Using REIKI as Energy Medicine to Regain VITALITY

By Neeti Paul Sethi

Vitality is a word used for energy. We all wish to have more vitality as we spend our lives running around, without pausing to take a moment to breathe or revitalize. We try everything from dieting, exercising, meditation, and drinking lots of coffee and energy drinks to get our energy level up to face each day. But we continue to overlook the key source of vitality – energy medicine.

What Causes Energy Depletion?

First, we need to look within to understand why our energy is being drained. This requires a bit of self-reflection. Most often we already know what is draining our energy or we suspect specific people or incidents at work or in our relationship that may be causing the drain. Yet we are not able to remedy the situation by just cutting them out of our life or disconnect mentally.

We end up suffering from mental health issues as a result of depleted life force energy. De-stressing can help improve our mental health to some extent, but we also need to find a way to re-energize. When one of our methods to destress and increase our energy proves successful, we can explore the concept of reenergizing further to restore our depleted life force. 

It’s time to take a look at how energy medicine or reiki can help restore vital life force energy. 

REIKI is not Magic. It’s science.

Have you noticed how some days you are ready to conquer the world, yet other days you just want to crawl back into bed and shut out the same world you wanted to conquer yesterday? Did you notice your mental health that day? 

Such a low state of mind where we feel unequipped to deal with anything is caused by a lack of life force within us. We become so accustomed to running on empty that we often don’t even notice our depleted vitality until fatigue and discontent take over our overall physical and mental health. 

Energy medicine practices like Reiki, heal the energy centers (chakras) of our body, helping restore our vitality. Chakras constitute the pathway of energy flow, and each chakra is connected to specific organs and aspects of our life. Thus keeping them balanced helps maintain balance in our overall energy. 

“Our vitality is linked directly to the endocrine system which is directly linked to the energy body. Thus our physical energy level has a direct connection to our mental health.” 

The energy work performed during a Reiki session specifically assists in the balancing of chakras/energy centers and is a great way to bring that desired vitality back into our lives by balancing our physical and mental energies. 

The 7 Major Chakras in our Body

Our Chakras (energy centers) are all connected to each other. When we feel stable in the root chakra, we are able to create in the sacral chakra. When we can create, we feel confident in the solar plexus chakra. When we are confident, love & harmony flow easily in our lives in our heart chakra. When we let love flow, we can communicate and express it easily in the throat chakra. When our communication flows easily, our intuition is clear in the third eye. When our intuition is clear, we feel more divinely connected in the crown chakra.

When our vitality or life force energy is off the balance in any one of these chakras, it can affect the rest of the chakras too as the natural energy flow is disrupted. This in turn creates an imbalance in our ability to handle stress & anxiety. Mood swings can begin to occur and sadness can invade our otherwise happy day without any specific reason. 

With time if the mental-emotional imbalance is not treated, it can result in the physical manifestation of diseases such as headaches, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, irregular BP, to name a few. 

Regular medical check-ups and maintaining a healthy lifestyle contribute to keeping our physical body fit. Similarly, receiving regular reiki energy healing sessions helps keep our energy body fit and healthy. Our physical body and energy body always work in harmony. The dis-ease starts in our energy body first before manifesting into physical ailments. For example – When we are under a prolonged period of stress, our body begins to react by feeling anxious, then tightening of muscles in the neck or back & finally producing intense headaches. 

Many scientists have conducted experiments and written about the correlation between the physical and energy bodies. They have been able to prove that “Reiki can reduce the stress response of the hearts in humans and animals.” 

The two main benefits reported by these studies have been the reduction of stress and the reduction of pain. “People who received weekly reiki sessions for 30 minutes or more for a consecutive period of 6 weeks, as a part of a study, reported having lasting effects for up to one year.” (Reiki the scientific evidence, fall edition, 2011, Reiki newsmagazine)

Reiki is a fantastic way to contribute to the health and vitality of our body, mind, and soul.  Just like we need medicine & care for our physical body, we need regular doses of energy medicine for our energy body, to live a balanced, fulfilling, healthy and joyful life! 

Spirituality – A Beautiful Path to Enlightenment

By Neeti Paul Sethi

What is it that we all are seeking? Spiritual enlightenment or wellbeing? Maybe both as they are ultimately connected.

