5 key guidelines for soul writing

Soul writing is an expression of your inner reality, a process of bringing to the fore the thoughts and feelings that lurk in the inner recesses of your being, to understand oneself, to heal, find strength and feel empowered.

Soul writing is a deep and effective way of connecting with your own self and discovering those truths that are often hidden, lurking in the subconscious mind, and when you make the conscious effort to write, those words tumble out effortlessly. You could be writing a journal / diary, noting down your thoughts for the day or making an attempt to write a little poem, or simply a statement.

The truth is that when the words look back at you – from your little notebook or the screen of your laptop, they give you so much strength and joy. It eases significantly the negativity and stress that often saps away our strength. You feel rejuvenated and empowered.

The best thing is you don’t have to follow a particular structure or rule book, you are writing for your own self, so it is completely your choice whether you want to share it with the world or not.

What is important to do is to make the process of writing a daily activity, this is what would enable you to experience the benefits continuously. These are the 5 essentials factors for this:

  1. A matter of discipline: Keep aside a particular time every day, ranging from 5 to 10 minutes to write down what you feel in your journal, for example, simply as a sentence for expressing gratitude to the Universe, a positive thought for someone, or a catchy sentence that you can later post on your Instagram handle. Discipline is the key to a daily practice. Over the weekends, when you have more time, you can extend this to 30 minutes / an hour or more to write anything, ranging from a little poem for yourself, or just your thoughts on a subject or relationship / your plans for the near future or a little story.

    2. Uplifting thoughts : An important aspect of soul writing is that we consciously write that which makes us feel empowered and uplifted. Even if you are writing down a diary note for the day which has not gone particularly well, do ensure that you end on a positive note.

    While soul writing can often be a cathartic process wherein we pour out the deep (sometimes dark) thoughts that trouble us, always ensure that it should end with an uplifting sentence of hope. The reason is simple – there is always hope, and that is the irrefutable truth. And for this turnaround, we do not need an external person or a situation, we find this light within ourselves.

    3. Don’t worry about the length of the content: How much you write is not important, but what is essential is that you do it as a daily practice. Even a sentence, a small note, a one line message to yourself to cheer up, is enough. As you continue to write constantly, this daily practice will enhance your skills as a communicator / writer. You can begin with writing only for yourself, but later if you wish to, share it with the world as a blogger or on social media. What started off as a conversation with yourself, can reach out to more people and help them.

    4. A sacred space: Everything that you write is important – these are not ramblings or random thoughts. The effort you make everyday to note down and express yourself is a sacred space where you have a conversation with your own self for your soul growth. You do not need anybody on the outside to make you happy, you are turning within to find it in the core of your being. Your writing enables this miraculous happening.

    5. Keep analysing how you feel: To know how the writing process is helping and empowering us, do analyse how you feel after writing every day – Do you feel positive ? Does it lift up your spirit ? Do the current problems seem a little less daunting? Are you ready to face the future with renewed strength? This analysis is an important aspect of learning, healing and growth.

The daily practice of soul writing recharges us again and again, and helps in find the strength within. It purges out all the unwanted thoughts, reinforces positivity, and makes each person, his/her true best friend.

(Sudipta is an energy healer, Akashic Records practitioner and mystical storyteller. Her collection of short stories ‘Invoking Our Inner Goddess’,’ Mystical Tales Of Sacred Earth’, ‘The Blue God’s Love’ and ‘Enchanted Waters: The Magical Flow Of Life’ are available worldwide on Amazon Kindle.)

Soul Poetry: You move through my worlds

The blue sky and the floating monsoon clouds

The green rolling hills that merge into the horizon

The distant river that meanders through the mangroves

The fragrance of unknown wild flowers that swirls in the air

Every morning I wake up to your picture perfect world

It takes my breath away and fills my heart with gratitude

To see you manifest as nature and adorn yourself in all your glory

You open arms through your breathtaking world and draw me closer to your cosmic heart

This beauty blesses my eyes and uplifts my spirit

Then, I close my eyes and step into the world inside

And feel the primordial vibration of your life force energy, the divine feminine

From the stillness of my heart I can feel an inexplicable bliss emerge 

It is you who moves through my worlds, within and without

Embracing me in your divine love as only the Great Mother can.  

