7 Ways to Slow or Stop Your Spiritual Growth

In this podcast episode, Anandi shines a light on the seven factors that can impede our spiritual growth and hinder our progress.
From resisting change to neglecting self-care, Anandi explores these obstacles and offers practical suggestions to overcome them.
Join Anandi as she uncovers the power of embracing change, vulnerability, self-reflection, cultivating awareness and presence, and embracing guidance on our spiritual journey.
Whether you’re a seasoned seeker or just beginning to explore the path of spiritual growth, this episode will provide valuable insights and guidance to help you navigate your personal journey.
Tune in to discover how you can overcome these hurdles, reignite your spiritual growth, and embrace the transformative power of the journey within.
The link to the episode is below or just type Anandi Sano podcast on the major platforms.
Blessings

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Transcript

(00:17):
Welcome to the Anandi Sano Podcast and welcome to this episode. In this podcast, I want to explore the depth of our spiritual journey. And today I wanted to discuss an important topic, which is the different ways that we slow down or stop our spiritual growth. S seekers on the spiritual path, it’s really crucial to be aware of the obstacles that can hinder our growth. And by recognizing these challenges, we can address them and continue moving forward on our journey of self-discovery and transformation. And so let’s look at the different things that I’ve written down that I think are really important to address on our journey. And the first one I think that is really important that I hear so often is, and see so often is that people resisting change. And one of the primary ways to slow or to hold your spiritual growth is by resisting change.
(01:38):
You know, it’s natural for us to develop beliefs and perspectives over time as they provide a sense of stability and security. How when these beliefs and perspectives become really rigid, they can create a barrier that inhibits our growth. And so for us as seekers, we must remain open to the winds of change in a sense that constantly blow through our lives. You know, there’s constantly this wind that wants to create change and are we open to it? Embracing change means being willing to question our long held beliefs, challenge our assumptions, and venture into uncharted territories of thought. And experience change often brings a huge amount of uncertainty and discomfort, but it’s really in those moments of discomfort that really true and lasting growth occurs. By resisting change, we hold onto familiar patterns and ways of being, which can prevent us from stepping into our full potential and discovering new aspects of ourselves and that holds us back, that holds us bound. And often we can’t step beyond that. And to overcome the resistance to change, it’s helpful to cultivate a mindset of curiosity and openness. So being open to things and then approach each day with a sense of wonder and an eagerness to learn and to grow.
(03:50):
And it’s really important to learn to embrace the unknown as an invitation then to explore new possibilities and to expand your horizons. And we always have to remember that growth is not a linear path. And so often we think that it is, that it’s just one step after another that it’s just gonna be straightforward. But it’s really a constant cycle of shedding the old in a sense, and then embracing new insights and evolving into our higher selves, into a new way of being, an understanding of ourselves and the world. And just as a butterfly comes forth, it emerges from its cocoon. We too must be willing to undergo the transformative process of change.
(04:58):
So it’s really important to let go of the fear of the unknown. I know it’s really hard to do, really hard to let go of the fear of that thing that we don’t know or something that we don’t know and embrace the beauty of change. And really you need to ask yourself, what is the worst thing that can happen? What is the worst thing that can happen in this process of change? And trust in the wisdom of the divine and life unfolding and allow yourself to evolve. And it is through this process of embracing change that we truly step into the flow of our spiritual journey and we experience profound growth and a realization and exploration of self.
(06:02):
And what I want you to do now is just take a moment to reflect on areas of your life where you may be resisting change. Are there any beliefs or perspectives that have become really rigid and are holding you back? How can you embrace the unknown and allow yourself to evolve? Remember, change is not so something to be feared, but rather it is a catalyst for your spiritual growth. And so for the next thing I wanna look at, which was a huge point for me, fear of vulnerability. And I can probably hear some of you starting your self-talk and going, oh my God, I don’t wanna be vulnerable ever. I don’t wanna show people who I am. And the fear of being vulnerable is a really common hurdle that can really impede our spiritual growth. Vulnerability requires us to expose who we are, to open up and share our innermost thoughts, our emotions, and our experiences.
(07:22):
And it can be so uncomfortable as it makes us feel exposed and potentially susceptible to judgment, humiliation, or rejection. But that could just be in our minds and the way that we perceive ourselves. But it’s really crucial to recognize that vulnerability is not a weakness, but a gateway to profound growth and connection. And when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we create an authentic space for self-exploration and growth. It is through vulnerability that we can truly understand ourselves and we can connect deeply with others and forge genuine relationships. We can’t do that when we’re not open and we’re not vulnerable. By avoiding vulnerability, we may be unknowingly shielding ourselves from experiences, the richness and the depth of life and the divine will probably avoid taking risks and expressing our true feelings or confronting challenging emotions. And while this protective mechanism might provide temporary comfort, it ultimately restricts our growth and keeps us from fully engaging with life’s transformative experiences. And to overcome this fear of vulnerability, it’s really essential to look at our perception of it, to look at it in a different way, to stand back and actually look at it. And rather viewing vulnerability as a weakness. We can see it as an act of courage
(09:24):
And strength. It takes courage to be seen, to share our vulnerabilities and to allow ourselves to be emotionally available. It takes courage to do that. Embracing vulnerability allows us to cultivate a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. It fosters empathy and compassion and connection. And when we are willing to be vulnerable, we invite others to do the same. And then we create an environment of trust and openness. And true growth can occur between many, not just yourself, but with others as well. So let’s take that moment to reflect on any areas of your life where you are avoiding vulnerability. Are there emotions or experiences that you are reluctant to explore? And then think about how embracing vulnerability can enhance your spiritual journey and deepen your connections. Maybe write it down, maybe go back at the end of this and write these down and explore these for yourself. True growth requires us to step out of our comfort zones and we have to lean into vulnerability. We have to be able to embrace the uncertainty and discomfort that may arise for it is really in those moments of vulnerability that we can experience really profound growth, healing, and transformation.
(11:21):
I now wanna talk about a lack of self-reflection. And when we neglect self-reflection and introspection, our spiritual growth will really stagnate. And in the hustle and bustle and the busyness of everyday life, it’s really easy to get caught up in the external world and overlook the importance of turning inward.
(11:52):
