Compassionate Inquiry (C.I.) is an effective tool to help one become more mindful, present, and more in touch with one’s feelings, both emotional and physical) and thus be more connected with the authentic self.

Often times as artists and creatives we can feel or become blocked.

Writer’s block is something that is often associated with fears such as fear of failure, rejection, not being good enough, not having enough time, etc. and this can manifest into resistance. The act of avoiding the feelings only serves to exasperate them and then that causes one to feel worse, and it keeps one in an inauthentic place which can limit creativity.

Many theorize that most pain and suffering comes from this disconnect from the self, and from denying, resisting and/or suppressing feelings. Allowing the feelings to be felt through the tool of .C.I. can really help them to release and feel lighter, clearing away blockages, which makes creating more possible.

In Compassionate Inquiry we allow whatever we are feeling to arise and give them time, space and acknowledgement, utilizing different tools such a breathwork. C.I honors’ all feelings as valid by being present with them and breathing into them. A feeling is valid simply because you feel it. There’s no need for logic and/or understanding and if/when judgements and criticisms arise, those can also be acknowledged as a part of a mindfulness practice of not attaching to those thoughts.

In our super busy lives we often forget to pause and to check in with where we are at. Our time and energy may be spent on day to day work demands and responsibilities but just like any practice, we need to set aside scheduled time to do self care to provide support for ourselves and to help us become more present and mindful. Getting in touch with our feelings gives us access to a vast world with which to draw our creativity and expression from. Compassionate Inquiry can become a regular self care practice and it is a great tool, that over time, you can come to use for the rest of your life.

In my Indigenous teaching of the medicine wheel there are four quadrants in life to have balance – physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Keeping balance in all four areas is really important because if one area is neglected it can be like trying to drive a car with a flat tire.

Compassionate Inquiry can help in all four quadrants:

• The emotional comes from the inner work and in feeling the feelings.
• The spiritual comes from the Indigenous ceremony we have to open and close our gatherings, and from the Indigenous teachings I share.
• The physical comes from the sense of well being that can arise from giving yourself this pause, this time, this attention and this very important self care, and also from the nature meditation that can help with relaxation.
• The mind is supported by becoming more present and mindful, and in giving thoughts more space and clarity and time for reflection.

About the Workshop:

In my work as a healer I often pray and ask to be a hollow bone for the Creator and to leave my ego outside and bring through whatever is for the highest good. I find it is not so much that I know what I am doing as much as it is that I need to get out of the way to allow what wants to be channeled and/or created to come through me – so it is more about surrendering and allowing. This same practice can be adopted in any creative endeavor. I like to take this approach to my art and find it very freeing. To do so it means becoming present and mindful and connecting with our authentic self – all things that Compassionate Inquiry can help with.

The Compassionate Inquiry approach was taught to me by world-renowned trauma and addiction expert, Dr. Gabor Maté who shares that pain is caused by a disconnection from self. He also shares that the opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, it’s connection, and calls for a compassionate approach toward addiction.

Through his approach, Compassionate Inquiry, by allowing and honouring the feelings, we become more connected to our authentic self. In giving acknowledgement to how we truly feel, we can create space for blocks to dissolve and for our creative energies to flow more freely, we can become more able to get to the root of issues bringing clarity, and we are better able to strengthen a connection to self in a process of re-member-ing who we are.

Compassionate Inquiry can help with tapping into that flow of creativity and with having a sense of well being.

If you would like more information or are interested to join the weekly gatherings led by Clear Wind Blows Over the Moon, Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. EST., visit Soul Purpose Healing.