First, let us understand what enlightenment is. As per Cambridge dictionary, Enlightened means open to new ideas and facts based on reason rather than following old beliefs. Enlightenment is also referred to as an awakening of some sort or you may also call it rebirth. For a rebirth, one has to die. In this case, it doesn’t involve physical death but destroying one’s belief system, and letting go of vices like anger, ego, desire, and most importantly attachment. By being reborn as an enlightened being one’s belief system is reconstructed as they recognize that they are in the image and likeness of God or that they are one with God.

An enlightened being can exist and lead a normal life. They can fully enjoy life’s pleasures. They just don’t get attached to them. They feel complete and happy as it is. They don’t get attached to their karmas. They surrender their actions as God’s will and neither take credit for good deeds nor take the blame for mistakes. 

Enlightened beings dissolve old belief systems and surrender their will to the Source that we often refer to as God. They are aware that they are not in control of external factors so they only exercise free will towards their actions. They are not heartless. In fact, they have an expanded heart, much bigger & purer than a normal being is capable of possessing. Since they consider the entire universe as one and see each one in the image and likeness of God, they do not judge or favour anyone. They have unconditional love and compassion towards each creation of God. 

We start our spiritual journey in hope of learning to live a better life. We aim for spiritual well-being and a peaceful and balanced state of mind. This state is easier to attain than enlightenment itself. Many often confuse this peace and balance as the enlightened state. But the more we explore; the more we learn how much we do not know yet. There is so much to explore on this spiritual journey and we first fulfill all our needs and desires. The spiritual journey shows us the path to ultimate fulfillment and lets us live a comfortable and happy life. We learn to live in a high life state and begin to enjoy our existence on earth. As humans, we still experience pain, sadness, and all other emotions but we learn to become observers and let them go faster than ever before. We can manifest all our materialistic desires and live the life of our dreams along with being compassionate, kind, peaceful, joyful, and in divine service. 

Spiritual upliftment is a high life state, but it is not enlightenment. When in this state, we hardly feel the need for enlightenment and ascension. Being enlightened is the ultimate step in the journey of a soul. It is believed that the enlightened ones are freed from the loop of birth and death. They ascend and merge with God. But not with the ultimate source at once. There are hierarchies and levels to be crossed even in the spiritual ascension process. Enlightened beings ascend as spiritual masters and guides and remain in service to God from another dimension that doesn’t require them to take a physical form. They probably exist in astral form, which is easy to access by humans in thought-form. This is how Gurus and masters who have ascended (left their physical body) can help and guide us even after they pass. 

In an organization, when we pose a question to management, it is usually our immediate boss who responds. Similarly, when we pray to God, we are probably connecting to the astral being closest to us, who have been trained by the Source and bestowed the power and wisdom to assist us. 

The spiritual journey is beautiful and we can enjoy it slowly or pursue our growth aggressively. The pace depends on our efforts and how much good karma and blessings we are able to generate. Till our time for enlightenment comes, let us enjoy the beautiful process as we begin to explore our spiritual nature and unleash our full potential by working on being our best version each day, till we attain our buddha self.  

The New World Order

Channeled & written by Nupur Gupta

Is Covid 19 a Coincidence or Planned Intervention?

It’s about time that we talk about a new world in the making. 

Let’s start with a famous question. What came first the egg or the hen? Endings and beginnings go hand in hand. When one thing ends then only a new beginning can occur. Right now, we are seeing too much destruction in the world because it is dismantling its old version, withering its old cloak, and preparing for its awakened and sensitive version.

Like the phoenix, it is demolishing itself to start again in a new light. The old version must dissolve to give way to growth. Unlearning paves the way for relearning. Change is the only permanent way of living but resistance makes it difficult. 

Renaissance involves discomfort while shedding the old to adorn the new. This is the work of Lord SHIVA. Destruction allows reconstruction. This is not easy, but not impossible. Nothing in this world is random. Each coincidence is predestined and usually a manifestation of our thoughts or an effect of a cause.

Humans have been demolishing nature and disturbing the equilibrium of the solar system and planets in the name of ignorance, greed, technological breakthroughs, and human upgrades. Deforestation and global warming served as a wake-up call, yet we chose to hit the snooze button. 

Mother earth and Gods (divine forces) were compelled to work towards bringing the balance back when it became impossible to teach humans coexistence with nature. Lord SHIVA opened his third eye to perform TANDAV through his ARDRA NAKSHATRA.

It all began when Rahu came to Ardra nakshatra in September 2019. The strain of an epidemic was injected onto the earth’s atmosphere and spread in the only remaining hybrid of Birds and Mammals – BATS. Bats are the only species that have mammary glands with upper limbs as wings. 