And I always talk about going to core, you know, working through the layers, releasing what’s there, and then sitting in the stillness, sitting in the stillness and really being in the inness, in the inner of self. Self. And then self-reflection is a very powerful tool for understanding ourselves on a deeper level. It provides us with an opportunity to pause, to be in the silence and to connect with our inner wisdom. And in that we then gain insights into who we are and the world around us and how we interact with it and how we interact with others. And through self-reflection we can see hidden patterns and beliefs and behaviors that maybe holding us back from reaching our full potential and who we wanna be. And when we neglect self-reflection, we miss out on the invaluable lessons and growth opportunities and that arise from introspection, from allowing ourselves to see who we are in life and how we respond to life and how we interact with life. It’s like we navigate through life on autopilot and we blindly move from, you know, one experience to another without truly understanding the underlying currents and motivations within ourselves and how we react to the world. And to break free from this, it’s really essential to prioritize this self-reflection awareness in our daily lives. And for that, you need to be really present. And again, you will get that as you work through the layers and you start releasing things and you become that stillness.
(14:02):
You carve out moments of stillness and solitude where you can dive really deep within yourself and explore the depths of your being. And I find doing the work of peak, it is the most profound space base for that contemplation. If that is what you wish to do and it’s a really great thing to do, and then a self-reflection, it’s really good to you know, ask yourself some, some questions. What are your core values and beliefs are your actions and how you deal with life aligned with your true essence. Are there any areas in your life that attention or growth? And in that state of when your layers are clear and you are completely, utterly true with yourself, you can really honestly explore these questions and then you can gain a deeper understanding of yourself and then you can make conscious choices that support your spiritual evolution. And self-reflection allows us to develop self-awareness, which is really the foundation of personal growth. It helps us recognize our strengths, our weaknesses, what triggers us and our patterns. And with this awareness, we can navigate life with more clarity and make aligned decisions and cultivate a greater sense of peace and fulfillment.
(15:54):
And we have to remember that self-reflection is not a one-time event or something that we do once a month, but it’s something that is an ongoing practice so that when you become aware of something that you’ve said or something that you’ve thought, you take a moment, you go to that quiet place or you work through your layers, bring that stillness state around and what comes out of that. And it’s a journey of self-discovery and self-compassion. And it’s so important to be gentle with yourself during this process, embracing both the the positive and the negative. And then through self-reflection, we can unlock our true potential and we can accelerate our spiritual journey. The next thing I wanted to talk about was attachment to outcomes. And I know a lot of people are attached to outcomes, the goal oriented outcome focused. So becoming overly attached to specific outcomes or goals will hinder your spiritual growth. Like there’s no doubt about it. And in our goal or orientated society, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that success is measured solely by reaching a desired outcome.
(17:26):
However, on our spiritual journey, it’s important to remember that the destination is not the focus. It’s about embracing the journey itself, cuz the journey that creates change and it’s the journey that can bring us more joy because we don’t know what the destination is, right? When we become overly attached to specific outcomes, we limit ourselves and we confine our growth to really narrow parameters and then we can fixate on achieving a particular level of spiritual enlightenment. Yeah, finding the perfect job or experiencing profound moments of awakening and then while having goals is beneficial. Yes, we need need to have goals in life. It’s essential to maintain a flexible and open mindset along the way. And by attaching ourselves to specific outcomes, we set ourselves up for disappointment and frustration, particularly if things don’t unfold exactly as we had set them out in our head.
(18:47):
And what we do then is that we may miss the valuable lessons and growth opportunities that present themselves in unexpected ways. It’s crucial to understand that the journey of spiritual growth is a continuous process with each experience and moment contributing to our evolution. And instead of fixating on a particular outcome, embrace the moment, this moment and stay open to the possibilities that unfold along the way. And trust in the process of unfolding, knowing that the universe has a unique path designed specifically for you and be willing to adjust your expectations and surrender to the flow of the divine. And by releasing attachment to that outcome, you can create space for magic and synchronicity to enter your life. And we can allow ourselves to be guided by the wisdom of the divine universe, God, and embrace the often unexpected twists and turns that leads us to greater growth and to accelerating that spiritual journey in a way that we didn’t think was possible. It’s in these moments of surrender and acceptance that we can experience profound transformation and find beauty in the journey itself. A spiritual journey is not a linear path, it’s a dance, an ebb and flow, a contraction, expansion, growth and release. And you have to embrace each step with an open heart and mind knowing that every experience, whether perceived as positive or negative, contributes to your spiritual evolution.
(20:56):
And the next one is neglecting self-care. Neglecting self-care and prioritizing external demands over your inner nourishment can have a huge detrimental effect on our spiritual growth. In our fast pace and busy life, it’s all too common to put our own needs and wellbeing on the back burner. However, taking care of ourselves is essential for our overall spiritual health and growth. When we neglect self-care, we deprive ourselves of the vital energy and balance needed to sustain our spiritual journey. You know, we find ourselves constantly depleted, overwhelmed, emotionally drained and disconnected from who we are. Our spiritual growth requires a foundation of spiritual nourishment, which includes caring for our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. And making self-care a priority means recognizing that we are deserving of love, care, and attention. It involves setting boundaries and creating space in our lives for activities and practices that replenish our mind, body and spirit. Self-Care looks different for everyone as it is a deeply personal practice. It may involve, you know, activities like meditation or yoga or spending time in nature. Some people like to journal, I recommend peak over and over again, engaging in creative pursuits or taking moments
(23:04):
Of solitude and reflection. So being in stillness or listening to, you know, a soundtrack or whatever playing sound, it could be a multitude of things. Engaging in regular self-care practices is is not selfish and it’s not indulgent. It is an act of self-love and self-respect. And by taking care of ourselves, we cultivate a strong and really resilient foundation from which our spiritual growth can flourish. And it can’t flourish if you don’t have self-care. And when we prioritize self-care, we become more attuned to our needs, our emotions, our inner guidance, enhancing our connection with our selves and the divine God source. And we have to remember that self-care is not a luxury or something to be squeezed into the margins of our lives. It is an essential component of our spiritual journey as it nourishes us on all levels in know, mind, body, and spirit. And when we are well cared for, we are better equipped to navigate all of life’s challenges. We maintain balance and we experience the profound transformation that accompanies spiritual growth. So you have to make a commitment to prioritize self-care in your daily life. Set aside dedicated time for activities that bring you joy and that bring you peace and that rejuvenates you.
(24:58):
