As I sit here thinking of you, the reader, I recognize that it has taken years of churning to reach the clarity I now share with you. As I progressed along the journey, the first hurdle was… I knew I could write, but I often questioned–what is truly worth writing about?
That hurdle dissolved as I witnessed the sheer joy in myself and others that the clarity of what I had been learning and writing about brought. I noticed that when I shared it with others who applied it and experienced it for themselves, wonders occurred!!!
The second hurdle was: who will listen from the inside? Several years later, I heard an answer…from the inside.
This is what I heard:
“Many will listen. Multitudes will hear, resonate, and find their own goodness and spiritual power through your courage and vulnerability. Souls with their own unspoken messages banging on the door of their consciousness, gasping to be heard, will listen and feel happy to hear another soul, long lost, now free.
Who else will listen? Souls immersed in their own struggles and challenges, sensing a life-giving voice that acknowledges who they are.”
As I continued to listen from the inside, I heard more:
“This is the way into your own spiritual treasure. Share the jewels of knowledge you are fortunate to receive. Churn the knowledge and directions given by the Knowledgefull One so they may feed your intellect and make it divine. Jump start others, so they too may become divine! This life is all about awareness: where awareness goes, life either thrives or withers. This path requires a non-hallucinogenic out-of-body experience. This is about surrendering normal, everyday, body consciousness to regain our elevated birthright of supersensuous consciousness, a consciousness that goes beyond what we can see, taste, feel, hear, and touch through the body! This is powerful medicine: chicken soup for the tongue-tied soul, for the growing number of insomniacs in the world, for all of us who have ever been bound by conflicting emotions, ‘shoulds and shouldn’ts’, weakening and limiting thoughts, obsessions, addictions, and/or compulsions. It is for the spiritually-hungry who need an infusion of nectar to open the doorway into the matters of their own soul in order to realize and emerge their true nature, to activate true awareness, and to forge their own destiny.”
I ardently challenged the message with:
But sometimes the right thing is to say nothing at all. You taught me – that many times- the best practice is to give others an experience that will stay with them for all time. You’ve shown me that it is only Truth that awakens the slumbering soul and that few will recognize the truth even when they are exposed to it!!!
The message continued undaunted, as only the truth can!
“Yes, but look around and see: it is time. It is now or never. Your world is awaiting the brilliance of your inner smile and the wisdom in your heart. Your part is that of the actor who knows her own truth and walks out onto the stage of life and becomes it. Share, give freely of this nectar and these jewels. Adorn others with this knowledge, as I have adorned you.”
And so humbly, I said: YES, MY BELOVED- I SHALL!!! I shall share as you have shared with me!
“I shall share as you have shared with me.”
SECTION ONE: TITILE: THE ANATOMY OF THE SOUL
SECTION ONE: QUOTE- “Imagine what it would be like to experience your “self” in its highest form…the soul in its original, pure state. It is definitely possible to create such an experience.” Rajyogini-Dadi Janki
CHAPTER 1: WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
The first and foremost jewel is to know who You are. Who are you beyond all that you and others have defined you to be? The foundation of all spiritual understanding is knowing who you truly are-beyond name, gender, relationships, and roles…however, we have been conditioned to believe that this is all there is to us. It’s really important to realize that noone is to fault for this conditioning. No one is to blame, because as humans, we have all been brought up without the basics, the essentials, of knowing ourselves as peaceful spiritual beings.
Truth reveals that you are far more than what you perceive through the senses and the physical world. Though you have attached your heart to all that you can see, hear, smell, taste and touch, there is still hope to experience and know the greater You, the Magical You, the Peaceful You, the Being of Light – the amazing Soul that You are.
As Einstein wisely noted: “The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking. ” He also said “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” My sense is that we are able to receive a power to change that was not accessible before when we marry divine imagination to true knowledge. As we are introduced to true knowledge about the self and experiment with it and practice it…long-standing beliefs and habits that held us back or “in place” begin to dissolve and make way for a true view and expression of the self. This transformation frees the soul to accumulate momentum and to race forward with enthusiasm to know the self beyond its present capacity and to actualize the Complete Self.
SELF-REFLECTION – HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF?
“And You? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?” RUMI
Rumi, the 13th Century Sufi mystic, poet, and scholar poses a question that reminds us that self-exploration is a journey; the journey of a lifetime – a vital quest for understanding and restoring our true greatness. So let’s begin with how you see yourself, right now, today. Are you walking around feeling like you’re floating on soft clouds, basking in sunlight, or do you feel like your are trudging through dense fog, often getting stuck in the mud of life, struggling to find your path?
