"The Self is ever attained. There is nothing to realize. What is new cannot be eternal. Therefore, there is no moment of realization." — Ramana Maharshi

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What Is Self-Inquiry?

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Self-inquiry (Atma Vichara) is the practice of turning attention away from what you observe—thoughts, feelings, sensations, experiences—and toward the observer itself. It asks a simple, radical question: Who am I? Not who you think you are. Not the roles you play or the story you tell about yourself. What remains when all of that falls away. This isn't philosophy or psychology. It's a direct investigation into the nature of consciousness itself—the most immediate path to recognizing what you've always been.

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Sri Ramana Maharshi, the great sage of Arunachala, taught that all thoughts arise from one primal sense: the "I" thought. This is the thread running through every experience—"I see," "I think," "I feel," "I remember." Your attention constantly focuses outward on objects, never on the subject witnessing it all.

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The question "Who am I?" interrupts this pattern.

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It's not asking for an answer you can think or speak. It's an invitation to trace the "I" thought back to its source—to discover what's looking through your eyes before thought arises.

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How?

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1. Notice a thought or feeling arising
   Any thought will do: "I'm anxious," "I'm confused," "I want something."

2. Ask: Who is experiencing this?
   Not as a mental exercise, but as a genuine inquiry. Who is the "I" that's anxious or confused?

3. Follow the thread back to its source
   Where does this sense of "I" come from? Trace it inward, away from the objects of experience and toward the experiencing itself.

4. Rest in what remains
   When the mind becomes quiet enough, you'll discover something that was here all along—a presence, an awareness that doesn't come or go, that isn't created by thought.​

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This isn't something you do only in meditation. As inquiry deepens, it becomes a continuous awareness throughout your day—a constant return to the witness, the space in which all experience appears.

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The Spiritual Heart (Hridayam)

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Ramana taught that if you inquire where the "I" thought first arises in the body, you'll discover it emerges from the heart—not the physical organ or a chakra, but what he called the spiritual heart. This is the source of the mind, the place where the ego takes form. This isn't a location you find through effort. As the mind settles in inquiry, attention naturally gravitates toward this center—a tranquil space where thoughts come to an end and the sense of personal self dissolves.​ When you can rest here, inquiry becomes effortless. You're no longer searching. You're simply being what you already are.

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What Self-Inquiry Is NOT

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• Not mental questioning or mantra repetition — The question "Who am I?" isn't meant to generate thought. It's meant to silence it, focusing the entire mind at its source.

• Not analyzing the mind's contents — You're not examining thoughts or emotions. You're tracing the "I" that claims ownership of them back to what precedes thought entirely.

• Not limited to formal meditation — This inquiry continues throughout your waking hours, woven into daily life. You can practice while working, walking, speaking—any moment you remember to ask.

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The Paradox at Heart 

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You are not searching for yourself. The "I" is searching for the "I."​ Eventually, the searcher realizes it is what it's been searching for. The one who asks "Who am I?" and the answer to that question are not two different things.​This recognition doesn't require years of practice or perfect conditions. It requires a mind quiet enough to see what's already true—and the honesty to want the truth more than the story you've been telling.

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Is this for You?

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Self-inquiry is direct, but it's not easy. It requires:

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• A quiet enough mind — Not perfectly silent, but developed enough through meditation or contemplation that you can observe thoughts without being completely lost in them.

• Intellectual clarity — A basic understanding of non-dual philosophy helps you recognize what you're looking for and avoid common traps.

• Honest motivation — You have to genuinely want to know the truth of what you are, not just feel better or gain spiritual experiences.

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If you're drawn to this path but need support developing the foundation—calming the mind through meditation, understanding the framework, or navigating what arises in practice—this is work we can do together.

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Working with Self-Inquiry in Sessions

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I guide people in self-inquiry by:

 

• Building the foundation — Establishing meditation practices and somatic grounding that create the inner quiet necessary for inquiry.

• Clarifying the teaching — Helping you understand what Ramana and other sages were pointing to so you're not practicing blindly.

• Navigating obstacles — When inquiry brings up resistance, confusion, or the terror of ego dissolution, you don't have to face it alone.

• Recognizing vs. achieving — Supporting you in seeing that this isn't about becoming something new, but recognizing what's already here.

 

Schedule a Session | Learn More About My Approach

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