And listen to the needs of your body, mind, and soul, and honor them. Honor them with love and compassion because no one else is going to do it for you. People will be happy to take time from you, but you need to put self-care daily, daily into your practice. We move on to the next thing, which is another really powerful one, which is lack of mindfulness or lack of awareness in a sense. And being disconnected from now the present moment and living on autopilot can obstruct our spiritual growth, not can it will. In today’s fast-paced and technology driven world, it’s really easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and you’re constantly multitasking and we’re running on autopilot. However, true spiritual growth requires us to cultivate and bring conscious a awareness. We have to cultivate mindfulness and bring conscious awareness to our thoughts, our emotions, and our actions. So everything we do becomes a state of presence.
(26:24):
And mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in each moment with non-judgmental awareness. And I say this all the time, is that when we are in presence and there’s nothing in our layers, non-judgmental awareness is the way that we live. Because there are no life moments in the layers that will be brought up and will taint the thing that you look at or the tain of the discussion that you are having because it’s being tainted with previous memories and thoughts and emotions. So mindfulness involves intentionally observing our thoughts, feelings, and sensations without getting caught up in them or being carried away by the past or future. And that is really when we’re in that state of presence. When we’re in core, our layers are completely calm and quiet and we are in presence. So we could say mindfulness is a state of presence, but we’ll call it mindfulness because people recognize that word. By cultivating mindfulness, we develop a deeper connection to the present moment and the true essence of who we are. And when we lack this and being able to see the world for what it truly is, we miss out on the richness and the depth of our experiences. We may find ourselves going through the motions of life without truly being in engaged or present. And this disconnection can hinder our spiritual growth as it prevents us from fully experiencing the wisdom and the lessons that each moment will hold for us.
(28:14):
And to be able to cultivate this, again, you could be doing meditation or yoga or paying attention to your senses, but for me it’s the work of peak. Working in the layers is so powerful and it’s so simple and allows us to bring attention to the present moment where we become aware of our thoughts and the emotions and the sensations that are around us and that also arise within us. It’s an opportunity for us to go into our layers and release more of the energetics of what is being held for us so that we can come back into stillness. So as we practice mindfulness or awareness or presence, we create space for the self-reflection and self-discovery and self transformation. And we become attuned to the subtle, subtle nuances of our inner landscape and gain insight into the interconnectedness of everything. And it allows us to be more conscious in our choices to respond rather than react.
(29:24):
And to live with greater authenticity and with intention to take moments throughout your day to pause and breathe and be fully present. If you do peak, take that time when you feel things arise, when that emotion comes up, or a flurry of thoughts to go in your layers and release what is there so that you can become fully present again. And in that space you’ll notice the sensations of your breath, the sights and sounds around you, and embrace every moment as an opportunity for growth and let that state guide you on your spiritual journey. And the last thing that I wanted to talk about was resisting guidance. And I, I noticed this a lot in people and I just thought I’d wanted to talk about it. And resisting guidance from mentors, teachers, or communities, spiritual communities, can really limit our growth on the spiritual path. And it’s important to recognize that we are not meant to navigate this journey alone. And embracing opportunities for learning and seeking support from others who have walked a similar path can really enhance our spiritual growth and transformation. And when we resist guidance, we deny ourselves the wisdom, insights, and the experiences of those who have gone before us. We may hold the belief that we can figure it out all on our own, or that seeking help is a sign of weakness.
(31:16):
However, this resistance can hinder our progress and prolong our journey, our spiritual journey and guidance from mentors, teachers, and you know, community provides valuable support, it brings perspective and accountability. And these individuals often have dedicated their time to studying and practicing the teachings that can illuminate our path and their wisdom and guidance can help us navigate the challenges and clarify our understanding and provide a safe space for exploration and growth and asking questions, right? For me it was, I wanted to know answers and I didn’t have anybody to answer them for me. And so I find that so important with our community, that being available to be able to answer people’s questions cuz people have questions and they wanna know and they wanna grow. And that’s the beauty of it. And by embracing opportunities for learning, we open ourselves to new perspectives, teachings and practices that can accelerate our growth.
(32:34):
We allow ourselves to be humble and receptive and recognizing that there’s always more to discover and learn on our journey through the guidance of others. We can avoid unnecessary detours, we can gain insight into our patterns and our blind spots. And we can receive encouragement during challenging times because there will be challenging times, there’ll be times when you’re just cruising and everything’s wonderful. And then there are times that will be really challenging. And in those times is when you reach out to the people that you’re walking with and you go, I need you to work in my layers. I need you to find a thing that is holding me bound cuz I can’t see it for myself. And then more than often, it is literally within the period of half an hour that something shifts and you’re back on track again. And that’s the beauty of it, that you’re not battling these things by yourself. And seeking support from a spiritual community can be incredibly enriching. And connecting with like-minded individuals who share our aspirations and challenges creates a supportive network where we can learn and grow and inspire each other. Being a part of a community allows us to share experiences and receive guidance and deepen our understanding through the wisdom, the collective wisdom.
(34:17):
So be open to guidance and support for those who have walked the path before you or walk the path with you and seek out mentors or teachers or the community that resonate with your values and aspirations. And embrace the opportunity to learn and grow and connect with others. Connect, it’s the most important thing. Connect with others who can uplift and inspire you on your spiritual journey. Don’t lock yourself away, connect. So those are the things that I wanted to talk about that are really important points for you to consider that maybe slowing down or stopping your spiritual growth or hindering your spiritual growth. And by being aware of these potential obstacles, you can empower yourself to overcome them and continue your journey of spiritual growth and awakening. I. And as we conclude this episode, I wanna encourage you to reflect on each of those things in this podcast and maybe go back and really explore them again and see if any resonate with your own journey. And remember, growth requires courage, openness, and a willingness to explore the depth of who you are. Thank you for joining me on this enlightening discussion. If you found value in today’s episode, please share it with others who may benefit from it, who are also on their spiritual path or who are looking for the thing, but they don’t know what it is. And that’s one of the things I’ve heard so often. People often go, I didn’t even know I was searching for this, but I came across it and now I know what I need for me. Thank you for being here and we will talk very, very soon. Many blessings. 

