What is the good time for spiritual practice?

First, do we need to do any spiritual practice at all? Well, it depends on what you want to do with your life. If you look at the animals, they are completely programmed. They will eat when they are hungry, sleep after sun set and procreate at specific times. They can’t alter it.

It is humans who are endowed with the power to change the course of their lives. They can, by their deeds, rise to divinity, fall to the status of a demon, or just remain human. If we intend to exude divinity, we need to start spiritual practice in our youth, or preferably earlier than that, which may be possible if you are blessed with parents who have spiritual practices.

I will start in old age

This is what I have heard many times, ‘This is the time to enjoy life. We will turn to spirituality when we turn sixty.’ Oh, really? After spending sixty years of materialistic and mundane physical life, you think you can turn to spirituality? Unfortunately, it just doesn’t happen.

What spiritual practice is good to start with?

As  human beings, we are always in search of peace and bliss. If we consider that as the center of the circle, which is our life, we can reach that center through various methods. The secret is in being at it. Persistence and perseverance are needed to reach the goal. Having said that, we have to choose a technique that can be incorporated into our lives without causing too much inconvenience to us, or the family members.

Fortunately for me, I was spiritual from the beginning and puja, praying and chanting started right from early childhood. But my spiritual practice got a boost when I learned Reiki in 1997, though I was totally unaware of the spiritual aspect of Reiki at the time of getting the training.

Reiki is a good method to start with, because it gently leads you on, bringing whatever is needed for your spiritual growth.

Does the time of practice matter?

Undoubtedly Brahma Muhurta (4 to 6 am) is the best time for spiritual practice. When majority of the people are sleeping, we can feel the silence and it takes us deep within ourselves. It helps us to transcend our physical nature and get in touch with the spiritual dimensions.

I was in the habit of getting up at 4 am from early on, but when I ask people to get up early, I ask them, ‘Can you get up at least 10 minutes before  6 am?’ so that they can have a glimpse of the Brahma Muhurta. But unfortunately, many of them can’t keep at it even. 

In the twilight zone between day and night (dawn and dusk), everything is in a state of flux. So our ability to transcend limitations is more. If you can’t meditate during the Brahma Muhurta, dawn and dusk are next options for meditation or other practice.

Reiki practice – in the morning or night?

When we do Reiki healing in the morning, it is charging us. We are filled with balanced positive energy, ready to take on the world.

Reiki healing at night, before going to sleep, does the cleansing. Whatever negative energies we have accumulated during the day, through interactions with others that lead to emotional turmoil, from reading the newspapers or watching TV, or from our overactive mind that enjoys negative thinking, Reiki removes all of that and we are assured a peaceful sleep.

So, ideally, it is better to do Reiki healing twice daily,  just before sleep and on getting up first thing in the morning. But, as I told earlier, we have to decide what will be conducive for our routine life. If one is  a home maker, going out and interacting with people to get things done and watching TV serials, self-healing in the evening/night is good.

If you are in the corporate world and has to meet so many deadlines and the office work needs a lot of mental energy, healing in the morning will charge you up to tackle the day efficiently.

Ultimately it is your choice, considering what is it that you want, and what is your life style.  

My changing routines

During the years with growing up children, it was our routine to do puja, prayers, chants and Reiki self healing at dusk time. Now that I am free to adjust my schedule, I do my meditation and Reiki practice at 3.45 am and 9 pm, apart from puja/chanting at 8.30 am and 6 pm.

Lord Krishna influencing the Havan

Since the time I got instructions from Kalima to do havan on Tuesdays and Fridays, I have been following it religiously. On February 2^nd 2018 morning, we got a beautiful gift of Radhakrishna idol. It exuded so much energy and I was so captivated by its beauty.

February 2^nd happened to be a Friday and I started doing havan in the evening as usual. As the flames started to dance, I was seeing images of Krishna, holding the flute, dancing etc., the flames were so different from usual, with distinct images appearing one after the other. I felt they needed to be photographed and got it done. There were 24 photographs.

When I went through the photos, I thought I needed to share this with like-minded individuals, they were so unique. I started making a presentation as a prelude to a video, and were putting comments on each photograph. As I started, I thought, ’There are 24 photographs, what comments am I going to put on all of them?' But it was unbelievable, the words just got streamed through me.  And here is the result. Hope you will enjoy the divine beauty of the havan flame.

