grace
A Christian Mystic’s Guide To Dealing With Pain
Our search for the meaning of pain, hardship, and suffering is a profound and enduring human endeavor.
Throughout history, our spiritual beliefs and religious teachings have helped us understand and find meaning in life’s challenges and painful experiences.
These interpretations provide comfort, guidance, and a sense of peace in the face of adversity as we learn that suffering has a purpose or can lead to spiritual growth, enlightenment, or a deeper connection with the divine.
Our spiritual quest to better understand pain is driven by a deep desire to make sense of life’s challenges and to discover how these difficult experiences fit into the larger tapestry of our existence.
Religions and spiritual wisdom traditions around the world offer different perspectives on pain and suffering, each with its own explanation for why these experiences occur and how they should be approached or understood.
These diverse perspectives all share certain common threads: that the origins of pain and suffering lie in the concept of duality; that there is meaning to be found in suffering; and that through faith, reflection, and spiritual practice we can transcend the pain caused by duality and connect with something greater than ourselves.
Find Your Rainbow In Troubled Times
There are days when it seems like the storm winds and rain in your life will never stop. Those days when your mind is filled with shadows and your heart is heavy. When a grief or a broken heart seems like a never-ending wound.
But trust me. One day soon you will walk out into the sunshine and see another beautiful rainbow! You will look at the colors of a perfect rainbow after a destructive storm of heavy rains and gasping winds, and you will know that all is well.
The storm may sometimes seem never-ending, but we always find a rainbow of promise on the other side. Then you will see the majesty of the spectrum of colors and the great arc that delights the sky. And if you follow that wondrous curve carefully, you may even find the pot of gold at its end!
In that perfect moment, you will forget the sadness and despair you felt before. The heaviness in your heart will be gone and you will be reminded that nothing is lost forever. The rainbows of life will always bring new moments, a new day, a new beginning. This is Spirit’s promise to us.
Since the dawn of time, rainbows have captured the imagination and beliefs of people in different cultures as a divine symbol of hope, healing, protection and rebirth.
Reclaim Your Personal Power With ‘Sat Nam’
As a Kundalini Yoga teacher, I had the unique privilege of studying with Yogi Bhajan, the yoga master who introduced Kundalini Yoga to the Western world. Before he passed away in 2004, Yogi Bhajan gave me my spiritual name, Satya Kaur, which essentially means “princess” or “lioness” who embodies or strives to live by the principle of truth. It symbolizes a spiritual identity or path that focuses on integrity, authenticity, and the pursuit of spiritual truth.
Our soul identity is the key to our life journey and spiritual growth. For this reason, at the end of each Kundalini Yoga class, the teacher says “Sat Nam” to the students. The class then repeats these words back to the teacher. Because of the name Yogi Bhajan gave me, this mantra will always have a special place in my heart.
The phrase is a Gurmukhi term that translates to “Truth is my name” or “True identity.” It is used as a yoga mantra to center the mind, connect with one’s true self, and remind us of our true essence and reality beyond the physical and mental constructs of the external world.
Saying “Sat Nam” to others is similar to the greeting “Namaste,” which means “The divine in me bows to the divine in you,” or “The spirit in me salutes the spirit in you.” For me, sacred affirmations like “Sat Nam” and “Namaste” have even more power and meaning now in the dawning Age of Aquarius.
Transform Your Life With Sustainable Resolutions
Every new year, I hear my clients complain about what they hope to change about themselves, what they want to change about themselves, or what they should be changing about themselves.
I then ask them why they are not claiming their power to change right now?
You do not have to wait until the New Year or some other major life event to make a change in your life. Once you’ve decided on a new path or course of action, the key is to stick with it for the long haul, taking small steps every day.
The Japanese call this kaizen, a philosophical concept that emphasizes continuous improvement, often in small increments. The idea is that by making consistent progress, even if it is just a little bit each day, you can eventually achieve significant results.