Body Pain, Fatigue and Irritability

Can you you relate to these?

➡️ Feelings of fatigue, low energy, sluggishness, decreased motivation, poor concentration, and a general sense of being “shut down” or disconnected.

➡️ Increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, rapid breathing, heightened anxiety, restlessness, and difficulty relaxing or falling asleep

➡️ Mood swings, irritability, emotional reactivity, and difficulty managing stress or handling intense emotions.

➡️ Body pain and stiffness

➡️ Feel overwhelmed by everyday challenges or have difficulty finding emotional balance.

➡️ Digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), bloating, stomach pain, constipation, or diarrhea.

➡️ Overly sensitive to light, sound, touch, or smell, leading to feelings of overwhelm or discomfort in certain environments.

➡️ Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or having restful sleep.

➡️ Vivid dreams or nightmares and wake up feeling unrefreshed or fatigued.

These symptoms listed above are like the smorgasbord of symptoms that my students have when they finally land on my doorstep.

And, to be perfectly honest, that’s where I was when I first started the work that I do now..but throw a little complex PTSD in there as well which dialled up the volume on everything.

Looking back I really have no idea how I coped with life.

Did I actually live life or was I just trying to get from one moment to the next and feel ok, feel safe.

What was feeling ok? Was it a moment where my rev meter was down to a three instead of an eight and that felt ‘good’?

Was that why I decided to immerse myself in meditation, sound healing, Buddha chanting, yoga, qigong, energy healing etc etc so I could ‘feel’ something different?

Something that I perhaps innately knew was good for me?

But these things were also a struggle. It felt like a short reprieve and then it all kicked in again. So I learned to be more consistent in my practices and things changed.

I was still experiencing lots and lots of symptoms and any time I backed off on my practices , things would get worse again.

Then things went totally haywire when my father passed, I had that moment with God whilst on his deathbed and I got diagnosed with breast cancer.

I had however managed to heal my severe chronic fatigue that I had had for many years so that was a bonus.

That moment with God exploded my world even further as all the symptoms listed above amplified.

Now I know it was the beginning of an awakening. What is known as kundalini awakening.

It went on for years and I continued trying to do all the things, including food, supplements etc etc etc etc to try and figure it all out.

And then Source/God showed me the work that I do now and teach to others…and wham! The pieces fell into place.

The calmness…o..m..g…the calmness that I started to experience!

Not the false ‘shut down’ states that I see so many people in.

But a calmness where my rev meter went to 0 and stayed there !!! It was like…what is this world?????????

And then it would scare me because it was unknown.

Would I be safe? It feels so foreign. Will I be in control????

When I realised that my PTSD had virtually vanished within 3 months I knew that everything was changing.

I was doing what people called ‘healing’ . I never identified with my ‘trauma’ or my stories. I thought trauma was what I saw as a paramedic.

So I never thought that I had to ‘ heal’ from anything. Stuff happens and you move on.

And maybe that’s why God showed me this profound and miraculous work of peiec healing. I didn’t like to talk about my stuff and rarely revealed any part of myself to anyone.

So often I hear people say ..I don’t have anything to heal , I had a good upbringing and had no trauma. Yet they experience the symptoms listed above. And they keep looking…

And what is peiec ? Peiec is energy healing..unlike anything else that is out there.

And it was given so you can take an active role in your own ‘healing’ but also have a community around you when you can’t assist yourself.

And that list from above starts to disappear and you find this state of being wirhin you that is balanced, conscious , self-aware and with an inner peace that you can’t even describe.

And from there, life truly begins.

And it’s not for the lucky or the few, it’s for you too.

So when you are ready, and even if you’re scared, walk with me. But you have to take the first step. It will be ok.

Many blessings

P.s The list above are the symptoms of a dysregulated nervous system. Of course there could be other underlying issues causing symptoms.

Five ways to know if you are making progress on your spiritual journey

In this episode, Anandi explores the topic of spiritual progress and discusses five key indicators that can help you recognize and celebrate the growth and transformation that you’re experiencing on your spiritual journey.