Perhaps you find yourself somewhere in between, as you navigate the shifting landscapes of your thoughts and feelings. How would you describe your present state of mind? I invite you to pause to reflect on this before going any further. You may even wish to record it on a voice memo or write it in your journal. Date it…letting it be a snapshot of your current self-perception.
I also invite you to stay present to how the vision you have of your self transforms and even elevates as you guide yourself through the experiences and practices offered in reading this book. Take especial note of how you might shed limiting beliefs about yourself as you discover your authentic self. As you progress through the chapters, you may also wish to note : how often do I feel successful, how do I approach and resolve challenges? What points have I practiced that gave me a feeling of power? How am I nurturing and building self-respect?
What determines how accurately I see myself and how well I treat myself? I’d like to share my response to this last question. If I think well of myself, I will treat myself and others well. This points to the importance of weeding out any false beliefs or projections such as the lingering echoes of criticism or doubt- that are picked up along the way during our formative years! False belief systems can include anything that doesn’t serve me from the past, but which continues to effect me in the present. Just as a gardener must remove weeds to allow the flowers to bloom, I must clear these beliefs to nurture my true self.
When you were born, like most babies, the innocence, sweetness, and purity of you, the freshly bloomed flower shone brightly, effortlessly revealing the natural state of the soul, untainted by the world’s expectations. Each moment was an unfiltered expression of who you truly are. You responded to life without the acquired mechanisms of ego and not so positive patterns of thinking and conditioning. The world and your own karmic accounts had not yet played upon the soul’s innocence to give you a reason to develop any false or protective ways of being human.
To lose this true natural sense of self is akin to a bird forgetting how to fly-trapped in a cage of its own making. And yet, most of us don’t realize we have lost one of the most important jewels we could ever possess! Instead, once the soul merges into the background and the ego starts living as though it were you, the mind becomes dependent on the external environment for its identity and fulfillment. The less we look inside, the more we tend to look outward, projecting responsibility onto others.
A very dear soul, named Anthony Strano noted in one of his books called – The Alpha Point that:
“Every projection creates another bar on the cage. The key to opening this cage is always within reach, for it is inside. When someone acknowledges their personal potential for freedom and finds and uses the key to leave the cage, it is called enlightenment. Enlightenment is nothing more than realizing where the key is. To believe in the key and use it requires assistance.”
When we use this key, we are able to fly out of the cage and enjoy a new vision of ourselves and our lives. Our attitudes can change as well as the old, worn out lyrics that caged birds sing about “blame, complain, pain, and compare”.
Unless and until we look inward and find and use that key, the ego, like a chameleon, changes its colors based on external stimulation-people, places, possessions, position, social media, obsessions, compulsions, and addictive behaviors that allow you, the soul, to feel temporarily good about yourself and which even define your sense of who you think you are and who your think you are not. The ego’s dilemma is that it is constantly looking for stability and validation in an ever-shifting outward world.
Your vision of yourself then becomes clouded by the external, changeable, and temporary nature of the things of this world. It is like a clear sky that is obscured by passing clouds; the true essence of your being is hidden from view.
Until we recognize the difference between the true self and the false self, we remain adrift without the power of awareness to choose which identity to empower and give life to. As we awaken and understand the anatomy of the Soul- we are able to draw the power to choose which identity to nurture. Then it is possible to choose the one that reflects our light, peace, love, purity, and happiness.
Building soul-awareness brings us in touch with our intrinsic value and with the fundamental good- ness of ourselves and others. Without the knowledge and practice of soul consciousness, it is easy to feel that we are just bodies experiencing a 3D world, instead of beings of light-radiating positivity, love and a serene peace that transcends time.
CHAPTER 1: MEDITATION-
What follows is a meditative experiment that invites you to see yourself anew, being in life with the awareness of your higher self, your true self.
I am a being of peace and light, a divine soul temporarily inhabiting this body. My true home is a realm of peace and light, and my purpose is to awaken myself and others to this truth. I have come into this physical dimension to find my brothers and sisters, who are also beings of peace and light. Like me, they got lost when their wings were cut by their ego and attachments and when they became confused by thinking this physical dimension was their true Home. I realize, like me, they seem to be in a state of deep amnesia! We have forgotten our true Home of Peace and Light and our true identity as beings of peace and light. As I am awakening to my own peace, I am profoundly inspired about what awaits us all. As each day passes, I have the opportunity to awaken to my true identity as a peaceful, loving being of light.