Butterfly- back with another message

Today morning when we finished yoga at 6.35 am, it was still dark outside. Since it was quite cold, we had opened only a small area of the window. After closing the window we walked to the other end of the 20 feet hall to pick up the keys and my shawl before locking and getting out. Suddenly a big butterfly started flying around my husband. It kept flying for sometime and then sat on the book shelf. We were surprised to see a butterfly while it was still dark outside, and the yoga hall was on the third storey.

Many cultures associate butterflies with souls. I am well aware of the previous messages butterflies had brought into my life. Jokingly I asked my husband, “Who is trying to contact you?” During our morning tea time he told me that while doing yoga, he was thinking of a close relative who died some time back.

Later when I was having a telephone conversation with my daughter, she remarked, “I don’t know why this song is stuck in my head since I woke up today morning. Sometimes it happens that when I wake up, there will be a song playing in my mind, but they are always relevant for the day. This one doesn’t make any sense.”

Then she started singing the song, it was Adele’s ‘Hello’ song. The words went like this:

“Hello from the other side

I must've called a thousand times

To tell you I'm sorry

For everything that I've done

But when I call, you never seem to be home

Hello from the outside

At least I can say that I've tried

To tell you I'm sorry, for breaking your heart

But it don't matter

It clearly doesn't tear you apart anymore”

While she was singing the song, I told her about the butterfly’s visit in the morning. Suddenly it made sense. She went into a cold shiver. Those words were addressed to my husband. And it made absolute sense, coming from the departed soul he was thinking about while practicing yoga!

The sickness of wellness tourism

Disillusion with modern medicine has brought an increase in the awareness levels on alternative and complementary medicine. When conventional medicine fail to control symptoms and the side effects start showing up, people look for treatments that are  natural and help them feel more in control.

Yoga centres, ayurvedic spas, naturopathy/wellness centres and energy healing centres are mushrooming along the length and breadth of Asian countries. They are inspiring tourists to embark on feel good trips to engage in wellness activities. These wellness programmes are generally tailored, packaged and marketed to lure the wealthy westerners.

In 2015, India figured among the top 20 spa markets, accounting for 4,734 spas, providing employment to 55,862, earning revenue of $1.46 billion. People are travelling in huge numbers to tourist destinations seeking healthcare. Often they prefer to take wellness treatment outside their native country where the quality of healthcare is high and the cost is significantly lower. Wellness centres provide numerous options for sight-seeing, touring and exploring healthy diets.

Wholesome rejuvenation & other benefits

Rejuvenation of mind, body and soul is possible using alternative therapies. Wellness tourists may be under the guidance of skilled professionals. They can get personalized attention. They may save substantially as the cost of treatment in health tourism destination is much less than that of home country. This provides a chance to experience a new culture, and an opportunity to participate in stress release programme. They get to enjoy natural beauty and relaxation during the recovery period.

The lurking sickness

Not all centres are having the main focus on the wellness of the participants. If one is sensitive to the energy, it becomes difficult to stay in that environment even for two days. When all involved in providing service are totally money centred, it becomes very palpable and suffocating.

When one looks deeply at the attitude of the providers involved- agents in native country, co-ordinating agents, people who render the treatments, it is rare to find that all of them are genuine. All the money is taken in advance and when they find the service not up to the expectation or not in accordance with what had been promised, there is nothing that can be done.

The yoga teacher, who is guiding you, may have just got a crash course certificate and he himself has not yet experienced the benefits of yoga. There is no way that the person receiving ayurvedic massage can ascertain that the oils used for massage are genuine or the technique of massage is correct. I have come across people who didn’t have any health issues and got into problems after massage. I also happen to see a person canvassing people to join his meditation session, and his own mind’s restlessness was very evident. Under his guidance, what calmness and peace of mind one can achieve is anybody’s guess!

Finally, wellness tourism may give rise to sex tourism, which may hamper culture of the health tourism destination.

Keep expectations under check

Before embarking on a wellness tourism trip, it is important to have realistic expectations. Do your home work well and have a reality check on the background of the wellness centre and the health providers.

References:

1.       http://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/travel/030717/india-ranked-12-among-wellness-tourism-nations.html

2.       http://rdmodernresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/224.pdf

Reaching Heights, Really?

Nearly three months back my husband told me that his friend’s friend is getting daily hormone injections for his son to increase height since two years. 

It shocked me because I am very wary of using long term allopathic medicines. Though they are great for emergency situations, taking them for prolonged time will definitely damage the liver, kidney, or both, even when it is a mild drug like paracetamol.