Chi balls & other simple tips for space clearing

Just as we are energy beings, the space around us, whether home or office, is also charged by various energetic imprints caused by people and incidents. What is enclosed by concrete walls are vibrations that impact us constantly, just like we impact these spaces through our mental and emotional states, and our actions/ interactions with other people.

For those of you who are sensitive to energies or are empaths, you can instantly feel the energy of a space as you step into it – whether it’s someone’s home or a room. I have been highly sensitive to energy since my childhood, never understanding what would always hit me when I visited someone’s home. I could so palpably feel the energy that I would avoid visiting people, never understanding what was happening to me. It is only after many decades that I became aware that I am a highly senstive empath and would pick up energies of a place, instinctively.

This usually happens when stepping into someone’s private space, where inter-personal relations of the occupants, or their mental or emotional states affects the space. Public places on the contrary, mostly have neutral energy as there are too many people with divergent energetic impressions who pass through the area. It is a different matter altogether if a tragedy like an accident had occured in the space leaving many people dead or injured. The dominant traumatic energetic impressions can continue to impact the space even after years.

As most of us are concerned with the space in our home, which is our haven and refuge, it is important to cleanse the space of any negative energetic impressions. And there are many simple ways of making it possible. One does not have to be an energy healer to clear a space and uplift the energy.

Using chi balls is an extremely effective way of healing the energy in a room that has witnessed arguments / fights, anxiety and negative emotions. It is a very simple process – stand in the centre of the room, breath in deeply, try and calm your mind, and then take your palms together in a namaste position just in front of your heart. Next, rub both the palms together for a few minutes , then slowly, in fact, very slowly move the palms apart till you can tangibly feel the elasticity of the energy between your palms (for some people this might take a little practice to feel the pull of the energy). Now move your palms to create the shape of a ball in the air, hold it for sometime to infuse it with the intent of peace and love, then throw it up towards the ceiling, feeling the shower of energy fall around you in the room. You can immediately feel a shift in energy.

If the room is large and there is a particular corner or an area, or furniture (for example a work desk, a dinning table or a sofa which has denser energy due to constant arguments), you can additionally make a chi ball and throw it there. You can similarly do the same at walls and the corners. In fact, the corners often have stagnant energies and need to be taken care of in particular.

Create the chi balls with a lot of joy and playful energy, these will not only brighten the room, but also make you feel wonderful. Everything is intent, so if you wish you can give a colour to the chi balls, for example– green for healing, pink for love, blue for harmony. It is completely your choice. (You can know more about various uses of chi balls in this article : 6 ways of using chi balls).

Then there are many age old space clearing practices followed by many Indian families which are still practiced, like swabbing the floors of the home with salt (preferably sea salt) water, particularly on Tuesdays and Saturdays, to mitigate the malefic effects of Mars and Saturn, respectively. Make sure that the water used for swabbing is completely drained out from your home. Most of us are aware of the great benefits of salt for clearing energy, whether it is our aura or our home. Keeping salt in the corners of the room to be cleared away the next day is also believed to be an excellent way of removing stagnant energy from a room. You can also keep a bowl of sea salt at the centre of the room for 24 hours. If you are using salt for space clearing, just always ensure that it is thrown / drained out from your home after a day, don’t reuse this salt for any other purpose.

Yet another ancient energy clearing practice that we continue to follow everyday is burning an incense stick and taking it around the house, from room to room, encircling around the main entrance door and finally placing it at the place of worship. The smoke from the incense dissipates soon, leaving a faint trace of fragrance, uplifting the atmosphere. The magical twilight hours are the best time for this. Please make it a point to use natural incense sticks and not the chemical ones available in the market.