Sustainability should be the ultimate goal of whatever you decide to change in your life. While New Year’s resolutions are all noble and lofty, you have to acknowledge the inherent resistances and blockages you carry within and agree to be patient with yourself in order to ultimately get there.
I’m still working on some New Year’s resolutions I made in 2016. Do I look back in horror and say, “Why is it taking so long?” or “I really should be doing better!” Sometimes, yes! Do I use that as an excuse to backslide, fall off the wagon, or throw in the towel? Not at all, mostly because I’ve come to realize that if I hadn’t decided years ago to make those resolutions to make powerful changes in my life, I’d still be where I was, or worse. I’d be living a life of regret, not progress.
Get Ready For A New Year Of Boundless Joy!
As we stand on the precipice of a new year of endless possibilities and limitless potential, I invite you to join me on a journey of self-actualization, spiritual enlightenment, and unwavering hope and optimism in 2024.
This year, let us embrace the transformative power of positive thinking, the resilience of the human spirit, and the boundless divine wisdom that lies within each of us. Let us throw off the shackles of self-doubt and negativity and embrace the extraordinary potential that lies within our souls.
Most importantly, let us strive this year to stay in our joy as much and as often as possible. For true joy and inner peace come into our hearts only when we invite them into our consciousness. Happiness does not just come, we must choose to seek it.
As we embark on a new year full of promise, let us also remember that we are part of a network of interconnected beings, each with a unique purpose and a vital role to play in the grand tapestry of life. Let us foster compassion, empathy and understanding and create a world where love and kindness prevail. Let us be kind, compassionate and generous, spreading love and light wherever we go.
The Empowering Flame Of Archangel Uriel
If you are feeling overwhelmed, depleted, extremely worried, lost and lonely, or in need of a major divine intervention, or a powerful spiritual boost, then calling on Archangel Uriel for support and guidance may be a wise choice.
Archangel Uriel symbolizes the omnipotent power of God, the giver of life. The name Uriel means ‘the fire of God.’ His role is to awaken higher consciousness in all people.
Uriel is held as the patron of wisdom and protector of teachers, ministers, and philosophers. With the fire of his flame, Saint Uriel spreads truth and wisdom throughout the world. This angel is the defender of the sense of the spirit, and guardian of the straight and clear path to achieving the glory of God.
Uriel is credited with the mighty force and spirit of life. The representation of him with a flame of fire symbolizes his duty: to ignite the conscience of men through the fire of truth.
He is known as the angel of those who seek truth and knowledge. Those who come seeking the help of this archangel often need guidance and wisdom to make the right choice in their lives.
Each archangel represents a direction: Raphael for the East, Gabriel for the West, Michael for the South, and Uriel for the North. This can be helpful when we meditate on a particular archangel.
True Spirituality Is About Everyday Existence
It is often assumed that to lead a truly spiritually aware life we must increasingly distance ourselves from the material world and be more fully immersed in the spiritual world. We must reduce our involvement with all things physical, and instead focus exclusively on the non-physical or metaphysical.
This is, however, not what being truly ‘spiritual’ is about. True spirituality is in fact quite the opposite. It is about living this physical life to the fullest. It is about being present in every moment and living with joy, appreciation, and gratitude.
Spiritual living is about honoring and expressing the love, grace and compassion of God, Source, Spirit, the Divine in our everyday existence. It is about relishing in the divine beauty and abundance of creation, and embracing the unconditional love and light of divinity in our lives every day.
As spiritual beings in physical form we do need material things in order survive in this physical reality, and ensure a more fluid, comfortable existence. And while we are busy focusing our time and energy on acquiring those material things that we need, it does not mean we are no longer being spiritual, or not being ‘spiritual enough.’
For instance, most of us need to work to earn a living, to put food on the table and a roof over our head. Going to work every day and being of service is just as much a spiritual act as spending time in transcendental meditation, for example, or participating in a prayer circle.