In Vedic astrology, the dark side manifests itself in the form of Vampire bats. Rahu in Ardra started its journey from the East to the west of the globe spreading the COVID -19.

Jupiter, known for expanding any existing energy, plays a very important role in spreading it across the people whose Jupiter/Rahu/Mars is active in their Mahadasha/Antardasha/Pratyantardasha.

In the second wave, Mars entered ARDRA nakshatra in late March 2021. The next wave with extreme damage hit humankind.

The next wave might be when Venus enters Ardra Nakshatra in September. These are anticipations as per the recurring pattern of self-evident events.

Since Covid entered our lives, we have been contemplating everything, our ways of living, thinking, eating, sleeping, earning, and even our existence. It seems while humans are at home, nature is happy outside and thriving, rejuvenating itself while we humans are suffering the brunt of our wrongdoings and karma.

Nature and God are asking for ATONEMENT of the sins or mistakes that humans are not learning from and repeating the same way of ignorant living.

For ages, the sages on the Himalayas and the salty oceans have been clearing and maintaining the balance of this world but the collective insanity of humans has crossed the limits of this delicate balance.

It’s high time we start respecting our mother earth and nature, adopt renewable ways of living, and support practices that are symbiotic to the ways and rhythm of nature. 

 Nupur Gupta (Gautami)

SELF-CARE: 7 SIMPLE STEPS TO A JOYFUL LIFE!

By Neeti Paul Sethi

Why I can’t understand my feelings

There’s hardly anyone to blame…

For happiness tends to stay for

as long as the life of a flame!

All of us have felt like this at one point or another. ALL OF US. There is no exception.

We have felt lost, confused, and sad without any reason known to us. We often sense that something is wrong, but we are unable to put a finger on it. We may be feeling depressed or just disoriented. We suffer from low self-esteem and tend to question all our life decisions. It may get even worse for some. In which case, I recommend seeking immediate professional help.

But at the moment, I am addressing day-to-day sadness that we fail to address or even acknowledge, trying to be ‘strong’. But what we don’t know is that sadness is an infestation that slowly creeps up and eventually takes control of our life. It has the potential to turn into something much bigger if ignored for long period. Then we would need a strong intervention to snap out of it. And it’s often tough to find the right people and places that can help us.

Shouldn’t we be safe than sorry? Be proactive and catch the small rodents before the infestation escalates. So, stop being strong and stupid. Start being weak and vulnerable. Didn’t you hear? Vulnerable is the new strong!

At the cost of repeating myself, I want to say that it happens to all of us. And I would be surprised if you tell me that you have never felt low, directionless, and useless. I find it hard to believe that you haven’t had days when getting out of bed was so hard that you found it easier to just hide under covers. Days when you just wanted to disappear at length. It’s crazy how normal and frequent sometimes these bad days are and yet we struggle to normalize or talk about them. Maybe because we are figuring out what’s wrong with us and it’s difficult to tell someone when you don’t have much to tell. I get it. 

I just want to take this moment to tell you that it is okay. It is justified. It is allowed.

Allow yourself to feel bad once in a while. Allow yourself some lazy time that’s unaccounted for, or even accounted for if you wish. I often schedule ‘wasting time’. It’s part of my creative process. Unless I waste a substantial amount of time, I don’t get fired up enough to compensate. Now we all might have different processes and different working models. But what should remain common in all models is time for self-care. Time for reflection. Time to allow ourselves to feel and acknowledge what’s going on inside us. 

If we feel uneasy, it means something. We can’t just push it back and keep going. It’s not healthy. We need to process our thoughts, not hide them. Feeling our emotions is an important step towards long-term healing. ‘Feel it to heal it’ as I often like to say. 

I am not just going to keep preaching because that’s not what helps. It might wake us up temporarily, but it’s practicing that makes the real difference. So, if you have reached this far and can relate to all that I mentioned above, I am going to make it easier for you to help yourself. All I need you to do is stay with me till the end of this article. And maybe reread it a few times. And then follow the simple instructions/suggestions that I have carefully and lovingly outlined for you. 

While there is a lot of information out there to help with our emotional and mental well-being; I am going to list a few of the favourites that have worked well for me and are as simple to implement as they sound. 

(And let us please stop using the phrase ‘easier said than done’. Nothing comes easy but it can become easy by sheer will. So, we must stop telling ourselves that we can’t and say YES TO OUR HEALING. Let us start saying ‘I CAN and I WILL.)