Then of course, there are the crystals, which can truly uplift the vibration of a space. You can place a black tourmaline at the entrance to prevent negative energies from entering your home. Black tourmaline is known for warding off negative energy and giving protection. Amethyst (my personal favourite) is another wonderful crystal for warding off negative energy. Keep amethyst tumblers or better still, geodes, around the house, in places where you think you would like to change the energy. A crystal for protection and spiritual growth, the vibrations of amethyst will make a difference.

Please remember, the greatest positive impact on a space and imbibing it with uplifting energy can be done by – You. Never forget that you are supremely powerful, and no matter how much negativity and turmoil a space has witnessed leaving behind unwanted energetic footprints, your thoughts and emotions can make a miraculous difference. There is nothing more powerful than your own energy. Positive thinking, quiet contemplation, controlling the use of derogatory words or negative thoughts, being centered and mindful, can all change the energy of a space.

There are of course practices like meditation and spiritual chanting which are incredible ways of lifting us vibrationally and impacting our environment. We need to believe in our own power to make a difference to the environment we live in.

(Sudipta is an energy healer, Akashic Records practitioner and mystical storyteller. Her collection of short stories ‘Invoking Our Inner Goddess’,’ Mystical Tales Of Sacred Earth’, ‘The Blue God’s Love’ and ‘Enchanted Waters: The Magical Flow Of Life’ are available worldwide on Amazon Kindle.)

Soul Poetry: The Reflection

You are my greatest friend,
My steadfast companion,
When I see your reflection in the mirror I recognise myself,
And, get caught in a swirl of illusions.

I am the soul and you are my physical self,
The greatest gift that is always with me through this transitional phase,
I look at you with love and admiration and always think you are me,
How wrong I am.

Yes, sometimes I forget that you are as pure as the bright light of my Higher Self,
I ignore your warnings and misunderstand your signs,
And I punish you so often, thinking I am indulging myself,
But you are not the real me.

It is true that ours is a relationship forged in fire,
A love-hate that is often inexplicable,
But you are my companion till my last breath,
And my identity for the world around.

However, to recognise myself I have to look beyond your reflection,
To discover myself I have to break free of the illusion,
To love myself I need to delve within my unknown sacred space,
I need to see my True Self with my inner eye. 

Wrath Of The Forest Goddess

 

The Indian Subcontinent. Year: 1925

The Sanaps were one of the smaller tribes living in the Tundra jungles that stretched between India and Nepal. They were a nature loving tribe, who like most indigenous people, lived in perfect harmony with their environment. They were devotees of the Forest Goddess, whom they believed, was a ferocious female deity, an avatar of Goddess Kali. She, they said, roamed the dense forests and the valleys, protecting the flora and fauna, and giving deft punishment to those who disobeyed her by disrupting the perfect balance of nature.

The forest track was known as an area frequented by the local nobility and later, the English Sahebs, for hunting. Often, when the simple tribespeople would get to know that a British officer had got severely injured while hunting or the son of a local landlord had an accident during his stay in one of the hunting lodges, they always believed that it was the wrath of the goddess that had befallen these men.

Interestingly, however, they worshipped the child form of the goddess in her temple.

According to tribal legends, one of the earliest ancestors had chanced upon a little girl in the forest, tending to animals.

In fact, he saw a few hundred birds and animals around her – from an injured egret to a sick swan, from a maimed rabbit to a wounded tiger.

It was such an unusual sight to see a young girl taking care of these animals in the middle of the forest, that the tribal elder along with other clansmen, decided to do the same. Soon after the Sanaps decided to take the responsibility of caring for the injured animals and releasing them to the wild, the girl one day just disappeared.

The Sanaps also consider this as their sacred task and demarcated an area in the village, where they took care of injured and sick animals. They considered it their sacred duty and a commitment to the goddess.

For a few centuries no one saw the goddess again. They continued to worship her in a beautiful little temple they had built in the deep forests.

They also believed that she had become more ferocious and angrier over the years on account of the increasing exploitation of the wildlife habitat.