Anything that we put into our body has to be eliminated through kidneys and liver. Before they have cleared these toxic agents, if fresh doses reach every day, a point will come when they give up.

I can’t jeopardize my son’s future

When asked why he was doing this, he answered, “My wife and son believe that his great future will be jeopardized by his height, which is only 5'6".”

They met an endocrinologist two years back and he convinced them that daily hormone injections will make him taller. Each injection costs a thousand rupees. And, did the height increase dramatically after the treatment started?

“Hmm, a little.”

When he turned 18 years of age, they asked the endocrinologist whether it can be stopped due to the belief that boys don’t grow after that age. But the doctor again convinced them to continue it for a couple of years more.

Who predetermines the height?

I had a talk with the father and I told him that Hitler and Napoleon at 5'8" at 5'6" respectively were considered short and it didn’t stop them from becoming famous in their own ways.

I asked him, “If God has given him this height for this life time, are you going to fight with God?”

I actually know better than that, but he was not in a position to understand, so I had to put God there. Having done past life therapy for so many people, it is evident to me that as a soul, we decide how we are going to look during a life time, depending on the lessons we choose to experience in that life.

It became clear to me during a PLR session of an Italian girl. As she fixed her appointment for the session, I imagined a tall, well-built girl, and was surprised to see that she was no more than 5'2", with a small frame. As we went into a past life of hers, she was describing her appearance and she remarked with distinct disgust in her voice, “Oh, such a huge body!” Then I understood why she had opted for a smaller body that she has in this life time.

Trying to put some sense

We tried to make him understand two different aspects. After the age of 18, there is very little chance of further increase in height. Once good human qualities and leadership skills are developed, he can be successful in life and he needs to concentrate on those aspects.

Secondly, he has already been taking daily injections for two years and it may be risky to continue when the health of kidney and liver are considered. But he expressed his inability to overrule the decision of his wife and son.

Devastating result

Last week we met him and he had a sad news to convey. His son’s kidneys have started to fail. Now his visits to the nephrologist have started….

And I was taken aback to know that he is not considering stopping the hormone injections for height increase!

Those venomous words!

Humans can spit venomous words that are more poisonous than what snakes spew out.

Yes, God has given us this power. We need to think about the deep injuries this inflicts on another’s heart. It not only inflicts pain at the time these words are heard, but the same amount and intensity of pain will be felt whenever those words are remembered, even decades later.

Differences between a snake bite and word bite

When a snake bites, there is only one line of action. Antidote has to be administered as soon as possible to remain alive.

When venomous words are directed at you, there can be two approaches. I am reminded of an incidence when my kids were young. One day they came and told that their friend called them monkeys and they were very sad.

I asked them, ‘Do you think you are monkeys?’

‘No.’

‘Then what is there to be sad?’ Their faces brightened up.

I had not finished yet, ‘And if you behave like monkeys, see how you can improve yourselves. So she has given you an opportunity to be a better person and be thankful. Then here also there is no need to be sad, right?’

‘Yes’, they smiled and ran off to play.

When we hear caustic words, we can let them seep into our hearts and tear our soul.

Or we can choose to ignore them and maintain our sanity and peace in the heart. It sounds difficult, but not impossible. Reiki can help us in this, which I will describe a little later.

Generating karma

When a snake bites somebody, it is their inherent nature. Usually they bite only when disturbed. It is their natural behaviour.

When a human utters caustic words, instantly karma is created, which has to be paid back, may be immediately, after a week, after a year or after a life time. When one gets affected by the words, he/she will be participating in the pay back, along with the person who has shouted. Why should one take up the shouting person’s karma like this? It is better to leave him/ her only to pay for it.

Reiki comes to help

When you are forced to listen to angry words from somebody, imagine a mirror between you and the person shouting. The mirror should be facing the abusive person. Its reflective surface then reflects the power of those words back.

Invoke Reiki and request Reiki to send white light and interpose it between the back of the mirror and you. If any words are not reflected back but scattered, they will be absorbed by the white light. Thus you are totally protected.

Compassion and love

When you are being abused, try to understand that person. If you can read aura, you will notice brownish black gooey auric threads emanating from him/her. If you can’t read aura, just look at the face carefully and you will be surprised at what you see.  

A snake spews venom because that is what it has. A person talks hurtful words because their heart is filled with negative emotions like hatred, anger, jealousy, helplessness or depression. If you retort in this situation, you are further feeding it.

