Nija Online Ashram last weekend was an inquiry – into consciousness, questioning, and the quiet mechanics of our inner world.
Why do you ask Why?
Not from curiosity alone, but from discomfort, uncertainty, habit, and the deeper need to understand our place in the world.
people-pleasing
fear of disappointing others
lack of boundaries
Consciousness is not as an abstract idea floating somewhere in the sky, it is something that surrounds us, lives within us, and is available to us always.
Many of you gave voice to experiences that often remain unspoken:
The childlike curiosity that never settled.
The need for certainty that hides beneath “why.”
The exhaustion of tending to others while abandoning the self.
The subtle resentment that arises when boundaries are missing.
The longing to be seen without performing.
The tension between comfort and truth.
These are not weaknesses.
They are invitations.
Just as the mind travels outward to find answers in other people’s homes, awareness begins when we return to our own.
Because consciousness is not something we chase.
It is something we inhabit.
Here is a gentle summary of what emerged in this space:
• Curiosity is natural. Certainty is comforting. But neither guarantees truth.
• People-pleasing is often disguised as love, but fueled by fear.
• Boundaries are not walls , they are energy management.
• Consciousness is not “above” you ,it is within and around you.
• Awareness is the first step in self-preservation. Not selfishness.
• The inner home must be tended to before attending to others.
Your practice until we meet again is simple:
Return.
Not to routines or tasks, but to yourself.
Begin observing three things with honesty:
Where do I abandon myself in order to be liked or understood?
Where do I cross my own boundaries in the name of care or contribution?
Where do I leave my own “home” to organize someone else’s?
You do not need to correct it.
You only need to notice it.
Because awareness is the beginning of evolution.
There is no force required.
No punishment.
No urgency.
Just presence.
In our next session, we will continue this exploration , gently and begin to integrate these insights into daily life without withdrawing from the world or abandoning our roles within it.
Until then, I leave you with one inquiry to carry through your days:
Where in my life am I still choosing comfort over truth?
Sit with it.
Let it unfold without pressure.
Conscious living is not about fixing who you are.
It is about remembering who you are – before conditioning, before pleasing, before fear.
With presence,
Manna.