The present-day chief, a wise old man, was a direct descendent of the forefather who had seen the child goddess. He had seen in the last decade deforestation happening in a significant section of the forest – it was not only the wild that was losing its shelter but the goddess was also losing her home.

He knew she was very angry, for in the dead of night he had often heard a strange roar, when she roamed around as the fearsome Goddess Kali through the valleys and woods. He, along with the other elders, feared that her wrath would come – as a natural calamity, an unexpected happening, or something else. They feared the repercussion.

The Sanaps were often at conflicts with the neighbouring tribe of Rahigyas. It was an enmity that dated back to as long as the elders of both tribes remembered. The difference had more to do with the ideology of how both tribes viewed the wild.

The Rahigyas, whose forefathers had migrated from the desert to the fertile plains of the Himalayan foothills, could never consider the forest as their sacred home, like the Sanaps did.

They remained a nomad at heart and took from the land, whatever wealth it offered – from felling the trees to poaching of wildlife. They were skilled huntsmen, who had perfected the craft in every generation. For the local princes and the British officers, the Rahigyas were the perfect companions during their hunting expeditions.

It was during one such hunting expedition that the Sanaps clashed with the Rahigyas who were accompanying a young prince and his friends from a nearby principality.

The prince’s party was astride on elephants while the Rahigyas were on foot, guiding them. They had just killed a tiger and were going back to the hunting lodge to take rest and celebrate.

For the Sanaps, the tiger was a sacred animal being the mount of their divine mother, Goddess Durga. Unable to stop the kill when it happened, the enraged Sanaps waylaid the hunting party and attacked them. They fought with their spears but were no match for the guns that the prince and his friends carried. They retreated and fled to their village, but not before they had taken the prized trophy of the prince – the dead tiger.

They buried the tiger as someone would bury a close relative. Because they were helpless in stopping the killing, they prayed to invoke the forest goddess in the fierce form of Goddess Kali to teach the perpetrators a lesson.

Three days passed, and they got to know that the same hunting party had killed a tigress, and after two days, two more of these magnificent beasts were slayed.

Unable to stop the killings the Sanaps were aghast that their goddess has done nothing to stop the slaughter. They wondered how she could abandon her children, these mute animals, who were no match for the most dangerous animal of all – man himself. They were sure she had not left the forest and gone, for sometimes they heard her roar.

Who will protect them now? They constantly worried, with increasing incidents of hunting and poaching.

Years passed, and the Sanaps started losing hope. Their pride as protectors of the forest had taken a beating. Even their faith on the invincible power of the goddess was now shaken.

Gradually, apart from the elders in the tribe, who held on to what they considered their true identity as protectors of the forests, the later generations of Sanaps also changed. Like the Rohigyas, a few of the younger ones started accompanying the nobility on hunting trips to guide them through the forest.

Then one day while returning from one such hunting expedition, a group of young Sanaps, saw a young girl lying on the ground. Thinking that she was from one of the neighbouring villages, who had lost her way and got hurt, they brought her home with them.

It took a few weeks of medication and care to bring the girl back to consciousness. She seemed traumatised by her experience in the jungle. They tried to find out information about her home, but could not. She was mute, and unable to communicate with them.

The elders in the tribe recounted with hushed tones how their most revered ancestor had also found a girl in the forest, who was their deity. But they knew that the frail youngster who had sought refuge with them, was an ordinary village girl, who had lost her way home. They started calling her Chara.

The girl always seemed listless and at a loss. The youngsters in the tribe tried to include them in their games, but she was always disinterested. She never smiled, nor cried, or asked for anything. She was particularly wary of all the young men in the village, including the four who had saved her.

A month later, one evening when these four young Sanaps returned to their village after being paid a significant amount helping three British officers on a successful hunting expedition, they saw a very strange site.

Chara had somehow managed to climb on top of the huge boulder that protected the village from the eastern side. Her body, clothed in the white robe that the women in the village wore, almost seemed translucent against the backdrop of the moonlit sky.

