Tag Archives: spiritual

Spiritually Empowered Women…

Women all around the world are beginning to realize that being spiritually connected is their key to happiness and abundance. As they connect to Spirit, they listen and trust, and begin to realize their true value. When connected to Spirit, they find that magic happens and prosperity flows.

Women are spearheading our future. And spiritual women are leading the way. They’re "tapped in" and they’re using their innate gifts to serve the world. Spiritually empowered women aren’t concerned with getting ahead at the detriment of others. They won't do jobs or perform services just for the money.

Neither can they take unconscious advantage of the Earth's natural resources and her inhabitants. That was the old way. The new way is feminine. It is full of collaboration, community, creativity, fostering, nurturing and supporting one another.

Spiritually Empowered Women

So, you may wonder, how do women become spiritually empowered? The answers are simple…

They think less and feel more:

They realize their body always knows the truth. They tap their femininity, intuition, softness, gut feelings and embody their nurturing essence. They use tools like yoga and meditation to move their awareness from their head to their heart. They also nurture themselves with massages, hot baths, and eat healthy meals.

Within their body is where the deepest part of their essence abides. And the freer they feel to trust themselves the more they develop the courage the change themselves and to change and serve others.

They start where they are at:

They don’t wait until they finish the next course, or book, or work their way up to a six figure income. Spiritually empowered women begin living their dream life, now. They question that little voice that says “you’re not ready yet.” They instinctively know that if they don't love what they do, no amount of money will make them love it.

Each spiritually empowered woman has a unique purpose here on earth. That purpose becomes their passion and their service to the world. They do what they love, and they do it NOW! They are fully aware that the world needs the gifts that only they have. This enables them to raise their energetic vibration through living in alignment and balance with their Spirit.

They commit themselves to remaining mindful and to live with awareness:

They remain open, willing, tolerant and forgiving. They set intentions daily that re-affirm their deepest commitment to living a spiritually infused life. By creating daily rituals they reinforce and ignite their spirit. They familiarize themselves with their innermost thoughts and beliefs; those separate from their family, friends or partner. They challenge their fearful and limited beliefs, consciously releasing the past.

They create a sense of community:

By aligning with like-minded souls who nurture, inspire, encourage, support, they are able to remain accountable. They may join a women's circle or brainstorming group. They might attend community events at a yoga studio. They learn to uplift and empower other women. Spiritually empowered women see other women's success and beauty as proof of their own potential.

They are bold and take risks:

Spiritually empowered women are not afraid to step out of their comfort zone. They don't feel the need to wait to be praised, discovered, or validated by another. They don't worry about what other people think. Oftentimes they don’t follow another’s path but instead clear their own path by walking it courageously.

Spiritually empowered women strive to be living fully in the present moment. They have learned to love themselves without judgment or undue criticism. They surrender their desires and thoughts and reunite with the love essence that is always within. They share, serve, and smile and the Universe rewards them for it.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Aids to Discovering Spiritual Truth

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It is often said that the ultimate truth cannot be spoken or put into words, so “indicators” are used to get the seeker to look (and experience) that truth directly. Most of us have heard the analogy that a finger pointing at the moon is not the moon itself. Things that point to the truth usually embody profound teachings that are commonly overlooked. Plus, the bare-naked truth is all too often sugar coated for easy digestibility, or in an effort to carry the truth home. Advaita Vedanta (non-duality) holds that there is an undivided, unified oneness which is the essence of all that is created, both animate and inanimate. Ironically, this non-dual oneness is also transcendental, being beyond the body/mind complex. So, since the truth cannot be related directly using words, how can words help one to see for oneself? Ancient sages and enlightened masters have found if they must speak, the truth is best represented through analogy, allegory and metaphor, which are meant to reveal the truth (in part) through comparison, giving the seeker a glimpse.

Examples of a few of these analogies commonly used to expound the Hindu spiritual teaching of the Advaita Vedanta follow. These analogies have become popular because they have helped many seekers to grasp the truth with a bit more ease…

The Vessel and the Space Within: Take a clay vase as an example, it represents the body, an aspect of creation. It has space within and without. Even when it is filled with stuff, it is done only in because of the empty space within. Therefore the space exists irrespective of the presence of the stuff (or its absence). Furthermore, the space within the vase is identical to the space outside of it. Through this we can realize that one’s essence is same as the essence of the world (or universe) at large. When one recognizes oneself through conscious awareness, shapes and forms no longer matter as everything is now seen as consciousness itself. There is no longer any plurality, but instead only oneness.

The Ocean and the Wave: This analogy again points to the truth of universal oneness beyond all apparent forms. Although there are an endless variety of waves in the ocean (big and small, rough and gentle, etc.), they are all made up of the same substance – water. Additionally, the waves cannot exist apart from water. We are no different, we cannot exist without sense of being. Even in deep sleep we exist, even though we are forgetful of our name and form. Once we understand our true nature is to be this “beingness,” (or spirit), we realize ourselves to be immortal.

