the sky.
They shift,
They change,
They pass by,
And behind these clouds is the vast sky itself,
Expansive,
Limitless.
This open sky is your awareness.
Beneath all those shifting clouds,
Behind all that movement,
All of the labels,
Is the still open space of your true nature,
Your unique essence.
Breathe into this vast blue sky.
Sense the freedom and the spaciousness of your mind.
Let yourself rest in that awareness.
See yourself free from the clouds,
From the attachments to labels and identities,
Flying free through the sky.
Knowing that as you move through the world,
You can release fixed ideas of who you are.
You can flow,
You can expand.
There is nothing holding you back,
Except your own thoughts and limitations.
Take your time to rest in this vast awareness,
This presence that surrounds you,
That lives within you.
Now,
Gently,
In your own time,
Begin bringing your awareness back to your breath at your heart center.
Perhaps notice the sensations on your skin,
Connecting with your body,
The feelings within your heart of being here in this present moment.
When you're ready,
Begin to deepen your breath,
Feeling your body,
Your surroundings.
In your own time,
Gently open your eyes,
Returning to your day.
And carry this question with you.
Who am I?
Let the question itself guide you.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