Transcript 

(00:17):
Welcome to the Anandi Sano podcast and welcome to this episode. Today we’re gonna explore the topic of spiritual progress and discuss five key indicators that can help you recognize and celebrate the growth and transformation that you’re experiencing on your spiritual journey. So one of the first signs that you are making progress on the spiritual journey is a sense or a heightened sense of awareness. So as you become more attuned to your thoughts, emotions, and sensations, you may notice that you are more present and more mindful in your daily life. And you may also find that you are more attuned to the needs and experiences of others and you are able to connect with them on a deeper level. This means that you are become more conscious or you are becoming more conscious and present in your daily life, and you’re becoming more attuned to your surroundings, your thoughts, emotions, and your physical sensations, which is really important because we tend to shut down so much in our lives so we don’t have to feel in a sense and that we are not hurt by others or even hurt by ourselves with what we think and do.
(02:06):
With heightened awareness, you may find yourself paying more attention to the present moment and notice in things that you may have previously overlooked or taken for granted. For example, you may notice the beauty of nature. Yes, we all go out to nature. We go, oh my God, this is so beautiful. But you’ll see it and experience in a different way. You’ll notice the sound of birds singing in a different way or the warmth of the sun on your skin. You may also find yourself more attuned to the needs and experiences of others and be able to connect with them on a deeper level. And this will slowly unlock itself and reveal itself to you the further that you move along your journey. So this increased awareness can be a really powerful tool for personal growth and transformation. By being more present and mindful, you will find it easier to identify patterns in your thoughts, your emotions, and in your behaviors that may be holding you back or causing you to suffer in life.
(03:34):
You may also become more aware of your strengths and values and be better to align your actions with who you are and your true purpose. It’s really important to note that this heightened sense of awareness is not something that happens overnight. It is a gradual progress that unfolds over time, and it requires patience and it requires practice and self-reflection. So in this moment or in those moments, as you experience these things, you become aware of them and that you notice the difference within yourself. And as you become more aware, you can cultivate a deeper sense of awareness and presence in everyday life. So you know, the ways to develop this heightened awareness is through things like meditation and yoga and other practices, which I did on my journey. But then that became so much deeper and accelerated my path when I started practicing the teachings that source gave me with peak.
(05:06):
And these practices helped me tune into my thoughts and my emotions and my physical sensations and and it was able to develop a greater sense of inner calm and clarity for me. And what peak was able to do as well was it made me take the time to slow down and be present in my daily activities. And that in itself was a really powerful way to cultivate awareness in my life. Well, we have to remember that heightened awareness is not a goal, but rather it’s a tool to help you navigate the path or your journey.
(06:05):
Increased awareness is a really good way to gain insight into your true Nathan, into your true nature of who you are within yourself in every moment. And it also reveals to you your purpose. And with that, you continue to grow and evolve on your spiritual journey in the most wonderful and profound ways. So another key indicator of spiritual progress is an increased sense of compassion and empathy. As you deepen your connection to yourself, your inner self, the inness as I like to call it, and to the world around you, you may find that you are more understanding and accepting of others. You may also find that you are better able to see the beauty and potential in everyone and everything, even in the midst of difficulty and struggle and chaos. And you’ll be able to start to see that and the beauty of self for yourself. So it’s not just about feeling compassion and empathy for others, but we learn to start experiencing that for ourselves. And so many of us struggle with that in daily life.
(07:44):
And as you progress on your journey, you’re likely to experience greater compassion and empathy towards others. This means that you’ll become more aware of their struggles and difficulties, and you’ll feel a deeper sense of connection to their experiences. So their experiences may be similar to yours, but you are able to not take them on but understand it from their perspective. You’ll begin to see the world through their eyes and you’ll be better able to understand and relate to their feelings and emotions. Whereas before, maybe we just responded in a way that was very different because it potentially triggered us as well as your sense of compassion and empathy grows. You may also find that you’re more accepting of others, even when their beliefs or actions will differ from your own. We’ve all had different experiences. We’ve all grown up in very different, different cultures, different settings. But as you go on the journey, you’ll be able to recognize the inherent value and worth in every individual regardless of their background or circumstances. And this can then lead to a greater sense of peace and harmony in your relationships, both with others and the relationship that you have with yourself.
(09:31):
And then what happens with this increased sense of compassion and empathy also comes a really great desire to help others. And often we experience this desire to help others in a way before we’ve done our own healing and our own journey of growth, because it’s something that we feel that we need to do. We need to always give to others. But we find that as we start healing for self and growing, and this sense of compassion grows within us, the desire to help others changes, and as we change, you may find yourself drawn to do volunteer work or other forms of service that allow you to make a positive impact on the world around you. And this can be a really powerful way to connect with others to share your gifts and talents and contribute to the greater good. But it’s not coming from a place of needing something from someone to fulfill part of the thing that’s missing within self. It’s a very different way of living and expressing yourself within the world. So the next thing that we want to touch upon is a more authentic expression of self. So as you progress on your spiritual journey, you may find that you’re more able to express yourself authentically and honestly. And this can manifest in many different ways, such as able to speak up for yourselves. You are setting healthy boundaries with people and yourself and expressing your creativity and passions. So the things that you’ve shut down in life, you are able to go, no, I need this. I need this for me, for my growth so that I’m able to be more for others as well.
(11:43):
And you may also find that you are more comfortable with vulnerability and who you are, your true self with others. As you become more connected with the inner part of you and your authentic truth, you may find that you feel more confident in expressing yourself, and you may start to notice that you are no longer holding back your thoughts and feelings to please others or avoid conflict and avoid conflict. I don’t mean that you then now express your truth in a way that you directly hurt others on purpose, but it’s a way of expressing yourself in gentleness and with gentleness and knowing that those truths may land in a certain way for somebody else, but you can’t be responsible if they don’t like your truth. And that this newfound sense of a self-awareness and self-acceptance can empower you to speak on truth. And you set boundaries and you communicate more effectively with those around you.
(13:06):
And for some people that’s been so hard to do. You know, even in my br uh, even in my upbringing, it was you are seen but not heard, right? So it was you had to be quiet. And it always taught me not to have a voice, be quiet, be invisible, become invisible so that you don’t stand out. So it’s such a different way of starting to understand that you are worthy and your truth is worthy and it is worthwhile, and that you are worthwhile, and that is all part of this growth, this part of your spiritual truth as well.
(13:54):