Her face contorted into a strange expression as an unearthly cry escaped from her lips. The sound was almost blood curling, and stunned all those who had gathered around the boulder.

Considering that Chara looked so delicate and weak, the loudness of her scream shocked everyone.

She continued making the strange sound for some time, shaking her head, her dishevelled long hair flying around. Almost like when a lion roars while shaking its mane.

Then Chara looked down at them, her eyes were blazing. The girl who had never spoken a single word all these days, seemed to be transmitting her thoughts to everyone.

“I had given you a sacred legacy. What have you done with it?”

As they stared at her in shock, they realised now that she was no ordinary girl. Some got down on their knees, others were too shocked to even move, and of course they were all terrified.

Then in the blink of an eye, she vanished. It seemed; she had just merged with the moonlight.

The most affected were the four young Sanaps. They knew they had defiled a sacred heritage, entrusted to their tribe by their revered goddess.

They promised themselves that from now on they would become protectors of the wild.

The Sanaps from that day onwards, never let go of their valued legacy. Through the decades, each member of the tribe took on the protection of wildlife and the forests’s natural heritage, as their sacred life purpose – the reason for their birth and their existence – even successive generations who moved to the cities.

While some, including women, studied to become environmentalists. A few researched on conservation and even wrote a book or two.

Then there were those who lived in the village, protecting the hallowed ground where the goddess lived with them – they became forest guards and rangers, even guides and local naturalists for tourists.

They had erred, but were never going to repeat it again. Their devotion to their goddess never failed. Sometimes they worshipped her as a divine child who inculcated in them love for wildlife, sometimes she was the warrior Goddess Durga riding a tiger, sometimes she was the fearsome Goddess Kali who vanquished both internal and external evil, and sometimes she was Mother Earth – tolerant yet cataclysmic in her fury.

(Excerpt from the book ‘Mystical Tales Of Sacred Earth’)

(Sudipta is an energy healer, Akashic Records practitioner and mystical storyteller. Her collection of magical short stories ‘Invoking Our Inner Goddess’, ‘Mystical Tales Of Sacred Earth’, ‘The Blue God’s Love’ and ‘Enchanted Waters: The Magical Flow Of Life’ are available worldwide on Amazon Kindle.)

 

 

Soul writing: How journaling empowers and heals us

Penning down one’s thoughts and feelings is one of the best ways of expressing oneself. When we write for ourself we become our own best friend and treasured confidant. Yes, do not for a moment believe that this is a one way communication – that it is you alone are writing down what you feel – there is a conversation going on – with your Higher Self. This is the beauty of journaling, of putting down the pen to paper, and writing.

If you are interested in exploring this wonderful journey of self exploration and healing, I would advise you to keep a diary or a journal, not use a laptop or a tab. There is something magical that happens when the pen flows, connecting the mind and the heart, and the energy flows through your fingers as the pen moves. This vibrant energy might sometimes get dissipated, if you are using an electronic device, therefore the need to go back to our good old pen and paper.

The process of writing itself is purifying, like taking an energy shower. Whatever be the cause of our unhappiness or anxiety, when it is put on paper, it takes less of a toll on us. The words, the string of sentences stare back and we start seeing the situation like a witness – and when we do that, the pain seems less, the anxiety reduces. That is why journaling is so cathartic.

The pertinent question is – how to get into the practice of journaling effortlessly. Here are some tips:

1. It is true that the process of writing seems like a task. It takes immense discipline to keep sometime aside every day or at least a few times every week, even just 30 minutes, and write in the journal. The difficult part is that this motivation has to come from within us. But first we need to be convinced that writing really helps us, not only in bringing about a balanced perspective to life, but also understanding the workings of our subconscious mind, and ultimately understanding oneself. Once we are motivated enough and get into the practice of writing with discipline, the healing impact of journaling starts revealing itself.

