(705) 443-9786 karenssoapbox@gmail.com

I hope your meditation is coming along well and that you are finding time to sit for 5- 20 minutes a day. If you are new to this series here is the link to the first post.

Many of you may be asking what in the world am I doing this for, why should I be meditating? If you are asking that question you probably haven’t been doing the practice because within the practice you begin to know your inner workings much better than if you had never stopped to examine your own being. Not to mention the health benefits that you are providing you body mind and soul.

Some of you may want a measured answered to the question is it really helping?

Only you can answer that question for yourself.

  • Are you calmer on a daily basis?
  • Are you able to focus on a task more easily?
  • Are you less quick to react to stressful situations?

It is hard sometimes to make these things tangible, but they are really important aspects of our lives. I understand the frustration of not knowing if the whole thing is working. Sometimes turning to an Inquiry Mediation helps.

What is a Self Inquiry Meditation?

Before you actually start your practice, whatever your practice looks like; mindful, mantra moving, ask yourself a question, something you feel you need more help with than what your surface mind can tell you. It can be anything from what colour is best for my master bedroom to I don’t feel close to my spouse, what is my next step?

When I first started Self Inquiry Meditation, I would sit for the whole time focusing on the question, I wanted the answer by the end of that 20 minutes.  I thought if I focused really hard on the question the answer would come, that I could somehow make the answer come in the time I wanted.  Well, unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes it does. Sometimes you will come out of your 20-minute meditation knowing exactly what you need to do, other times you need to let go and trust that the answer will be revealed to you in time.

After you ask the question, you let the question go. You don’t continue to ask it, it is not to be your new mantra. Ask your higher self lovingly the question that you want to be answered and then leave the question and go into your meditation. Make sure to end your meditation in gratitude and thankfulness to your higher self.

Just remember, you are asking a question because you want an answer, the best answer for you may not be the one that you expected, and you might not like it very much. This is the biggest caveat to self-exploration and meditation in particular, we need to let go of the expectation of what we thought the answer should be. Instead be open to signs, clues and answers to what is coming your way easily and effortlessly instead of trying to adapt the answer to somehow fit the square peg in the round hole.

Inquiry meditation is especially helpful for those who often seek advice from others for every decision that they make. I know of people who wouldn’t sneeze unless a psychic, therapist, minister told them it was okay to do so…alright so a bit of an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.

I, myself used to be a bit of a physic junkie, in my twenties. I used to go to spiritual fairs looking for my answers and my directions from some kind of great guru or someone I thought who might “see” something in me or about me that I was missing. Sometimes they were helpful, but many times, they told me things I already knew. Then in my late 20’s I started meditating on a regular basis and I began to realize that all the answers I ever need are inside of me, I just need to take the time to inquire, trust and listen.

Do I still go to physics …..sure do. But I look at it differently now, I believe that we are all placed on each other’s journey to help us all reach our fullest and highest potential as human beings. Whether that is through friendship, relationship, teacher, mentor or even a physic is irrelevant, people are in our lives to give us exactly what we need.

What I been gifted with now, in my late 40’s is a complete trust that this wild, wonderful universe will provide me with the experiences for me to become the best me I can be.

Let me know how you are doing.

In love, light and laughter

Karen