So in addition also to verbal expression, you may also find that you are expressing yourself more creatively, and that can be through art or music or writing, gardening or other forms of self-expression. And in that you will probably find that you have a greater sense of freedom and inspiration to create from a place of pure authenticity of who you are and who you’ve always been and what lies within you. And then with this expression of self, you’ll also find that you’ll will become more comfortable with vulnerability and sharing yourself with others. So everything builds on the next. It’s not something that can be in a silo. So as you uncover all these different things, it changes everything who you are. And then you can discover a deeper sense of connection and intimacy with those around you as you share your thoughts, your feelings and experiences in an honest and open way. And I guess then you also need to be looking at your community. Who are you with? Who are you speaking your truth with? And are they accepting of that? And then the next thing is one of the most, I think, powerful indicators of your progress and your spiritual progress is a deeper connection to the divine source, God, whatever you choose to call it. And as you continue to explore your spirituality and deepen your practices, you may find that you’re more able to connect with the divine that is within you and around you, and they cannot be separate.
(16:03):
And you may also experience a greater sense of purpose and meaning in your life, as well as a really deep, deep, deep, deep understanding of the interconnectedness of everything, of all things. And if we expand on that idea of deeper connection, there are many people on the path that feel a sense of oneness with all things as they progress on their journey. And I know I hear that time and timing again for people who use peak as a daily practice. With that, they add other things, you know, the creativity and spending time in nature and all those sorts of things. And as you connect more deeply with the divine or God, you will also find that you are more able to trust in the flow of life and surrender control over outcomes. And with that comes a sense of guidance and support from the divine or higher power, oh God, which then becomes a really profound source of incredible comfort and peace. This greater connection to source God the divine will then also lead to a greater understanding the nature of reality and the purpose of existence and your existence. You may begin to then see life’s challenges, hurdles and difficulties as opportunities for growth and learning. And I always saw them
(18:11):
As I moved along on my journey with peak as a a moment to heal because everything that came up that was suffering in a sense had that energetic component so that when I went into my layers and released the charge around, it allowed everything to change and shift. And so those life challenges weren’t there for extended periods anymore. And we all know what that’s like, right? Something will happen and we are so fixated on it, or there’s such a drama around it that our sense of compassion for self, for understanding just disappears. And so if we can use those life challenges as moments for healing and growth, we start to see ourselves and others through a lens of compassion and understanding. And this then the sense of healing and growth will lead to profound shifts in perspectives and a sense of liberation from the limitations of our mind and our reality and what we think we know and how we’ve been taught from a very young age to react and be in life. That deeper connection to source God is so transformative and it leads to a life filled with purpose and meaning and joy and such a profound inner peace
(19:59):
That it, there are no words to describe it, and it will also be a source of guidance and wisdom as you navigate the ups and downs of life. And I think one of the important things is that it is such an incredible reminder that you are never truly alone on your journey in this life. And I think one of the final key indicators, and I’m sure they’re more of them, but I just wanted to talk about the main ones that I think are really important. So another really key big key indicator of spiritual progress is a greater sense of peace and joy within your life.
(20:46):
As you continue to let go of your beliefs and your patterns and embrace your true nature and the potential that you have within you, you will find that you will experience more moments of peace and contentment and joy and a rising laughter of life within you. And these moments can come in so many forms and at such different times in the day. And it can be moments that these rise in moments of stillness or doing a peak practice, or even if you meditate or do yoga, or you are connecting with loved ones or you’re in nature and you have these moments of awe and wonder as you see life in such a different way than what you have before. When you are more aware, compassionate, authentic, and connected to the divine, it’s easier to experience a sense of inner peace and joy. And we have to remember that that doesn’t mean that you won’t face challenges or difficulties in your life, but it does mean that you are better equipped to navigate them with a sense of resilience and really deep in a strength.
(22:30):
And as you hear more, as you become more empty within your layers, you become more spacious. You will also find that you’re more able to cultivate a sense of gratitude and appreciation for all that you have in your life. So there’s less seeking outside of yourself for those things that you needed to have before in order to feel better, in order to feel fulfilled. So this then can further enhance your sense of joy and contentment, and it will help you stay focused on the present moment, the richness of the moment in the now rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the next thing in the future. So in wrapping this episode up, there are, like I said, probably so many different ways to recognize and celebrate the progress that you’re making on your spiritual journey. So many people think that there needs to be these massive, you know, indicators and road signs that appear in front of you, you know, giving you the two thumbs up that yes, you have reached stage four, you only now have 325 things to do to get to the state that you believe that you are looking for.
(24:01):
But it’s so important to reflect on the little things that are showing you that you are changing, that your healing and spiritual journey is not a destination and it’s not linear, and that there may be not, maybe there will be ups and downs along the way. And so often we hear people saying, oh, I think I’ve gone backwards. I’ve gone backwards. But when you talk to them and discuss what they’re doing and how their life has changed and how they’ve implemented things and how they’ve learned now to have a voice and express who they are and what they want and what they don’t want, and there’s a softening within, and there’s this understanding and wanting to be more vulnerable and not being scared of being hurt, people understand that that journey, the spiritual journey, is not something that you can just define by science that you baby seeking, but you actually don’t know what you’re seeking. You don’t know the signs that you are actually looking for.
(25:21):
But by staying committed to your practices, and like I always say, there doesn’t have to be peak. That could be anything that works for you, but it needs to be something that doesn’t put you outside of yourself, that doesn’t make you rely on external things to make you feel better or give you a sign. It needs to be something that comes from within that, from your connection, from you to the divine, not something in between. And you need to stay open to growth and learning and experiencing. You can continue to deepen your connection to yourself, others, the world around you, the divine, and you can experience a greater sense of peace and joy within your life. And in conclusion, in a sense, there are so many ways to recognize and celebrate the progress that you’re making on your spiritual journey. And whether it’s a heightened sense of awareness, greater compassion and empathy, more authentic in your expression of self, a deeper connection to the vine or God, or a greater sense of peace and joy, each of indicators offers you a really powerful reminder of the growth and transformation that is possible when we open ourselves to the divine within and around us.
(26:58):
So make sure that you keep exploring, you keep growing, you keep doing your daily practices, and keep celebrating your journey. Thank you so much for joining me today, and we will talk very, very soon. Many blessings. Thank you for listening.
(27:24):
If you enjoyed this episode and you’d like to help support the podcast, please subscribe and leave a rating and review and please share it with others. To stay up to date with Anani Sanu podcast and get all the behind the scenes content. You can follow me on Instagram at ani sanu, and on Facebook at anandi sunu.
(27:45):
Thank you again,
(27:46):
Many blessings, and I’ll see you next time.