2. To start with, select a beautiful diary or a notebook. The aesthetics and design should attract you so that every time you pick it up, you know that it is not just special but also a sacred space, exclusively for your daily jottings. In time, you will start understanding how precious the diary is as it holds so many thoughts, emotions, dreams, inspirations that define you.

3. Be honest with yourself as you start journaling. It is common for us to find excuses for our fallacies, however when we honestly acknowledge our true feelings, one can touch base with the purest part of oneself. Sometimes, as the outpouring of words flow you might find yourself crying, not in anguish but in relief as you confront the buried truth in your heart.

4. Be kind to yourself, no matter what. Journaling is a beautiful way of connecting with your inner child. It is an effective process of shadow work – the part of oneself that we do not want to acknowledge (will be posting a detailed article on this topic soon). It helps us to reach out to our shadow self that we tend to ignore or shun, and brings about deep rooted healing, sometimes connected with childhood trauma or neglect.

5. As we write about our daily life, our thoughts, every feeling, we start watching the play of life as a witness. After all that is what life is all about – a play, and we are all playing our roles here, for a definite time, before going back home. Journaling helps us in getting detached from all that does not add constructively to our life. This might take time, but we do start experiencing the positive impact gradually. It also helps us in making the right life choices.

As we start opening up, we start enjoying the process of journaling. The freedom to express, the joy of sharing, the insights, all make us feel truly empowered. It cleanses and heals us and gives us inexplicable joy.

Reiki : The important practice of daily self-healing

Self-healing is an important everyday practice for all light workers and energy healers, which they often tend to forgo. They give healing to their clients, friends and family, relationships, situations or calamities half way across the world, but constantly ignore the need to give healing to themselves.

Though most energy healers and Reiki practitioners very well know the significance of self-healing, often they give in to excuses like lack of time and convince themselves that someone else needs healing more. A few also honestly acknowledge that they feel lazy doing self-healing every day and don’t try to make an effort unless they suffer from a problem – physical, mental or emotional.

Self-healing makes us feel strongly connected to the energy of Reiki, every single day. A supremely intelligent energy, Reiki can heal all aspects for us that we might not be aware of or might come up in the future. This beautiful connection with the energy guides us in so many different ways, bringing all that we need in our lives and taking away all that does not serve our highest good.

Keeping aside 15 minutes to half an hour every day for self Reiki, goes a long way in our healing journey. Like other spiritual practices, self-healing raises our vibrational energy, and is an essential processes for us to elevate from 3D to 5D.

It is not that difficult to inculcate a practice – early in the morning as soon as we get up or before going to sleep. In fact self Reiki at night, helps us to sleep better.

The main factor is to make the conscious effort. Often if we are travelling or do not have the time or the right situation where we can sit quietly and do self-healing, we can do Reiki in the train, on a flight, waiting at the airport. Hand positions are not necessary, just visualise yourself in the flow of the energy and give healing to each chakra.

One easy an wonderful way of doing self-healing if we don’t have much time, is to give oneself a quick Reiki shower. Visualise the silvery white light of of Reiki cascading down on yourself like a shower, totally covering you from head to toe. And then, see yourself merging in that light. Even a few minutes under the ‘Reiki shower’ will make you feel rejuvenated and new.

Grounding is an essential practice that is an important part of self-healing process, which all Reiki practitioners as well as those who are not attuned to any energy healing modality, can do every day. Connecting with the energy of Mother Earth, helps us to ground and calm the mind, and cleanses us energetically. It is a wonderful stabilising factor. (To know more, please read my previous article ‘Connecting With The Magical Energy of Mother Earth‘).

Aura cleansing and cord cutting are other significant practices that should be done every day, and hardly take a few minutes. These can be done by even those who are not energy healers. Unwanted etheric cords that keep growing back should be got rid off daily through some simple processes. To understand the need for this, please read my writeup on ‘How Unwanted Etheric Cords Are Binding Us Energetically‘.

And yes, an essential aspect of Reiki practice are the 5 Principles … that we often forget to say aloud, daily:

Just for today, I will not be angry.