A WAY TO CONNECT WITH YOUR INNER PEACE
CHAPTER 1: LIGHT SWITCH: OM SHANTI
In Sanskrit OM means: I AM A SOUL
SHANTI means: PEACE/PEACEFUL/QUIET
Combined they mean: I AM A PEACEFUL SOUL
This powerful thought or affirmation can be practiced anytime, anywhere. Upon waking, eating, walking, working, or before sleeping, gently redirect your thoughts to your peaceful awareness, by speaking or thinking OM SHANTI. Practice/Focus on Om Shanti for 10 to 20 seconds, as many times during the day as you wish to feel Peaceful! OM SHANTI will emerge and sustain the awareness of the vibration of peace which abides NATURALLY deep within you, the soul. Om Shanti will continually energize your peacefulness when practiced with complete attention.
Practical Tips for Practicing OM SHANTI to make OM SHANTI a regular part of your life.
Steps to bring peace and calmness to your mind and lightness to your heart:
MORNING CONNECTION:
Begin each day, as you rise, with 10 to 20 seconds of focused attention upon saying or thinking OM SHANTI. Affirm that : I am starting this day as a Peaceful Soul. Peace is my original nature. Everything goes better with Peace!
MIDDAY REMINDERS:
Use small cues–like a pause in your work or task, a sip of water, a moment before eating–to redirect your thoughts for just a few moments to OM SHANTI, OM SHANTI, OM SHANTI… As you say and/or think this with complete attention, the experience of inner peace in your mind and body and lightness in your heart is restored.
EVENING REFLECTION:
Before bed, once again, redirect your thoughts to the one thought: OM SHANTI, OM SHANTI to reconnect with your inner world of peace.
Affirm: I, the soul, let go of all tension and stress I may have experienced during this day. Now it is time to rest in divine peace. I am a Peaceful Soul. This is my True Nature. I radiate this peace to all parts of my body. OM SHANTI
As you plant the seeds of OM SHANTI day after day, observe how you are beginning to experience yourself as a peaceful being of light. You are on the journey coming home to yourself and knowing yourself as a peaceful soul, without difficulty. This awareness can be experienced on a physical level, as well, by consciously slowing down your breath and intentionally circulating the feelings of peace to every part of your body.
Peace is one of the original qualities of every soul. This is why we universally long for peace on earth. We are all beings of peace, beings of light… who have come from a dimension of peace; however this truth of our inner peace has gotten a bit lost in the shuffle. Now is the time to reignite the spirit of peace in our soul…peace is naturally ours; it is our birthright.
If at any time, you start questioning yourself or if doubts enter…am I really up for this, do I really have the time and energy needed to sustain this journey? Life is so full, I barely have enough time in the day as it is!!! Can I do this? How long does it take? If you begin to hear yourself saying things like this inside…At moments like this, before you let the responsibilities of life, your doubts, or time, stop you…Receive a BLESSING.
This blessing is for you to come back to, again and again with trust and faith.
CHAPTER 1 : BLESSING
Know that you are never alone on this journey. One step of courage toward peace and self-awareness invites a thousand fold support from the universe. Take the first step, (and the next step) and watch as your inner peace and light transform every aspect of your life. Transformation is the reward for valuing yourself! You are a Peaceful Soul!
Ultimately it is your choice. The simple, profound practices and blessings which you will find in this book are not time-consuming. They are tools to assist you, the soul, to enjoy the wonder of who you are!
WHAT YOU WILL FIND
You will be able to apply what you find in each chapter to your present life…you will find ways to smooth out the rough edges of time, to dispense with doubts, and to lighten up in general.
You will find there is a “light-switch”, a blessing, and a slogan for you in each chapter which you can use as a support to dissolve the darkness and shine light onto your own answers. You will also find methods that will save you time and meditations to open you up to the energies of inner peace and harmony. As you progress, you will find that you will receive the blessings you need, in just the right way, at just the right time!
CHAPTER 1: SLOGAN:
THE CHAPTERS AHEAD ARE OPENING UNSEEN DOORS AND GUIDING ME TOWARDS A BEAUTIFUL DESTINY.
Chapter 1: PERSONAL NOTE:
My heart-felt reason for writing, meditating, and studying about the soul stems from a personal journey of restoring this sense of Self within – a journey you are warmly invited to join! Together we can explore the methods that have been tried and tested to light the path toward collective awakening.
The next chapter (2) begins with a poetic, personal reflection written by someone very close to me, my son – Jesse. It is a piece Jesse wrote in his twenties and it reveals an intimate glimpse into the answer that is waiting inside of each one of us.
It is fondly called: Maybe the Answer is Looking for You!
Prepare to be Inspired!
ENLIGHTENED ANSWERS 