What that person needs is compassion and love. But it looks humanly impossible to project love to a person who is abusing you. As you spiritually progress, this becomes achievable. Till then, you can request Reiki to flood that person with love. Requesting alone will do wonders, but if you can imagine healing light coming from above, surrounding and penetrating that person, it is better.

Don’t forget you too need that healing light of love, to come out of the draining emotions those words caused inside. So request Reiki to flood you too with the healing light, imagining the light if possible. 

For the abusive person

If you are in the habit of making acid remarks, stop for a moment and think. The snake is programmed to bite, it doesn’t have a choice. But as humans, we do have a choice. Through words and deeds, we can transcend ourselves to divinity, or we can turn into devils.

If one wants to improve, first step is to accept the fact that what is being done is wrong. Then before the conversation, invoke Reiki and request it to flood your throat chakra with blue light. Imagine this blue light expanding, and forming a blue net that spreads in front of your face.

This will help in choosing kind words and it also softens any aggressive words that you use, before it reaches the person in front. 

Let us strive to utter words that are music to the person listening.

A mysterious divine revelation

Dambulla cave temple

Dambulla cave temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla is a World Heritage Site (1991) in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.

This temple complex that dates back to the first century BCE, was one of our must visit locations in Sri Lanka. We started out early in the morning. The beautiful Royal Rock Temple complex sits about 160m above the road in the southern part of Dambulla, and the access to the temple is along the gentle slope of the Dambulla Rock, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding flat lands.

We climbed the steps taking in the fresh oxygen and reached the top. Since it was too early, we had to wait, giving us more time to absorb the rejuvenating beauty from around.

There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Gautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses. The latter include Vishnu and the Ganesha.

As we visited the caves with beautiful statues of Buddha and paid obeisance to the Hindu deities, I noticed a parijat tree in the compound with flowers strewn around the tree trunk.

 I have a special connection with the parijat flowers, so closed my eyes for a second and connected with the divine flowers.

Sita Kotuwa.

When Ravana first brought Sita to Sri Lanka, he did not take her directly to the Ashok Vatika. Their first stop was Sita Kotuwa, which is in the midst of the forest. 

Luckily our driver knew the way and took us through the downward forest trail, it took us 20 minutes to reach down.

The vibration was just amazing there. We sat down to meditate and I felt so much of peace and bliss that was left there from the presence of Sita. 

It was confusing because according to the stories that are prevalent, Ravana took Sita by force, she must have had untoward feelings and her mind couldn’t have been peaceful. But our experience was nowhere near that. Experienced many picturesque visuals there that told an entirely different story!

I asked Sita ma, if what we felt was correct, show me an indication. I looked around and saw a plant with just one bunch of Ashoka flowers in it. Yes, I got my answer, leaving no iota of doubt.

Ravana Ella Falls

Similar thing happened at the Ravana falls too. I could feel the tremendous power and stability there, which removed any feelings that Ravana was a totally evil character. Standing in front of the waterfall with closed eyes was a stabilising experience.

The Final meditation

I had the thought of a final meditation to consolidate all the spiritual experiences in Sri Lanka before we left the place. And it was so arranged that we had the opportunity for a group meditation. During this group meditation, I felt the presence of Lord hanuman, Sita ma and Ravana. Their combined energy field was all around and inside my body. I saw the parijat flowers that were strewn around the tree in the Dambulla temple being wrapped in a white cloth, then another red cloth and being placed in my pineal gland.

The pineal gland is something that is spoken of as being the intuition organ and the connection point between body and spirit. French philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650) emphasized the pineal gland in his writings, calling it the seat of the soul and “The part of the body in which the soul directly exercises its functions.” He contended that this was centre at which the soul and body interacted, and where we receive our messages from the Divine.

I could feel the intense vibration in my third eye area. I was sure something has happened from the energy field. I thanked the Universal Energy for my experience.

A continuous process

On reaching back home, I was not sure how to take my experience forward. After two days, a friend gifted us a small idol of Ganeshji. I noticed that the third eye area had a pronounced mark, which I had never seen in any similar idol before. 

I kept it in my puja room and now during my daily puja, I connect my third eye with the third eye mark on the idol and re experience the vibrations I felt in Sri Lanka. So this is my routine till I am led to the next step!

References:

http://www.peppystory.com/articles/photographs-that-prove-the-existence-of-ramayana-1278

http://energeticsinstitute.com.au/spiritual-concept-of-third-eye/