Just for today, I will not worry.

Just for today, I will live with gratitude.

Just for today, I will be kind to all living things.

Just for today, I will do my work honestly.

If we affirm these 5 Principles every morning, it sets the energetic impression of how we are going to think, act and speak the whole day.

(Sudipta is an energy healer, Akashic Records practitioner and mystical storyteller. Her collection of short stories ‘Invoking Our Inner Goddess’,’Mystical Tales Of Sacred Earth’, ‘The Blue God’s Love’ and ‘Enchanted Waters: The Magical Flow Of Life’ are available worldwide on Amazon Kindle.)

The Call Of The Yogini

It was just as she had seen in her dream, about five years ago. Just three nights after Sumit had left her for her best friend. Kavita remembered the dream clearly because that was the only night, she had fallen asleep after he had walked out of their apartment.

In the middle of the jungle, surrounded by tall deodar (Himalayan cedar) trees, a complex of statues in the open air almost in decrepit condition, abandoned.

“These are the statues of the Yoginis that were created almost 350 years ago. And yes, nobody comes to worship in this unique temple complex now, as you can see,” said the guide Joka. He was appointed by the tour company, to take care of the all-women trekking group in the Himalayas.

An astounded Kavita started exploring the place, walking amidst the statues and other structures that were the remnants of the unusual open air temple complex dedicated to the Mother Goddess.

As Kavita made her way through the overgrowth soaking in the surroundings, she recollected how it was different from her dream, that she could clearly remember as if it was just yesterday.

She had seen these statues in twilight, just before darkness was about to descend in the evening. She saw an unbroken statue, a women’s face with hands in the front. A golden ball of light was rotating on top of the hands, it was as if the ball was energizing the atmosphere and even beyond. She could also make out the silhouettes of other statues in the background, but this was the prominent one.

Kavita tried her best to remember the face of the statue, but could not. What was clear in her memory was the suffused atmosphere, the ball of light, the palms and the eyes looking at her trying to tell something.

The eyes were alive in the dream and so was the whole atmosphere, charged with a surreal energy which she could feel even now.

“How many statues are here, or let’s say, were here? Would you be knowing the names of the Yoginis?” Kavita asked Joka. Her heart thumping fast, as she understood that whoever or whatever she had seen in her dream had brought her here.

“Originally the temple complex had the statues of 64 Yoginis, however now as you can see, very few remain, most of the statues are broken. I bring tourists here because it is an interesting place to visit in the middle of the jungle,” answered Joka.

Kavita now had a singular focus – to locate the statue she had seen in her dream. The eyes that looked straight at her, the ball of energy in the air … what did it indicate?

She looked around but could not find a similar figurine, in fact none of them were intact. There was no sign or resemblance to what she had seen in her dream.

Feeling helpless, she implored the guide and asked, “Do you know if among all the statues that have been destroyed, any of them were of great significance?”

Curious to see her deep interest in the derelict temple complex, Joka said, “As you can see not even one statue is in a good condition, it is difficult to recognise which belongs to which Yogini, and I am afraid I don’t know all their names. However, I certainly know that the most important one was the statue of Yogmaya. You are aware of her story, right?”

When Kavita shook her head to indicate that she was clueless, Joka started recounting the story of Lord Krishna’s birth. Others in the group also gathered around to hear the story.

Joka continued, “Yogmaya was the girl child born to Yashoda and Nand, who was exchanged with Sri Krishna by his father, Vasudeva. This was done by Vasudeva to save Krishna from being killed by his uncle, the cruel king Kamsa. And when Kamsa tried to kill the exchanged child, she vanished from his hands announcing that the one who will kill him has already been born. Yogmaya is another form of Adi Shakti, the primordial Mother Goddess, she is the energy who runs the universe.”

Listening to the story, Kavita felt that she almost could not breathe. She was certain that it was the statue of Yogmaya that she had seen in her dream.