1.PAUSE

Stop everything and just disconnect from your usual life. Take a break, rest ample, eat, sleep or watch TV. This has to be the first step according to me. Before undergoing the challenging process of facing our demons, we are allowed some carefree time as a little pre-reward. There is no rule against pampering yourself and fulfilling your cravings. Just don’t get into an addiction of any sort. Because we need to be sober for the next step. And don’t hold on to the pause for too long. Move on to the next step when you have felt guilty enough for wasting precious time.

2. BREATHE & PRAY

We all breathe constantly. I am not telling you something new. But what’s important is to slow down and observe your breath. Notice this divine motion more frequently, feel grateful for this magical gift of nature that keeps you alive. Our breath is our Prana (life force energy). Feel more connected to your breath and express gratitude for having experienced it. Feel connected to the source of energy and seek clarity, assistance, and blessings.

3. FEEL

Take time out to sit with yourself. Just yourself, no gadget or entertainment of any sort. Connect with your innermost thoughts. Usually, unhealed thoughts surface on their own when you are quiet. But this is what people are most afraid of. Being alone with their thoughts. They don’t know what to do. But you don’t have to do anything. Not immediately at least. First, process your thoughts and become more aware of them. This is the most important step towards self-discovery. This has to be done without pride or guilt. Try to be as authentic as you can. You have nothing to prove to anybody. All this is for yourself.

4. RELEASE

After you have gathered enough intel on your being, work towards releasing what isn’t serving you anymore. Belief systems that are obsolete and toxic need to be shed. Grudges that hold you back from being your loving and joyous self, needs to be discarded. Forgiveness needs to be asked and given (only in your mind). No baggage is allowed if you want to feel lighter and refreshed. If you are aware of the things you need to let go then consciously release them to the universe with a quiet prayer. If you don’t have complete clarity, that’s okay too. Just say a silent prayer “I release all that is not serving me to the universe and ask that this be replaced by positive, nurturing, and uplifting energy. I consider this done and give thanks now.”

5. SELF LOVE

Most of us don’t know love. If we haven’t been able to accept, embrace and love ourselves for what we are, then we cannot possibly embrace, accept and love others. It’s a limitation that we need to get past. If we keep waiting to be some perfect version that exists in our mind, we will never love and live our present. While we need to consciously work towards becoming our best versions and grow each day, we need to learn to love ourselves in this moment. A simple way to fall in love with your life and yourself is to practice gratitude!

Use this simple affirmation daily to generate feelings of self-love – “I fully accept and love myself just the way I am. I am happy, healthy, peaceful, and am all that I need to be. I am pure love and pure joy and am grateful for this life.”

6. ENERGIZE & RECALIBRATE

There are many ways to energize ourselves. My top favourites are

Reiki Healing, Crystals, Meditation, and Chanting.  As we explore more, we discover plenty of tools that we can use individually or in combination.

Reiki: Reiki is a hands-on energy healing technique that utilizes the universal life force energy (also known as Prana or Chi) to clear negativity and energize our system to improve our physical, mental and emotional health and overall state of life. It has been known to help improve physical and mental aspects of life and improve a person’s life situation in all aspects. Reiki is also known as God’s love and has a mind of its own, hence it cannot be used to harm anyone, as it is driven by God’s will and pure love.

Crystals: Crystals are high vibrational objects available in various forms, sizes, colours, and properties. It is advised to work with crystals under supervision if one doesn’t have much knowledge of them. However, if used properly they are often used to magnify positivity, absorb negativity and increase peaceful vibrations.

Chanting: Chanting refers to saying something repeatedly. Repeating positive affirmations can be done. Repeating chants like ‘OM’, ‘Gayatri Mantra’, ‘Nam Myoho Renge Kyo’, ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’, and many more calming chants can help raise your vibrations and elevate your state of mind instantly.  

Meditation: The concept of Meditation is often unclear to people and they avoid it because they don’t know where to begin. But even sitting quietly with yourself is a form of meditation. Watching the sunset is meditation. Watching the ocean is meditation. Observing your breath is meditation. There is no fixed rule. And there is a lot of help available these days. Just search guided meditation on YouTube and you will find endless meditations to choose from. Don’t ponder, just start. Let me get you started with the following video.

8 year old girl teaches us meditation!

7. EXPERIENCE & SPREAD JOY

Joy is a feeling independent of outer circumstances. We behold joy within our hearts. It’s a state of mind, and a choice we make. We can add joy to any situation and see it transform. We can experience joy in little things happening around us or create those moments ourselves. The easiest way to experience joy is to give joy. Spread some positivity to experience positivity.   