Gold and Ornaments Made from Gold: Here’s another analogy that again emphasizes the same essence existing in different shapes and forms. While gold can be melted and formed into different ornaments (chains, earrings, bracelets, rings etc.), they are all still essentially gold. Vedanta points out that this is so with humans as well. Though we all exhibit differences in size, shape and color, we are all still made of the same essence as the Atman (Universal, Divine Self), the pure spirit without which, we cannot even exist. There are no ornaments made of gold that can exist apart from the gold itself.

The Snake and the Rope: You may be familiar with this one as it is one of the most common of the traditional analogies used to expound Hindu spiritual teachings. In the dark we mistake a rope for a snake and become afraid. Once we realize that our fear is unfounded due to the mistaken identity of a rope for a snake, all fear vanishes. So is it with human beings. Once the mistaken identification of ourselves to be a separate body is exposed to the light of conscious awareness, the ego-self complex is deconstructed and all fears evaporate. This realization provides us with the opportunity to awaken to the bliss of Self-realization and abide in that.

*Of related interest, click on: Is It Important To Be “Spiritual?”

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500.

Is It Important To Be “Spiritual?”

Before we examine whether someone should strive to be “spiritual” or not, we should try to reach an understanding of what is meant by being spiritual.

Spirituality (being spiritual) implies different things to different people. For some people it may mean becoming more religious (religion generally referring to the worship of “God” and/or the various teachings of their accepted faith). When addressing religion, first it should be understood that performing ceremonies and customs is the ritualistic aspect of the religion and not the spiritualistic part, but some people have an inherent need for ceremony, ritual and dogma in their lives.Religion typically places more emphasis on outer forms and outer rituals. Religion often involves a congregation or community of followers that share common beliefs.

Spirituality is less concerned with outer forms and rituals. It tends to be much more private and personal. In its simplest form, spirituality means to look within. For one who is spiritual even the act of worship (or connecting with the Divine) is actually a form of going within, of connecting with one’s own perception, experience and awareness of the Divine (or God).

We often hear reference to “going within” what is actually meant by going within? Going within is basically establishing some sort of connection with something that provides us with an unending source of energy, irrespective of happenings in the outside world. Going within furthers the realization that there is no separation between you and the Divine/God/Spirit/Creator. And there never has been, ever! No matter what’s going on in your life, no matter what you did or haven’t done. You realize that you don’t have to “go somewhere” to be with God (or whatever you choose to call the Divine, Absolute or Supreme).

So why seek to be spiritual?The beauty of spirituality is that when you commit to it, a world of opportunity and new experiences open up for you. The moment you decide that spirituality is for you, it’s as if the doors of enlightenment begin to open and you finally start to see the light.

The truth is that humans beings; in fact, all sentient beings, are inherently spiritual. They just aren’t aware of it yet. One of the saddest and most persistent beliefs in the modern world is that we are merely flesh and bone and that once we die, we go to heaven, or we go to hell or we become extinct. Well, whether you believe it or not, nothing could be further from the truth from a truly spiritual perspective. By aligning yourself with truth, the meaning of life becomes crystal clear, and that life is all about spiritual maturation.

Embarking on a spiritual journey is not about blindly believing in any dogmatic theories or stories that your own personal experience can’t support. Instead, it’s a process; integrating the practice open-mindedness, testing things for yourself, and aligning yourself with truth as closely as you can, all leading to Self-realization.

Is It Important To Be “Spiritual?”

Spirituality also offers us a way to avoid accumulating stress and emotion (and more karma). Spiritual insights are not dependent on external objects and/or situations. By remaining non-dependent on anything external we prevent any energy dissipation.

When we start being more spiritual, we naturally begin to realize the meaninglessness of most things or issues that we would usually pay undue attention to. We start seeing the impermanence behind superficial material pursuits and their outcomes, and this happens in such a way, that we begin to enjoy the process without building excess mental and emotional baggage.

The impermanence of and meaninglessness behind the search for secular gains becomes a growing realization which, in turn, conserves our finer (subtle) energies that we would otherwise dissipate. The quality of our wants and desires improves from the gross to the subtle level and this establishes a virtuous cycle with every passing day, culminating in an ocean of peace and supreme bliss.

Spirituality offers us the realization that this world and everything in it is constantly changing. This change itself is constant and inevitable, but spirituality provides us with an invisible, yet stable anchor that helps us find our bearings, even during the most challenging times.

This alone, is a sufficient reason to find supreme merit in the spiritual path.The longer you practice spirituality, and the more devoted to it you become, the more it becomes the central part of your life, eventually becoming your very reason for living.

This entry was posted in GENERAL, HEALTH, RAE INDIGO, TEACHER TRAINING, WELLNESS, YOGA and tagged going within, meditation, RAE INDIGO, spiritual, spiritual growth, stress, YOGA on October 30, 2013 by Glenn Straub.