Was it destiny that brought her today to the sacred spot of 64 Yoginis, after almost five years of seeing the dream? Or was it a call that has resurfaced and subconsciously guided her here?

But what was the message? Surely there had to be one, wondered Kavita, looking around at the ruins trying to find an answer.

She has lived through a nightmare in the last five years. It was as if all the dreams she had cherished in her lifetime came crashing down.  Her marriage crumbled and with it died all the treasured identities in her life – her carefully nurtured enviable lifestyle, her social standing as an art connoisseur that earlier gave her so much pride. Kavita believed she was nothing. She was so broken that she never realised all the happiness and power of her life she had invested in just one relationship, one man, whose betrayal, broke her completely.

She took this trip on the insistence of her cousin who felt that she needed a change from her life in Delhi and keep her mind away from the broken, crumbled pieces of her life that would never come together.

And here, after five years, she came to the very spot whose dream echoed the most painful memories that she wanted to forget. Kavita was keen to spend some time at the spot and suggested to the group that they can have their picnic lunch here. Thankfully, they all agreed to take a break at the spot and have their packed lunch arranged by the tour company.

As her fellow travellers started gorging on puris and potato curry, food was farthest from Kavita’s mind. Like a woman possessed, she went from one broken statue to another, trying desperately to locate the one she had seen in her dream.

Almost one hour had passed. As the group started moving ahead, Joka called out to her.

Fatigued and feeling helpless, Kavita sat down on a broken stump and acknowledged Joka’s call. “Yes I am coming in a few minutes, you guys move ahead.”

“I am sorry madam, I can’t leave the place without taking everyone with me. It is not safe for you to be here alone,” replied Joka in a slightly stern voice.

“Alright, I am coming,” said Kavita, getting up with a sigh of resignation.

As she touched a stone piece for support to get up, she felt as if she received an electric shock.

It was so strong that she let out a cry.

Joka came running and asked, “What is it madam, have you got hurt?”

“No, I haven’t. I felt a shock as if an electric current passed through me,” said Kavita, as she bent down again to have a closer look at the stone she had just touched.

She could clearly make out two hands – all that had remained of the statue.

The hands that held the energy and brought her here.

It had taken time, but she had arrived.

Always sensitive, she could feel a strong surge of energy course through her body.

She knew it was impossible for her to take the heavy stone hands with her, and maybe they were not meant to be removed from the place.

After Kavita returned to Delhi, the dreams followed.

She saw herself standing in front of the statue with eyes that were alive.

The ball of energy came to her and merged into her body. When she woke up with a start, she found that both her hands were very warm.

This happened for three consecutive nights. She knew it was a divine help reaching out to her in a most unusual way, but what it was she was unable to understand.

A day later, Kavita got a call from her close friend Diya, asking if she would like to join an energy healing workshop which the latter was going to attend.

Kavita agreed, though not too sure why she did.

As the workshop started, it struck Kavita that this was the way forward for her – to be healed and then heal others, moving forward in life in the flow of the beautiful energy.

The goddess had herself come to show her the way. The wait had been long, but Kavita had finally found her true path.

(Excerpt from the book ‘Invoking Our Inner Goddess’)

(Sudipta is an energy healer, Akashic Records practitioner and mystical storyteller. Her collection of short stories ‘Invoking Our Inner Goddess’,’Mystical Tales Of Sacred Earth’, ‘The Blue God’s Love’ and ‘Enchanted Waters: The Magical Flow Of Life’ are available worldwide on Amazon Kindle.)

 

The Shadow Self

You and I are one, my dearest friend
But I always ignore your call
I turn away my face, not look you in the eyes
Try to forget your very existence.

Yet, you always come knocking my door
In the darkest moment of my pain
In the spotlight of my reflection
In solitude as my other self.

You are my suppressed sorrows
My unexplained fears
My forgettable foibles
My abandoned Inner Child.

I will never be whole
Unless I learn to love and embrace you
Then you and I will walk together into the light
My forever companion, my shadow self.