I can’t imagine myself being of much use if I’m not in my most joyful state. I tend to make things better around if I am feeling good. If I am in a low vibrational state and not thinking, speaking, and acting from a place of love, those activities are indeed a waste of my time and energy. So, no self-care is not a waste of time for me. Since self-care is not just about me, it’s also about making the world around me a little better, a little less stressed, and a little more joyful.

You may use these tips individually or in combination. Feel free to explore, modify and adopt the techniques that feel right to you. None of us are the same, so why should our self-care regime be!

True Intimacy Comes From Within

By Neeti Paul Sethi

Intimate means closely acquainted, familiar. It refers to private and personal. When we share intimacy with someone, it means we have formed a deep connection. We have allowed them into our personal lives and maybe our innermost thoughts. 

But we can only be as intimate with someone, as we have been with ourselves. We can allow someone only that much access, as much we have allowed our self. How can we share thoughts that we aren’t ourselves aware of? If we haven’t dared to look within, dive deep inside our head and heart to explore what we are and what we have the potential to be; how can we entertain the idea of anyone exploring our depths that remain unknown even to us. 

When someone tries to get to know us intimately and requests access to the innermost chambers of our heart, we might feel threatened, scared, embarrassed even. It may cause us anxiety as the unknown always causes us anxiety. 

But don’t we want to face the mirror one day? Don’t we want to stare deep into our reflection and be able to relate to every scar, every healed memory, every moment of joy and sadness? Every experience that we have is what makes us what we are. Shutting down some of the memories and refusing to acknowledge them doesn’t make us a better person. Not talking about or thinking about it doesn’t make us forgive and forget. It just gives us the illusion that we have moved on. In the end, we have to face the ugly truths, or simply truths of our life, our emotions, to tap into our inner voice. Because our inner voice is hidden somewhere among all this. Trying to be heard but lost in the process of shutting ourselves down. 

It’s us who need to be healed so it’s our responsibility to want to be healed and try to be healed. We can’t just leave it to someone and let them do everything for us. We can’t rely on an external saviour. It’s our life, our journey, and we should be at the forefront. We are our saviour.

We must work towards becoming capable of taking control if we don’t feel capable enough at the moment. It’s okay to feel lost and helpless. We all start with being clueless and frantically searching for the next step, looking for the next guidance. So, it’s okay to reach out to who we think can best help us. But it’s up to us to reach out. We MUST reach out!

So, what did you think intimacy meant?

Many often confuse it with one’s extent of physical contact. How intimate is your relation?

Intimacy is not physical, it never was.

It was always about connecting emotionally at a deeper level. Which eventually leads to a physical connection that feels so sacred that we call it intimate.

How can we develop the capacity to form that connection when we are mentally so shallow and limited? 

We may never achieve this sort of sacred and intimate connection if we don’t connect with ourselves first. We must first dive deep into the ocean of emotions, thoughts, and memories within own heart and mind. We can open the door for someone only when we feel safe. And often it applies not just to others but ourselves. We often block ourselves from our thoughts to protect ourselves from hurt. But when we dare to move beyond that fear and face our innermost thoughts and emotions, we can move beyond our limited understanding, into a zone where we are ready to experience more.

So, we must allow ourselves to feel, deal and heal. 

I open my heart to true intimacy. I allow myself to experience self-love; to be able to welcome and accept any other form of love in my life. 

All I have to do is be willing. 

Will drives the wagon,

and heart leads the way. 

From this journey to my true self, 

I shall never shy away!

COMMUNICATE

By Neeti Paul Sethi

we are all connected to each other…

Why don’t we all communicate?

Do we fear judgement and hate?

Why do we lack the ability to trust and share?

Its not true that we actually don’t care.

Why can’t we be a little more honest?

We don’t always have to be our best.

For a moment, if we stop feeling shame,

We might realize that we are all the same!

Life is meant for living, not for mere existence.

Embrace happiness, do not show resistance.

DISORIENTED

By Neeti Paul Sethi

Disorientation: Losing our sense of direction

I am feeling a little dizzy,

And getting a little lost.

I want some more clarity,

& I’m yet to bear the cost.

No matter how much I run,

The scenery remains the same.

It feels like I am stuck on

The redundant part of the game.

Would you choose to be different?

If you were to play me…

Do you have any different ideas?

Or you approve of what you see!

Right now, I am disoriented,

And I need to rest for a while.

Its not a stop but just a pause,

To make sure I don’t turn vile.

