At the beginning of the Curiosity Nondual Path, let’s first discern curiosity from Curiosity. Can you sense the curiosity of parts, the lowercase c, that comes and goes and is conditional upon circumstances? In contrast, can you find the Curiosity of Self, the uppercase C, that is effortlessly always here and unconditional to circumstances?

Pause here and feel into this distinction between c and C, allowing it to clarify itself inside.

From here, Curiosity naturally carries us through the three views of Effortless IFS (EIFS). These include Self-abidance, unburdening and healing, and touching into all as Self or unity.

EIFS 1st View: Riding the Bike of Being (Self-Abidance)

• What is your experience when effortless Curiosity is here?
• What is your relationship to what is arising inside you?
• What is your relationship with your parts?
• From Curiosity, do you notice a gradual decrease or even an absence of blending?

We call this first view Riding the Bike of Being because, with Curiosity and the space that opens between Self and parts, the system can naturally refind balance as Self. No longer grabbed, blended, or pulled by parts, a sense of balance and abiding as Self is rediscovered. In this view, Self is the entirety of our interest, with a loving indifference toward our parts. For many spiritual paths, this is the stopping point, but not for IFS.

EIFS 2nd View: The Infinite Hot Tub or Rumi’s Guest House

Through Curiosity and the space that opens from it, and now at least somewhat balanced on the bike, the interest gently returns to the parts. Abiding as Self, or as Loch Kelly describes it as at least 51 percent Self and 49 percent parts, we effortlessly welcome everything that arises. All parts are welcomed by the metaphorical Infinite Hot Tub or Rumi’s Guest House. Curiosity welcomes it all.

This view is where much of the healing occurs. In Effortless IFS, healing, or what in Classic IFS is often a more structured process, happens here through spontaneous unburdening. You are the Infinite Hot Tub or Rumi’s Guest House, or whatever metaphor best lands for you, meeting the parts from Self. In this exploration, the Self quality we are emphasizing is Curiosity.

Parts soak in your Curiosity. Through presence, care, and intimacy, spontaneous unburdening naturally occurs. At times, the longing of parts evokes from you even deeper meeting and intimacy from Curiosity until satisfaction and unburdening simply happen.

EIFS 3rd View: All Is Self or Rumi’s Field

Here, Effortless Curiosity blossoms. As awareness shifts into this third view, you turn entirely toward the parts. Self has become sufficiently established that there is no longer a need to focus on being or maintaining.

• As your full attention rests with the parts, what happens in or as Curiosity?
• How intimate can Curiosity be with your parts?
• Can you sense Curiosity blossoming or morphing?
• What unfolds?

What often seems to happen in this third view is a blossoming or morphing of Self qualities, in this case Curiosity. In intimacy, Curiosity may blossom into Fascination. Can you taste effortless Fascination, or notice what flavor blossoms for you? Fascination may then blossom into Love or another flavor. Ultimately, this may open into Self itself, tasting what is often called All Is Self. In spiritual language, this is sometimes referred to as the Dance of Leela, the Joy of Life, or Rumi’s Field. While this All Is Self may sound esoteric, we have all touched it through ordinary moments of awe, beauty, and love. There is nothing esoteric here.

How was this journey for you, exploring healing, Self-abidance, and realization through the Effortless IFS views experienced through Curiosity? Curiosity can be replaced with any Self quality and explored through these same EIFS views, often referred to as the Three-Step. I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

To experience fully facilitated journeys through the three EIFS views, join our free communal weekly Zooms at EffortlessIFS.com.