Self-inquiry as taught by Ramana Maharshi is not confined to formal meditation; it can permeate the whole field of daily life. The essential movement of the practice is always the same: turning attention away from the stream of thoughts, roles, and reactions, and directing it back to the sense of “I” that is present in every experience. When a thought or emotion arises, it can be met with the inner questioning, “To whom has this arisen?” and, upon recognizing “to me,” attention can be gently redirected toward this “me” itself, rather than toward the content of the thought. In this way, ordinary activities become occasions for returning to the source of the “I”-sense.

In practical terms, this means that while walking, speaking, working, or interacting, there can be a quiet remembrance: “I am aware of this.” Instead of being absorbed solely in objects and tasks, attention can rest, even if only briefly and intermittently, on the bare feeling of being, the simple “I am” that underlies all activity. Over time, the explicit verbal question “Who am I?” may give way to a more continuous, wordless abidance in the “I-feeling” or witness-consciousness that remains unchanged as circumstances shift. This transforms daily life into a field of ongoing inquiry, rather than a distraction from it.

At the same time, discernment is required so that the practice does not interfere with necessary attention to tasks. When engaged in activities that demand full concentration, there is no need to mechanically repeat the question; instead, there can be a gentle background sense of being the awareness in which the activity unfolds. During pauses or quieter moments, attention can again be more deliberately turned back to the source of the “I-thought.” In this manner, self-inquiry becomes a kind of inner current, repeatedly drawing attention from the changing phenomena to the unchanging subject.

As this habit of returning to the “I” deepens, there is a natural lessening of identification with the ego-mind that is usually absorbed in doing and achieving. Actions can then be allowed to proceed, while inwardly they are recognized as expressions within awareness rather than as the achievements of a separate doer. Ramana Maharshi described how, for more mature practitioners, this inward focus can remain even while fully engaged in worldly duties. The aim is a continuity of inward abidance amid outward movement, where every circumstance serves as a reminder to trace experience back to the one who experiences.