Brief notes from the live session:

We are already the unconditional peace, love and ease we are searching for. It’s only ever our inner disturbances and confusion, that block us from the direct knowing of this. And so we turn outwards, searching for it, out there, in conditional objects, situations and people. Through Inquiry + Alchemy we can start to remind our inner energies of what they truly are, so that we can all come home to happy, peaceful, aligned Being.

• What we truly are is ever whole, peaceful, resting, untouched by any wounding, trauma, event and does not need any healing.

• What comes up to us for healing is any unresolved, contracted, confused energies, beliefs, conditioning and physical, emotional, mental pain etc. This may sound like seperate things but they all get entwined and feed into each other/ are parts of each other.

• Every living being wants to be seen, heard, respected, loved, including us. When we receive these things, naturally we relax open, and are more conducive to healing and flow.

• Inquiry is a mind opener and therefore another way to let our silent, still Being come into contact with the energy/situation that we are wanting to liberate.

• Inquiry is looking at something in our DIRECT EXPERIENCE. Not referring to thought, memory, labels (even those of anger, fear etc). Direct experiencing, sensing, feeling of something outside of conceptual thought.

• The oftentimes silent, background Q in inquiry is always “What is this?” Beyond thought, conceptual knowing, memory, labels, what I’ve been taught, what is this really? It’s essence, it’s reality, it’s form, it’s fabric?

• The part of the mind which causes us trouble, is vastly intelligent but like a computer, it isn’t heart-wise. It’s street-smart but not wise. It runs on outdated protective ideas and programming. With the practice of Inquiry + Alchemy, we are simply updating our software, returning to the factory settings (natural Beingness).

• Chronic issues can often arise when our programming doesn’t allow our natural way Being to govern our life and actions. We are animals and so this prison-like way of living produces a lot of frustration, anger, pain, grief etc which then all gets stuck in the body. After years, we can’t remember and so don’t realise what made us this way. We’re not even conscious of these supressed energies ruling the roost, causing mayhem. Examples of this can be high conditioned fear around what others may think; not being thought of as good, honest, caring, open… all the ways in which we deny our needs, wants, boundaries and natural alignment for wanting to appear good and normal, clever, sensible, sane.

• When we fall into these criterias of societal or familial ‘normalness’, we are then safe, we belong, we are part of the tribe. None of this is personal to you. This has been a long-time, deeply inscribed part in our protection programming, as at one time we would literally perish in harsh environments, if we did not have community. As well as practical needs, community also fulfills our emotional needs for love, acceptance, empathy, presence etc. With these practices however, we are learning to give this to ourselves first, so that when met and healed, our needs can be naturally met on the outside too, effortlessly. So that we don’t need to hunt it down forever in very conditional places, other humans, situations and objects. Having to curb our natural ways of Being in order to get it. We are then transitioning from manipulation, acting, role-playing, fear-based egoic reaction… to real, effortless, natural, authentic living.

• So we’re feeling into the reality of now… What’s moving in me? Is it peaceful or stressed? How is my nervous system, my heart-beat? Is there fear? If I remove the label fear, sadness, anger… what is it then? Am I enjoying it? Why am I not enjoying it? What is it really? What’s wrong with this moment, what’s resisting this moment?

• Tell it the truth… wow, you’re really painful, really exhausting, uncomfortable etc. The truth really does set us free. Be honest. Speak on it’s behal f too. What does it need, want, feel? Another word for Inquiry, and meditation in general, is LISTENING, DEEP DEEP LISTENING.

• Pamela Wilson, a beautiful non-dual teacher of mine, on and off for over a decade, gave me this inquiry of simply asking: What are you really, do you want to stretch out and uncontain yourself, root down into strength, courage, compassion? The ‘what are you’, is a powerful mind-opener and dissolver, just that Q alone is very potent and as I mentioned at the start of these notes, is at the heart of all Inquiry practices. But then she added this bit to ask it to uncontain itself, very respectfully, as is her way (taught to her by her teacher Papaji or Sri H.W.L Poonja, also the teacher of Gangaji and Mooji and many other contemporary teachers for those who know them… She says “Papaji said to go inside and treat all with great respect and gratitude” -I’m paraphrasing here!-… So beautiful and simple! And very like our Rumi poems… the Truth is the Truth, whispering itself through many forms). And then, like in all energy practices, we know that we also need to stabilize or root the energy and so there is this added gentle asking to root and stabilize in these qualities of our True Nature.

• So we’re getting a feeling sense of how our mind and emotions move.. a real feeling sense, beyond our thinking mind. What do I want/need? How does that feel to want and need it? What am I not getting? How does it feel not to get it? What is lack really, vicerally? What are you fearing you might lose/might not get?

• If in a mind struggle, drop it all or PAN OUT and come back to the felt sensations of now. This might be the resistance or struggle itself. Or it might be something deeper, more real… explore… you cannot get this wrong!

• There is this infiintely intelligent healing process happening. It is miraculous and totally unfathomable to our thinking mind. All we need to do is drop into/feel what is here now outside of mind. No need to analyse, figure out. Drop it all :)

• We will keep getting caught in mind… that’s okay!

• Repeat a belief over and over and see how it feels in your body to say it. Beliefs are just energy and can be dissolved too. How does it feel? Peace or stress? What emotions? Contracted or painful? Examine it beyond all labels…Offer it to the stillness.

• Meeting our stories: During meditation, just as soon as you notice, label it story or incessant mind storm and come back to your practice, as soon as you’re able. Noticing sensations, breath, stillness etc. When you’re not sitting, or before/after, writing it all out can help at times too. Write out 3 pages totally uncensored or use BK’s JYN sheet to A) energetically purge and B) to see some of those background beliefs hijacking your peace.

• Our painful inner states are here to set us free! They point the way in and through to freedom! Be respectful and curious always :)