What does Inner work mean, and what does it involve? Inner work is work that a person willingly undertakes. The person realizes that they act and behave in a reasonably unconscious way (a false self). In being unconscious, the person loses out on the most valuable part of being a human being – What it means to be genuinely HUMAN (a True Self).
The False Self
Our unconsciousness leads us to act out in ways that lead to pain, struggle, and misunderstanding. Unconsciousness essentially means living through a false self, a self that is unaware of its role and purpose for being alive. Most people are familiar with this type of self. Most people believe that that is the only self there is. However, this is far from the truth.
The True Self
Each of us has a True Self, a self that knows its inherent Divine nature and can tap into that Divinity at will. The True Self embraces conscious living over unconscious habitual existence.
By embracing Inner Work, a person intentionally and with full conscious effort undertakes the often an arduous task. The task of shifting out of the false self to embrace more and more of the True Self.
The Hero’s Journey
This journey is referred to as the Hero’s Journey. It is a personal journey that a person undertakes within the inner recesses of their being. The goal is to build higher and stronger internal resources to manage the challenges of letting go of the false self.
Most people do not want to take on this task because they do not see the benefits. It is neither glamorous not worldly rewarding. It is grounding and draws in inner peace. These seem rather irrelevant and seem like unassuming qualities that seem worthless in the face of worldly success and fame.
The Hero’s Journey
This journey is referred to as the Hero’s Journey. It is a personal journey that a person undertakes within the inner recesses of their being. The goal is to build higher and stronger internal resources to manage the challenges of letting go of the false self.
Most people do not want to take on this task because they do not see the benefits. It is neither glamorous not worldly rewarding. It is grounding and draws in inner peace. These seem rather irrelevant and seem like unassuming qualities that seem worthless in the face of worldly success and fame.
However, this is again far from the truth. If one begins to realize that the experience of their life is purely dependent on the quality of their lives (their thinking, their behaving, their actions), then the results that they get will be vastly different when they operate from the false self and when they operate from their True Self.
One must live it to experience its benefits as it is personalized and experiential.
The reality is that what we experience as pain and struggle is really the result of ignorance, fear, a lack of understanding and a lack of wisdom.
These aspects are all part of the false self. The false self seeks to look good, feel good and act “good”. But, internally all this behavior stems from and is grounded in insecurity and weakness. The person living here will choose to play the blame-game, never taking any responsibility for their actions or the quality of their lives. This leads to poor relationships at all levels – inner and outer.
If on the other hand, a person makes a conscious choice to stop playing this ego-based game and work on themselves to bring on a soul-based experience to their life the quality of life will begin to reflect their choice.
They will fundamentally shift the way they think, behave, operate and view the world. They will see the benefits of the work for themselves.
Inner Work Principles and Guidelines
Inner work is built on many ideas that must be consciously embraced and practiced. The false self is strong, resistant, and fragile. The task of moving out of the false to the True Self is not something that one can read about or understand by merely thinking positive thoughts or imagining beings of light (as Carl Jung put it).
Inner Bonding
An important point to note about Inner Work is that it is deep work. And this means that you will have to become comfortable seeing and acknowledging aspects of your personality that you have earlier chosen to hide or disown.
I don’t believe it is possible to effectively undertake this task without first enlisting a spiritual guide. I recommend bonding with the spiritual guide that is an aspect of you. Yes, you can seek help from external sources, but as you go along the process of inner work you might have to deal with your parts that you might feel uncomfortable sharing with another person.
Every one of us knows that we have stuff that we might not feel free to share with another openly unless there is a great deal of trust. It’s not easy to find a person who can hold that space for us. That is why I recommend you learn to get in touch with your Higher Self, who is your Inner Guide or your Inner Teacher.
The practice of Inner Bonding as I see it is the process by which a person becomes comfortable engaging with their Higher Self without resistance. That is, the false self surrenders to the guidance of the Higher Self. It establishes a living bond within – between his/her Higher Self and Ego.
This is critically important to doing any work that involves one’s psyche. The psyche can be a dark place, and if you stay with inner work long enough and stay true to the process, you are likely to realize the truth of this soon. It is easy to get lost in one’s illusions and false reality. Without a spiritual guide, you can remain stuck, run around in circles, and even lose one’s internal correct bearing in the process.
If you have faith in a God Figure, you can start right there as I did. I was born and raised Christian, so I did not understand what the Higher Self or Inner Guide meant as used in spiritual circles. However, I had a strong faith and trust relationship with the third person in the Trinity, referred to the Holy Spirit. I would start all inner work invoking the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. This seemed to work for me because I soon realized that the Holy Spirit was guiding me as a Spiritual Guide.
Through Inner Bonding, you begin to trust that there is a Higher Power or Force or Self that is guiding you through the process. Intuitive guidance will start to flow and will become accessible. The inner intuitive guiding voice will become more and more evident as you repeatedly seek guidance and act on the guidance provided.
The inner bonding process shifts control from the egoic center that is the source of our egocentricity to a True Center that goes beyond our egoic state and allows us access and guidance from a Higher and more loving and wise power.
The process of Inner Bonding can be enabled through continued dialoguing with one’s Higher Self concerning a specific problem or situation at play. Allowing a conversation to unfold can help you tap into the intuitive voice. This, of course, requires practice and must be practiced regularly for the bond to grow, deepen, and strengthen.
Shadow Work
It also involves doing shadow work. Here the person would need to look at their shadow self, which they might be completely cut off from. This aspect of the person is one that grows over a lifetime by ignoring, divorcing, and consciously denying parts of themselves.
For a moment, imagine what it would be like to look at what you have willfully chosen to put away. And the reason is you don’t want to have anything to do with it.
Sounds awful right…well it might be if you don’t take the necessary steps and precautions.
With the right mindset, the help of your Inner Teacher and Guide, this is not too bad. Yes, there is much work to be done, but the rewards are inner stability and a growing sense of inner harmony.
Integrating one’s shadow is a hugely rewarding experience if undertaken with the right attitude and required dedication.
They need to become mindful of their thoughts, actions, and observant of their thinking and feeling.
They must be willing to let go of what does not serve their highest good, which, through conscious mindful and contemplative practice, might be revealed to them.
Each person living on the planet has a unique experience of life, and their inner work will be unique as they are. The principles, however, are common to all.
In this section of the website, I will share with you the principles of Inner Work and what can help you break free from the False self to live in greater integrity and union with the True Self.
Please don’t take this task lightly or become frightened. It is our duty as human beings to become responsible and mature HUMAN BEINGS that take charge of our life experience and do what is necessary to live from the center of our True Self.
Make a Commitment
My invitation to you is to commit yourself. The commitment to let go of the false self and seek the True Self.
I hope the resources and tools I provide here will assist you in your journey. A journey that will break you free from an unawakened frantic false self to a meaningful awakened being resting in the True Self.