The Invitation
The invitation is to go in and see where that takes you, with no expectations, no fixed destination, no goal to reach for. To really be with yourself. To walk with yourself. To be present, come what may. As Rumi said, to ‘work in the invisible world at least as hard as you do in the visible’.
Why is it that we do this ‘inner work’? Why is it that we are drawn to travelling within? I think the mystery and the not knowing are part of it, the drive to learn more about ourselves and why we are here – and also knowing deep down that it is significant.
It’s like when you sense an energy without being able to see it. The energy of the Spring after a long Winter. The collective energy of a nation gripped by fear. The energy of a special place that is dear to you. How you sense the energy of truth when it lands in your body.
Perhaps we are drawn to this work when our inner fire needs attention; or we realise that we’ve been playing a role since childhood that we took on to fit in or because it was given to us, and now we wish to reconnect with who we are beneath all the layers and conditioning – to align who we are on the outside with who we are on the inside. That however vulnerable we may feel, it is time to be fully seen.
We may be ready to heal old hurts and let go of what no longer serves us so that we can lay down heavy baggage and walk on with a lighter step. But also we know that the inner work will not shy away when we are devastated and will be there for the dark nights of the soul.
We may wish to uncover our gifts, that we have kept hidden so long that we now need the help of a treasure map of inner work to find them again along with the courage to offer them to the world.
We may wish to travel into realms beyond our physical or mental space – through our breath, through sound, through movement, stillness and silence, plant medicine and our dreams.
And all the time, the inner work may reconnect us with the land that holds us, grounds us and is our home – and what an incredible home.
What is the inner work for you right now?