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Inner Peace and understanding your Life Matters

 In this latest video, Anandi shares insightful thoughts on the significance of our state of being and how our inner peace affects every moment of our lives. We often overlook our power as divine beings and how we can create significant changes in the world through our reactions and interactions with it. Join Anandi as she encourages us to give our state of inner peace and presence a voice in this thought-provoking video.

The 7 Everyday Struggles you can Encounter on Your Spiritual Path

In this episode, Anandi discusses the 7 everyday struggles people can encounter on their spiritual path. If you are on your path of spiritual growth, this will resonate with you and give you some insight into where you are on your journey, what roadblocks you have put in place for yourself and how you can move forward.

Transcript 

(00:00):
Welcome to the Anandi Sano podcast and welcome to this episode. Today I wanted to talk about the many common spiritual struggles that people can encounter on their spiritual path. And when I was writing these and reflecting on my journey, there was some things that became very, very apparent as to what I was looking for and what I was struggling with. So I wanted to go through what to me are like the seven main things that I struggled with. So maybe this will resonate with you and, and can give you some insight as to where you are on your journey and how you could possibly move forward.
(00:55):
So the first one is feeling disconnected. So this can refer to feeling disconnected from yourself, from others, from source, god, universe, a higher power, whatever you choose to call that. And it can manifest as a sense of emptiness, low loneliness, or perhaps even a lack of purpose or maybe all three. And I know that is something that I definitely found for myself that even though I was doing particular practices and I was doing meditation and I was doing Buddhism and yoga and [inaudible] and I was trying different things, I still felt disconnected from myself. I felt really shut down. I felt like I couldn’t open myself up to others and be vulnerable. I always felt like I was going to be attacked or hurt. And I always had this sense that I never had this true and pure connection to source God cuz potentially I wasn’t good enough or there was part of me that wasn’t pure enough.
(02:30):
I don’t even know if that’s the right word, but that’s what it sort of felt like. And that is what we are told in some way as we grow up or if we go to church or we’ve done other sort of practices, it’s bad of having to work on yourself because you’re not good enough. You’re not seen as good enough in the eyes of this higher power. And that really holds us bound it. It makes us feel lost, it makes us feel and become disconnected from the world and from that deep place within ourselves. So how can we ever become whole when we have this constant feeling of disconnect and that we can truly never really connect with someone because we’re always scared or worried that we are gonna come off second best? And that was something that was huge for me. And now the second thing is struggling with negative emotions.
(03:42):
Oh that was a biggie. And I know you know a lot of you either that are already on the path or have started out or you know a little way on their journey, we can all relate to struggling with those negative emotions, you know? And those negative emotions can include feelings of anxiety and depression, anger, frustration, guilt isn’t guilt and absolute beauty that can literally ignore at you day and night. And you make decisions from that place of guilt and then that holds you bound as well. And that feeds back into the feelings of disconnect that you have because you can’t express what you want for your life because someone in your life may be holding you back or may not understand what you want to do and how you want to do it and say that you can’t do it. So these negative emotions also build up.
(04:52):
This feeling of disconnect also builds up. We lose ourselves in a sense, and these emotions may be really difficult to manage and will definitely interfere with spiritual growth. I think when we are so deep in it, we’re so deep in these negative emotions, which as I’ve explained before, are really a charge, an energetic charge that is in our layers of self. And when I talk about layers of self, I don’t talk about um, the aura or the layers that are in, in yoga or anything like that. There are specific layers of self within peiec and that’s what peiec stands for. The physical, the emotion, the intellect, the energetic and core. But these are not the mind, the heart, the physical vessel. They’re energetic components of who we are. And so if you can imagine these layers, like
(05:56):
Layers a cake and within those layers we have energetic, low vibrating clusters of energy. I’m not gonna say that they’re memories because then people will think of it as something else, but it holds every moment. So people talk about memories as being this thing that happened. This is the story that I had. What we failed to realize is that in each moment that we have, there is more than just the conversation. There is more than just the eye contact that you had with the person or the way that things were said or the way that you physically responded to something in that moment. There is also the colors of the environment that you’re in. Every single object that is in that space with you in that moment is also in the energetic layers of self within what I call life moments. So they’re not just a memory, it is far more than that.
(07:11):
And everything holds a charge. So when we have these feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, frustration, guilt, and we feel disconnected from self, the reason why we feel that way is because of these energetic clusters, life moments that are vibrating within the layers of self. And often they sit in the mud and they’re just waiting to come up. And as soon as something triggers them, they come up through the mud so to speak, and they present themselves and they start vibrating away. And this vibration is the thing that activates the body and the mind causing the feelings of anxiety, depression, anger and frustration. Now if you were to take those words away, if I did not know or I’d never heard of the word anxiety, depression, anger and frustration, if I could present to you the vibration and frequency of that, it would be easier for you to understand what it does to your mind, your body and your reality.
(08:37):
So it’s not necessarily negative emotions that we are dealing with, but it is a low vibration which is expressed in a certain way by your body, your mind, and definitely your nervous system. You can understand then how you yourself can start feeling disconnected when you are vibrating at this low vibration and frequency because that is not who you are in the depth of who you are in the core of self. You are an extremely high frequency and vibration. But we block that off with a wall, so to speak, because we live in the lower layers of self. Yeah. So that may be a little bit hard to grasp. But when we are in pure presence, when we are in totally in the now, not even thinking about where we are now, but being in core or being in presence, being in the now is actually being in core spanning the energetic layer of self and being in the physical, which means in the body the other layers, which is the physical vibration, the emotional and the intellect layers which are not heartened mind are calm.
(10:10):
So you could imagine those layers just being undulating like a beautiful lake. Yeah, they’re not like the crashing ocean that goes on. If we were to use that analogy, you could imagine that your feelings of anxiety and depression and anger and frustration and guilt are like the crashing waves of the ocean hitting the sand. Imagine that being there in your layers, in your energetic layers every single day. And that sensation of crashing of the waves causes the physical vessel, your body to express it in a certain way, which we then have named anxiety, depression, anger, frustration, guilt, sadness, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So as we go on our spiritual path and our spiritual growth, we wanna try and change that so that as we become more calm and create more space within ourselves and calm down the nervous system and calm down the thoughts, we can start getting rid of those negative emotions. And on my path I really struggled with those negative emotions and self-talk of not being worthy enough and not liking myself and the way that I looked, what probably everybody else has as well. Even though we think that this is purely our own
(11:52):
Self talk, that surely nobody else feels like this. Cuz you look at someone else and you go, oh my god, they’re really attractive or this and that, or oh my god, they’re so good at that and you can’t reflect and go, well I’m really good at that as well. No, we have to berate ourselves and part of that is because we’re feeling disconnected to self. So for me, struggling with those negative emotions was something that I battled with and I was very, very quick to anger because I didn’t actually want to feel because that was part of my disconnection from myself. Cuz if I was vulnerable or if I opened myself up, someone was bound to hurt me, somebody was bound to leave, somebody was bound to talk badly about me behind my back. And so it was self perpetuating and that was something that as I did the work with peiec started to shift actually really, really quickly because as I was calming and then releasing the energetics of everything and releasing the charge around these life moments, these negative emotions started to lift.
(13:22):
And the way that I thought about myself changed and it wasn’t, it wasn’t me sitting down and self-reflecting or self-analyzing. This just happened naturally as there was more of an energetic shift and a calmness within my layers and more and more was energetically released, it just became a natural thing. And so when I was able to reflect on moments in my life that may not have been positive, there was no negative emotion that was attached to it anymore. And so these moments that had held me bound started disappearing, not because I worked through them, it’s just because they didn’t matter in a sense anymore because the charge was gone. And that was amazing for me and my life and my growth because the anger and everything else can just hold you bound. It can stop you from spiritually progressing. And that is such a huge factor on people’s journey.
