Many times as we study the path of the witch, we may come across the phrase “going within”. So, what exactly is meant by going within? For me, this is an exercise with many different layers. I would like to take some time today to unpack these layers.
The first layer, is a simple one. I have found there to be much truth in the saying that something that bothers you in someone else, is something you dislike about yourself. The external world is a mirror of our internal world, and when we don’t want to deal with something, the world tends to put us in our face so we have no choice but to face it. However, in our world, there is a tendency to point fingers and blame. The first step of going within, for me, is examining the things that make me uncomfortable around others. If there is a person in my life that just annoys me, I will take the time to take a deep breath and begin to ask myself; “How does this person remind me of myself?”
The next question I ask myself is whether I have ever thought or acted like that person If I have, I begin to think about what outcome I was trying to get when acting that way. I also ask myself, one of my favorite questions: WHY? By recognizing the moments when I have acted in the same manner, and analyzing the reasons I felt the need to act that way, I acknowledge the commonality that myself and another may have. Recognizing yourself in another is the first step to accepting them and yourself. It is also a chance to resolve whatever issue you may have. This is a form of “going within”. It is quiet contemplation that can illuminate the reasons behind disagreements with others, furthermore, it can assist you in seeing things from their perspective, and give you a chance to understand them. At the very least it gives you time to calm down and open to listening to what another person has to say. This is the form of going with that I use the most in my life.
The second layer of “going within” is a form of meditation. I call it the “still space” meditation. Taking deep, relaxing breaths I allow my focus and attention to move into my body, starting at the top of my head I move down with each inhalation until I reach my center (for me this is just below my solar plexus, and just about at the same level as my diaphragm). I experience this as a quiet, still place. It is where I feel safe and there are no demands on me except to simply breathe and be. This is the place that I am most likely to hear my inner intuitive voice. Sitting in this awareness for five to ten minutes (to start) at a time can greatly increase your patience, as well as your capacity to be still and listen. The benefits of this can work astounding change within your life. Doing this meditation regularly can help you to learn self soothing and calming behaviors (this has helped me to keep my composure during intense arguments as well as emergency situations) It also assists with learning to actively listen to other people. Actively listening is not a skill we are truly taught. It means to listen without interrupting, or planning what your response should be. When we actively listen we take in, understand more completely, digest and then respond to what someone else is saying. Cultivating this skill can help to reduce the amount of misunderstandings we have in our daily lives, it can also make us more thoughtful in our response to others. I have found that during active listening I am more aware of the pitch, tone and timbre of the other person’s voice, which can provide added information about where that person is coming from. Beyond this performing the “still space” meditation regularly, has helped me to learn how to quiet my own mind and actually helped me to manage some of my insomnia by showing me how to calm my mind more quickly.
The last layer of “going within” is part of the creative process, again, it is about cultivating quiet and stillness. We live in a very loud world. There always seems to be some form of noise or sound bombarding us. And while some of us may have thoughts that scream themselves at us, others may struggle with thinking clearly with sound stimulus. Going within in this manner is a matter of reducing the amount of sound that you can hear. This may require the use of noise canceling headphones at times. Ultimately, when you have successfully reduced as much noise as possible, you may become highly aware of the sound of your own breath. This can be disconcerting to some when they begin, after all it is an unconscious action and a sound that we don’t normally hear. You may find yourself acutely aware of how your inhalation and exhalations sound, please don’t try to change them, simply notice them. Sitting in silence, in essence closed within your own being you can use this time to assess how you feel or simply to let yourself explore the different thoughts that come to unbidden. For me, these are where my inspiration to write comes from, I find myself wondering about a topic, which will eventually lead to research and then further contemplation and if I am lucky writing as I explore my feelings and thoughts on that subject. It is through this process that I have discovered many soul truths.
When I first began going within, I was not comfortable, in fact it made me fidgety and feel like I just wanted to escape, my mind and body screamed that I should be doing something, and at first I am willing to admit that I had to fight with myself to actually sit down and do it. ( Honestly, there are still times that I have to do this) I found that many times this was because I was afraid or uncertain of what would come up. It seemed the thing I knew the least was myself.
Our world encourages us to find everything outside our own being. We are bombarded with sound and sight and experiences. We are encouraged to “do something” and the value of stillness is down played. When in reality we can learn so much from sitting with ourselves.
The Frith Wytch 