Inner Work Exercises

Hello, my name is Hellene Gronda and this is an inner work to help you connect to your own calm center and find empowering resources for hope, optimism and resilience in the face of climate change.

Many of us feel overwhelmed, scared and hopeless about the escalating signs of the climate crisis, especially in the midst of social and political tensions.  It is hard to know what to do and how to make a difference. Our ordinary mindset can leave us frozen, trapped and without access to the creativity and generosity that we need.

In this inner work you are invited to connect with a best possible version of the future to support you and call you forward. You will be guided to find bright spots and get tips to help you make a difference in your own way.

Let’s begin.

To get ready, find yourself a quiet space, with room to move and something to write notes with or draw.  You can pause the audio and get any materials you like to use now. During the exercise, feel free to pause or rewind the audio and take your time with any section. If you notice yourself feeling resistance at any time during the inner work, don’t fight it, just breathe, rest, wait and then go on.

To begin, allow yourself to relax and get comfortable.  Notice your breath as it comes in and out.  In and out. In and out. Count three breaths in your own time. 

Let your neck and shoulders be relaxed. Let your belly be soft. Follow your breath as it expands and releases your chest. In…and out.  Your breath is a connection between inside and outside.

Allow your mind and perception to become soft and expanded, cloudy and dreamy. Take as much time as you need to reach this relaxed state.

When you’re ready, you can begin Part One of this inner work – Taking Yourself to the Very Best Future You Can Imagine.

Invite yourself to imagine the very best version of the future.

Give yourself whatever time frame into the future you need to really, comfortably create this. It might be in a few decades.  It might be many hundreds of years into the future. Whenever it is, picture yourself in this very best version of the future, at the end of a life well-lived. Imagine yourself at peace, fully satisfied. Happy. Relaxed. Deeply content. Use your imagination to take you all the way into this picture. Look around and take it all in. And ask yourself – What can you see around you? What do you notice about this best possible future? Where are you?  Who are you with?  What is the atmosphere and the surrounding in your imagined future? Notice what feels most important to you.

And think back over your long and deeply satisfying life. What are you most proud of?  What gives you the most satisfaction? Feel what really matters to you. Take your time with this exploration, you may want to pause the audio and take some notes before going on to the next section.

When you’re ready, begin Part Two – Looking Back with Compassion.

From that imagined time and place, in your best possible version of the future, fully satisfied at the end of your well-lived life. From this future, look back at yourself now, in the present when the climate crisis was escalating. Look back with compassion, safe in the feeling of this best possible future. Look back with love for how hard it was to be present and stay calm.

Things were difficult, scary, escalating. Extreme weather events. Social polarizations. Back then, we were not sure if we were going to make it. People, animals, plants and places were being impacted by the tipping of the climate balance. Some of us were in despair, others in denial. It was overwhelming.

Look back secure and safe in your best possible future and give yourself a big burst of love for the struggle, the stress, the fear that you were carrying in your body. You worried sometimes, that we might not make it.

But, you did not know then what you know now. Feel again the deep calm of having made it to safety.

Breathe in and out and feel the calm of having come through that challenging time. In your best version of the future, the danger has long passed, and the future is better than anyone could have hoped for, better than anyone dreamed about. Breathe and feel and radiate the calm happiness of the future until it fills your whole body.  Take the time you need, and do not push through any resistance.  If you feel resistance, just wait and breathe and keep inviting your awareness of calm safety to pulse like your heart beat.  Allow it to radiate and grow and encompass any parts of you that might find it difficult to relax in the moment.

Breathe. In and out.

Now, from this calm center, take some time to remember that there were some bright spots even back then and find 2 or 3 people, events or moments that gave you hope and helped you go on.  Think back and find the bright spots. Perhaps it was a public figure, a leader, that inspired you.  Perhaps it was a dear friend, a personal connection, or an encounter with a stranger, or a moment in nature. Just receive whatever comes to you.

Perhaps something happened that filled you with optimism back then? You may have heard about someone’s project or action and felt inspired.  It could have been a quiet moment on your own when you saw some new growth in your garden.  Allow yourself to receive whatever comes to you.  

Who or what were the bright spots that gave you the strength to navigate those challenging times? 

You may want to pause the audio and make some notes about these uplifting people, events or experiences.  Try to crystallize what was most important. What would you want to share with a friend about those bright spots? 