HEAL…

By Neeti Paul Sethi

I wish this could heal my heart…

I DESERVE TO HEAL

I AM ALLOWED TO FEEL

WITH LIFE’S IMMENSE CHALLENGES

I AM NOW READY TO DEAL

YES, I AM READY TO HEAL!

(Not a big post but it is important for me and sometimes these lines are enough. I hope this motivates someone who needs it. I needed to tell this to myself. And I am sure you too.)

My Faith in the Gohonzon

By Neeti Paul Sethi

Buddhahood is the state of an awakened being

Gohonzon is the object of devotion in Buddhism practice. Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) is a non-profit organization that instills faith and encourages people to awaken the Buddhahood in them. I recently joined the BSG and connected with people who have been practicing Buddhism for years. I had started down this road more than a decade back but did not continue the practice.  Few months back I connected with someone in my community who is deeply invested in this and I decided to give it another shot. I felt that I needed a support group. Corona had made people really lonely and I was no exception. I needed to connect with positive people to stay sane. Initially, I wasn’t so sure if the practice can give me anything more than my current practices. But I was determined to find out and hence decided to give it my best shot.

The practice primarily consists of doing daily Gongyo and Daimoku twice a day. Gongyo consists of reading the 2nd & 16th chapters of the Lotus sutra. Daimoku refers to chanting ‘Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo’. Chanting time can vary from 5 minutes to hours. Apart from this, monthly Sunday meetings are important to attend and every time a new topic is discussed in these meetings to deepen our understanding. There are also a series of other meetings to which I am still struggling to be regular. And there are some study sessions initiated as well around the concept for that month. It’s a wonderful community and determined to encourage and handhold everyone who wants and needs to be a part of it. That’s what I have always admired about the spirit of BSG members. I wish there was a community like that for healers, hypnotherapists, and writers. Yes, that’s me all in one. Maybe there is one and I may stumble upon it when the time is right. I do know there are several groups and initiatives but the spirit of BSG members is the purest and most genuine in my view. Maybe because there is no monetary exchange or competition. Because when competition becomes a part of a community you really can’t be too sure about others’ intentions. This doesn’t have to be true for everyone though and I like to believe that it isn’t. Even though healers are supposed to be the purest people and channels of God, not all healers are heal-ers. And many have a lot of work to do on themselves before they can start healing the world. I am no exception.

So, the reason I was inclined to be a part of such a community (BSG) is because I needed motivation and wanted to be able to encourage others. It did work. The members have been reaching out and making sure that I haven’t disappeared nor lost track. They make sure that I participate and have adequate resources. It’s beautiful what they have going on here. I commend this wonderful community and the spirit it instills in everyone. The self motivational energy and consistency is what I was lacking during those times and they really helped me with that.

But I am not sure that the practice is enough on its own. At least for me. Chanting daily is important and it does help us elevate our state of mind and thus our life condition. I feel a shift in my frequency after chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. So, I don’t doubt the effectiveness of this practice. I do have faith. Unshakeable Faith, if I may say so. The power of one’s faith can contribute tremendously to one’s response to any positive ritual. Even going to a temple can become such a magical experience when you do it with faith. So, I can say confidently that BSG is on to something and they are doing great work by making it their mission to enhance more and more lives each year.

But is it enough for me? Independently no. This practice is wonderful and I am determined to see how far it takes me and others I know. But at the moment I don’t think I can solely rely on this. Maybe because I have been using other techniques for a long time. I have undergone a huge transformation using those tools and thus at times, this practice feels basic. But it is also because I am a beginner in this practice. I often find myself dumbing down during discussions. Even though I have a lot of experiences to share, I refrain because they are not specific to this practice. It’s like taking a completely different course and trying to correlate the two. Which I am often able to do. And I realize that while it’s the path that varies, the goal remains the same. And all practices lead to a common goal. Being our best version and manifesting our best life. Whether we call it Buddhahood or our higher self; we are all going to the same place. Though our style, vehicle, path, or pace may vary.

I have used a lot of techniques and still do. Reiki has been my go-to. Meditation is a must. Doing Yagya and chanting of mantras is a part of who I am. And I have now added Gongyo and Daimoku to my routine. I do hypnotherapy, which is a great way to recondition one’s mind and rid it of old beliefs, replacing it with positive, empowering thoughts. This works great for those who need help with recalibrating their thoughts and manifest a better life. This is based on the law of attraction, and if one can understand and work with the law of attraction alone, then that’s all they need. But it’s a tricky business and we should work on manifestation only when we know what we are talking about. In that case, simple and safe practices always help improve our vibrations and lead to better life conditions. Even Buddhism is based on the law of attraction. We believe that we attract better life conditions when we chant and therefore, we do. 