When you are ready, you can begin the final part of this inner work. Relax again, close your eyes, and take some breaths. Check that your neck is relaxed and your belly is soft. 

Bring your awareness back again to the feeling of calm safety and happiness in your body, from your imagined best possible future where you are satisfied, deeply content, secure and happy. Look back at yourself now and give yourself some tips.  

What do you wish you had known, back then? Where could you put your energy to help bring about the future that is coming? Is there anything you should leave behind?  What in particular really helped you navigate the difficulty? What was the most important thing that you did or didn’t do? Is there any other advice or guidance you can give yourself?  

Finally, from the deep happiness at the end of a life well-lived, give yourself a flood of love. Allow your breath to radiate warmth and loving feeling toward yourself and the world. Appreciate yourself for doing this inner work of focus and the vulnerability of inviting hope, optimism and awareness. 

You may want to pause the audio and take some notes to capture any important information and next steps for yourself.

Allow yourself to come back into the present, becoming aware of your immediate surrounding before returning to your other activities.

Thank you for visiting DeepWell.

Hi, my name is Cindy Trawinski.

This is an inner work on connecting to mythic forces.
I tend to identify with certain aspects of myself easily and overlook or don’t even notice other parts of
myself. Often times, mythic forces can be found in the background of our dreams and everyday
struggles. I don’t usually identify with these consciously, but mythic forces can connect me to universal
qualities and personal allies — to strong background currents in my life. They may point to
unrecognized energies and abilities in and around me that can impact the way I behave or see myself
and the world. Discovering these mythic forces can revitalize me or bring important new perspectives.
For this inner work, you might want to have a something to write or draw with and paper available. Feel
free to pause the audio and get anything materials you like, now.

Ok, let’s begin.

Sit quietly now and think about your ordinary way of being. Look at yourself in your daily life. How
would you describe your ordinary way of being to someone? Take a moment and act it out to yourself a
little right now. You can try by feeling the way you tend stand or sit, talk or move, the way you laugh or
clear your throat, the way you nod your head, or brush your hair aside. Act out your ordinary way of
being and then make a note or two to describe this.

Now, remember or think of a something you have done, or you do in your life that moves you deeply,
that makes you feel well or that you are passionate about. Describe it to yourself and make a note about
that.

Now, imagine or remember that activity or experience – the one that makes you feel well or that you’re
passionate about. And feel that experience in your body. Remember what it’s like. Notice your body
when you are in that experience.

You can be still or let your body move as you remember and imagine that experience. What happens in
your body as you bring this experience to mind? Let your awareness fall into your body. What feeling
does this experience create in your body?

Ask yourself: what is it about that experience that you long for? And when you are ready, make a few
notes to describe this experience or longing to yourself.

When you are ready, if you can, stand up and re-feel that experience. Let it become bigger, or more
exaggerated — fuller in some way. Imagine this experience connects you to a mythic figure who moves
or acts that way. Who is this figure? Where is this figure? Notice what its surroundings are and what it’s
doing.

On a piece of paper, draw this mythic figure and its environment. Then, tell a short, spontaneous story
about this picture that has some meaningful end.

What is the significance of this story or the way of being implied by it? Ask yourself where in your life
could you use this? How could this way of being be helpful to you? How does it relate to or connect to
your ordinary way of being that you noted at the beginning? Are you already living it some way? If so,
how?

Take time to stay with these questions and write down your answers or a few notes about what you’ve
learned.

If you like, reflect on what you’ve learned in this inner work and any next steps you are noticing for
yourself.

Hi, my name is Niyati Evers and this is an inner work on finding meaning during COVID.

The power of living through a time like we are today, is that because we are faced with a potentially deadly disease, it brings us face to face with our mortality, something we often prefer to look away from. As much as facing our mortality can be scary, it can also bring us in touch with what is truly important and meaningful in our lives. And being connected to what gives us meaning can make all the difference as we navigate, each of us in our own way, the challenges of our times. In this inner work we will explore how to connect to a sense of meaning through the lens of what bring us joy. Let’s begin.