I haven’t stopped any of my other practices. And I don’t intend to. Engaging in another positive practice is a better utilization of my time. That’s how I slowly introduced the chanting of ‘Nam Myoho Renge Kyo’ in my life. It has got amazing energy. I feel it. And I can use more positive vibes. It’s like if I already have a gang of good friends and it’s working well for me and I am already happy and content in my life. But one day I stumble upon a great new person, like-minded and a great influence on me. Do I reject that person’s friendship only because I already have all the friends I need? Or do I include her in my gang and try to find a new balance and routine. So yes, I welcomed another friend into my already great life. And that’s what Buddhism is to me.

I hesitate to admit to the BSG members that this is not my primary practice. I fear they may not understand where I am coming from. They may misinterpret it as me not having enough faith in the practice. When that’s not the case. I believe in Buddhahood/enlightened state. But I also believe that there is more than one way to attain that. And some like me may even need a mix.

You see one practice is often enough, but for those who can achieve that state of mind of absolute faith and belief. Some need a little more nudge than just being told. A divine intervention. A karmic intervention even. That’s when Practices like Magnified healing help, where we receive the gift of compassion and mercy. The subtle yet magnified energy slowly heals our past wounds and fills us with divine love. Healing technique like the violet flame has the power to transmute our patterns and convert them into positive productive energy. Based on the fact that energy is neither created nor destroyed, it only changes form, violet flame has the ability to transform energy and hence our state of mind and thus our life situation. How can I ignore these wonderful tools given to mankind and only rely on just one? Even avengers have different qualities and a different one is summoned as per the need and in times of extreme crisis, they all work together as a team. That’s what these spiritual tools are. They are a team, meant to complement each other. They are not in competition. They are meant for our greater good. No matter what we do, it’s important to do something. 

So, we all need different things at different times, and with faith in even any one practice, we can be sure that we will be guided to what is good and necessary for us. We must keep an open mind and believe that this practice is good for us and we must maintain consistency and faith in our practice. If we need more than what we are doing or a different kind of energy at some point, then we will be directed to it. I started listening to Satsang when I was 19. Listening to Guru Ma seemed like all that I would need. But if we were able to just do what we are told to do then what a simple life it would be. My Guru herself recommended Reiki to us during one of her sessions. I am sure only a few out of that lot took her suggestion. For many, Satsang was enough. I learned reiki. And it changed my life. Reiki gave me the power to heal my thoughts and even body to some extent. I still listen to Satsang. I do Yagya. I do reiki. I chant. I do Magnified healing, violet flame healing, and Hypnotherapy. Too much? Not for me. I don’t mind being equipped and aware. There are times when I just do reiki or just chant. We all build a support system over time and its absolutely okay to call upon either one of them. Usually we know which type of support we need at what time. And if we don’t then we are eventually led to it. I value and respect each technique. I genuinely believe in all of them. There are people at different levels in their journey and certain tools work better for some than others. Everyone finds their path and the right companions eventually. In the end, FAITH is all we need. When we believe that we are taken care of and will be guided, we truly will be.

Why isn’t my child listening to me?

By Neeti Paul Sethi

“I only want the best for my child. Then why isn’t she/he listening to me?”

This is a common frustration of every parent. Let’s explore this issue a little deeper here.

When our child is not listening or understanding, the first rule is to stay patient. Even if we have to explain something a hundred times to them, we should do it in the same tone, with love and patience. 

Lord Krishna was so patient with Arjun that he went on for 18 chapters till Arjun understood the concept, accepted it and ultimately surrendered. Krishna didn’t get irritated or lose his patience. He didn’t raise his voice. He kept explaining lovingly till Arjun had no more doubts. This is hard to practice, really hard. But this is what we need to do. With practice we get better every day. 

Anger will not get us any result. In fact, it might push our child away from us as they will close their mind and block us out. It’s all in the tone. If our tone is loving, patient and respectful (yes kids need to be respected too!), there’s a good chance they will eventually listen. That is the only way. Shouting at them or expressing disappointment will only make them resent us. And no-one listens to someone they resent, no matter how logical they are. No-one is saint enough to allow their mind to accept something, from someone screaming at them. It’s natural, a human does not have any control over this reaction. So instead of expecting them to understand that deep down our intentions are honourable, we need to understand the right way to communicate. We need to figure out how to get through to them effectively.