1. Looking back over the last months, what were some of the moments or interactions that brought you the greatest joy or fulfillment? For example, it could be when you were playing a fantasy game with your grandchild or it could be a moment of deep sharing or love or when you felt your creative juices flowing, and so forth.
2. Let yourself remember a couple of those moments and then pick one that stands out for you.
3. Once you’ve made your pick, go back to that moment and notice how you were feeling, what you were doing, what the atmosphere was like, how you were interacting with the other person and anything else that stands out for you about this memory.
4. Now, as the next step, we’re going to zoom in even more, like a camera lens that is picking up even finer details. What was the quality of connection like at that moment? How were you different? For example, were you more expressive than you tend to be, were you more open-hearted or playful or authentic?
5. And looking back, is there anything you’re holding back that you would actually like to express? If death were your guide and you imagine death whispering in your ear, saying, don’t hold back, give it your all, this is it, this is the moment – what would you say or do that you might normally hold back a bit or feel too shy to bring out? Just notice what comes up spontaneously in response to this question and take a moment to make some notes.
6. Whatever your answer was to the question above, let yourself meditate for a moment on that particular quality. How might you want that particular quality more into your life and into your engagements with other people? For example, if you noticed that you held back your appreciation, how might you want to express that more to the people around you?
7. Take a moment to imagine yourself living that quality more in your life (or with regard to your disturbance)? How would that impact your sense of meaning?

What brings us deep joy or fulfillment is always about some form connection. Connection to ourselves, to our dreams, to other people, to children or animals, to our creativity and our bodies and our sexuality, to God or spirit or nature, and so forth. And when we’re connected to what resonates for us on a deep level, it brings us alive. And that’s the key. If you want to connect to your sense of meaning, look for ways to connect more deeply to that which brings you most fully alive.

New Beginnings | November 5, 2020

Hi, welcome to Deep Well, my name is Cindy and this is an inner work designed to help you address anxious feelings you may have about starting something new. It is common to sometimes feel a bit apprehensive at the outset of something new like a new job, moving to a new home, starting a new class or program, or joining a new group of people for some other reason. Even getting your garden ready for a new year can bring excitement and also worries or an anxious feeling.

For this inner work, you may want to have a something to write or draw with and paper available. Feel free to pause the audio and get anything materials you like now.

OK, let’s begin.

1. Take a moment to settle in. Adjust your body and find a comfortable position. Close your eyes if you are comfortable doing that, and just get in touch with your breathing. Take a couple deep breaths, let your mind go foggy, and relax. 

2. Bring to mind something new that you are thinking about starting or may have already begun. If there is more than one new thing on your mind, for now, just choose one new thing to explore.

Meditate on this new beginning for moment or two. When you are ready, notice what you are anxious, afraid or worried about. It could be anything that is currently or potentially disturbing or worriesome to you…for example, meeting new people, having enough time to do everything, worries about fitting in, concerns about group activities or expectations you or others may have, etc. 

3. Make a few mental or actual notes on paper about what you are anxious about.

4. Now, put your paper aside and imagine someone or something that could be a source of guidance. It could be a book you look to, a person you use as a sounding board, it could be someone imaginary, living or dead, an inner ally, your body or something or place in nature. In your imagination who or what could be a source of guidance? Trust what comes to mind, even if it is a bit surprising, irrational or unusual.

5. Once you have a figure or something that can provide guidance, take a moment and look at that figure or ally. Notice it carefully. Hold it in your inner gaze. Give yourself a moment to study it. Notice where it is and what is around it. Is it alone or are there others? Sense and feel this figure.

6. As you become more aware of it, imagine being or becoming this source of guidance. Let your posture or facial expression shift to become it. Let yourself stand or sit as it does. Let yourself or your hands move like it does. Let yourself speak as it does or make sounds like it. Let yourself become it.

7. See through the eyes of this source of guidance. See as it sees. What is its mind set, its inner attitude towards things? How does it view the world? How does it see or hold the problems of its world? Make some notes about this.

8. From this viewpoint, give your ordinary self, the one with a bit of anxiety about starting your new endeavor, a tip or some words of wisdom.

9. When you are ready, you might want to make some notes about this message or wisdom. How can this point of view help you with your concerns about your new beginning? Make a few notes about this.

Take a few minutes now to become aware of your immediate surroundings before returning to your day. If you like, continue to reflect on what you learned in this inner work and take notes to capture anything else important or any next steps you are noticing.

Thank you for visiting Deep Well. You may return to this inner work anytime you like to address new beginnings.