It involves lot of failures and disappointments, frustration even. But the trick is to keep experimenting. Try to find what they care about and maybe learn to care about that too. Sometimes it helps to share our mistakes and vulnerability with them. To let them see that we are not perfect, we have made mistakes and hence we would like them to learn from them. We would like them to learn what we know. We might not know everything; however, we do know a thing or two and we would like them to take advantage of that. 

Letting them see us as normal human beings who don’t always know what they are doing, might give them the courage to open up to us. It might encourage them to share more without feeling stupid or inadequate. 

It’s not easy, shedding the mask of perfection that most parents put on in front of their kids. But the trick is in accepting that we are not perfect and that sometimes our kids can be right and us wrong. They have a fully developed brain and perspective, even at a very young age. And we need to work together with them. We are responsible for co-creating their life. To think that we have the right to take over their lives is just wrong. It’s a partnership. It deserves to be treated like one. 

We think we are disciplining them. But we are in reality programming them. Programming them to obey commands in a certain manner. That’s what one does with computers, not humans. 

I am not against the practice of disciplining our kids. That’s a requirement in this world. We need to provide a set of rules and norms to go by so that the acceptable and unacceptable aspects of human behaviour are clear to them. As parents it’s our job to make sure that our kids are safe, and those around them are safe too. We need to make sure that we raise good human beings who are not toxic for the society, as much as we ensure that they aren’t exposed to anyone or anything harmful. So, believe me, I am very serious about raising my child the right way and instilling correct values as I aspire to nurture this tiny human being into a responsible adult.

What I am against however is projecting our insecurities, fears and redundant beliefs on them.

Also, expecting them to behave in a certain way, while we continue to behave in another. It’s a bit unfair. Whatever happened to leading by example? Practicing before preaching? If we expect respect from them, we need to be equally respectful towards them. If we are showering affection and love on them, there is no way our child is not affectionate in return. They just learn from us, pick up our habits. So, if they are lacking something, then so are we. We need to be mindful of how we behave. It’s not just something we tell them to do. It’s something we display every day. Let actions do the work for us and save ourselves the trouble of giving lectures. 

We think it’s okay to boss around and impose our wishes on them, shout at them at the slightest mistake. We think it’s okay to make decisions for them and make them feel less than adequate just because they didn’t perform a certain task in a specific manner. If that’s the kind of parents we are, we don’t have a lot to be proud of. 

It’s very easy to lose our cool and shout, some may even hit. People actually think it’s okay to take out their frustration on these little vulnerable people who can’t really hurt us back. It’s very easy to assume we are in charge and feel powerful because their lives depend on us.

What is truly heroic is for us to be respectful towards their wishes, their individuality and listen, really listen to them. Before making a schedule for them, or deciding what’s best for them, give them an opportunity to share what they like and dislike, understand their strengths and weaknesses. Few kids genuinely don’t have any inclination or plan. They need directions more than others.  It’s okay to guide them and give them a nudge when they won’t budge. Some, however, have an idea of where they are going or would like to go. And to be robbed of that chance to even make their case is utter cruelty. 

Pushing your introvert kid to socialize beyond their comfort might be in their best interest, however, it could lead to bullying and depression when kids can’t handle themselves among peers. Don’t push them, they will learn to interact, at their own pace. They will find their way around; they will reach where they belong. Enable them, help them out but don’t pressurize them. 

Similarly, restricting them excessively might lead to rebellion in long term. Do you really want to order them around or would rather be their confidant? Whatever you choose, be ready for the consequences. Because parenting is about making choices, at every step.

To steer them towards a certain direction, because it’s in their best interest, is a parent’s job. But this is a process that requires both parent and child to work together. It’s most productive when both are invested and able to contribute to the process. There may be disagreements, disappointments even. If you truly want their happiness, you will refrain from being too rigid. You need to put their wishes before your pride and desires. And sometimes, you would need to play the bad guy and let them hate you for a while, for their own good. Therefore, it is a delicate process and requires an open mind and an honest will, along with a lot of patience.  

I hope we as parents are committed fully to this process and find that balance where we understand, respect and are able to help our child. There will be some successful and some not so successful attempts and there will be amusing stories to tell. As long as our intention is to truly help them, we cannot go horribly off track. And the journey, no doubt, will be worth every moment. 

Note: These are my personal opinions and have worked out very well for me. If you agree with nothing else, at least learn to respect your kids and treat them like another human being. Everything else will flow from there.