(14:43):
I think they get so caught up in that. The third one that I wanted to talk about was feeling stuck or stagnant. And this can refer to feeling like one is not making progress on the spiritual path or that your growth has plateaued and it can be accompanied I guess by a sense of boredom or a lack of motivation. And for those of you who’ve just started on the spiritual path, this will be definitely something that’s going to hit you and it may come out of nowhere. Or if you haven’t been consistent in a practice and you stop doing it for a while, then this lack of motivation starts kicking in because our old self, like our muscle memory, wants to kick in again and tell us that that is the right way. That our old way is something that we know that we are comfortable with and that we should stay with that.
(15:52):
And stuck for me was I had been doing all these things and I think one of the things that we do as humans is that we like to put lots of shiny things in a basket. And what I mean by that is that we have a nibble of something and we learn a little bit and then we throw it away and then we try something else. And I know for me that taking a bite of a particular apple, but they’re not delving deep enough into that, I think was part of the reason that I started feeling stuck. Or maybe I didn’t really understand the teachings or I didn’t resonate with a teacher or I didn’t have time or I wasn’t consistent. Maybe I got a little bit lazy, maybe I didn’t see enough progress, but then I didn’t know what progress looked like. I didn’t know if I’d been making headway.
(17:11):
I didn’t have anybody really to go, you know, every time this happens then you react and I see you going through this cycle of continuously doing this when that happens. And it would’ve been really good to be able to have a teacher that could talk you through that and go, wow, you can see what I can’t see for myself. And that’s one of the big things that I really wanted. And I guess I started looking for that teacher to go, I need help with this. I feel really stuck. I don’t know if I’m making any progress. I’m, I’m probably am, but I don’t know what this progress is meant to look like. And so on my journey, it was something that really started to frustrate me and I didn’t know where to look. And so I think then those moments of feeling stuck and stagnant started to get bigger and bigger and bigger.
(18:16):
And then the lack of motivation would kick in. And I think sometimes because the practice was so repetitive and maybe, you know, like chanting or whatever else or reading scriptures, it was like this repetitive thing over and over again. And clearly from what I know now, I definitely wasn’t in the right space. I wasn’t in the deep space of myself where chanting or reading scriptures would’ve been very, very different. It maybe was just like an intellectual exercise, I just keep having to do this cause I wasn’t told anything else. I wasn’t told that you need to connect with yourself first before you do any of this. You know, it’s not just the act of chanting and hope that something changes and maybe people did say it and I didn’t listen. So there’s so many different things on this journey where we sabotage ourselves. But then I think if we don’t have guidance and a lot of people will say, you don’t need a teacher, you don’t need this and you don’t need that. And you know, to be honest, I think, I think you do. I mean I don’t know why it is in spiritual teachings or spiritual practices that people have such a distaste for teachers. Whereas if you look in personal development or you look in anything else, any, any course that you’ve done, any program that you’ve done, the teacher has the knowledge base, they’ve come from somewhere. So in a sense they are your guru, right? And guru just means teacher.
(20:04):
But in self-development, or even if you were going to do, I don’t know, in, I don’t know if, if you were do medicine right, you were gonna become a surgeon, maybe a brain surgeon. The person who teaches you is literally your guru. They have been there, they done that, they’ve seen all sorts of brains, they’ve operated on all sorts of brains and they can teach you and they can guide you. And that is the same in the fields of spiritual development. And maybe a lot of people have an issue with it or very hesitant because they’ve heard so many things about people not being honest or truthful in this field. And for me, I think on my journey, that was something that I was always very, very wary of.
(21:10):
And it’s a shame really isn’t it? Um, because I think then that stops people’s progress as well and it gives them an excuse I think as well it may give them an excuse. So the next one after that is lacking direction. And I think I touched on this just now, this can refer to feeling unsure about what your spiritual path should look like or feeling lost or confused about which practices or teachings to follow. And that was a, a big one for me. And I’m just reflecting back and even within Buddhism, you know, there, there are lots of different types in a sense. And I tried quite a few and some of them just did not resonate and others did a little bit more and you’d think, oh they’re pretty much be pretty much all the same. And I guess it’d be the same in in other religions as well.
(22:16):
And you could say that for anything, you know, it could be having a PT and the PT does things completely differently to the one that you really liked who has gone on maternity leave or has gone on holidays somewhere. So for me, going on the spiritual path, I got utterly confused with what I should be feeling, what should I be doing? What are the signposts to show that I’m actually progressing? And if I don’t feel those in the way that maybe they were described in a book or somewhere else, does that mean I’m not doing enough or that I’m not good enough? I know I got to a point where I started feeling incredibly confused about what I should follow, what I should be incorporating. And like I said earlier, it seems like there is this common practice of just doing lots of things and it’s like you can do lots of things but you are the master of none.
(23:30):
And so how can our spiritual progress accelerate when we are constantly eating off different plates and you never taste the meal in its totality off one plate and you’re mixing it with, you know, there’s a bit of curry here and I’m gonna have a bit of spaghetti over here and then I’m gonna have a bit of fish over here and then I’m going to you know, have a bit of cake at the same time and your mouth is trying to distinguish all these things and it can never quite understand what it’s actually eating. There’s such confusion but it seems like pupil’s paths are not progressing the way they should because they’re constantly looking for the next thing.
(24:26):
And it could also be is that we live in a society where we like instant gratification. And nowadays if you want something you can pretty much have it straight away. Spiritual growth is not like that. Spiritual growth is not linear. Spiritual growth is a journey and it’s an unfolding of who you are and it’s in that unfolding of who you are that you come to realize who you are and the power that you hold within you and how you respond to the world. And that’s the beauty of it. It’s not the end point of enlightenment. We may have never reached that, but it’s that forward progression on our journey of revealing ourselves to ourselves. And that’s the point of it. And so if you’re continuously flitting from one thing to the next, of course you’re gonna start feeling lost, of course you’re gonna start feeling confused. And particularly when you start mixing things together, right? It’s like making a cake and you’re making a cake and then all of a sudden you’ve decided to put in, you know, some curry powder or something or you’ve started to put in, you know, some, I don’t know, spaghetti bologne sauce into the cake mix.
(26:13):
The teachings that have been given over the centuries to help with spiritual growth have been given in a certain way. And I always say that, that the purity of teachings and I can only reflect on the teachings with peiec because I already see it now, the teachings that have been given in the past, whether it is for meditation or for energy healing or for
(26:42):
Yoga have been diluted because we know that when a person tells somebody else or gives a teaching or something else and they are not the principal teacher of a modality or a technique, as soon as it is passed on and someone else teaches it or someone else explains it to someone else, those teachings are tainted. How do I know this is because with peiec what I teach is what has been given by God. I have not changed it, I have not changed the wording, I have not changed any technique in the way that it’s been given. But when I hear other people explain it, they’ve already tainted the teaching because they explain it in their own way or change the way they teach it ever so slightly. So the technique is never the true technique anymore.
(27:45):
And so over time we have these teachings that have been diluted. And so in a sense, do they lose their power? Do they lose their efficiency? Do they lose their intent perhaps? But then if we start mixing that with other stuff together, it dissolves or dilutes it even more. And so I think that’s the thing that has been as these teachings get handed down, and you have to think about it, if I were to do a talk about peiec, and this has happened right with with Chris, I’ve described something and I’ve taught something in the way source God has told me to teach it, then when I’ve described it to Krys and she’s written it down, she’s written it down in a completely different way because her understanding of it was different from what I told her. And so I reflect back on teachings that were potentially written down from the initial master of whatever was out there and maybe they weren’t able to write and someone else wrote the teachings down, were they then already tainted in a certain way? And that’s a horrible word I guess, but how were they written? Did they reflect exactly the way that the master taught them?
(29:40):
And the more that I’ve taught peiec, the more that I’ve had this understanding of going wow, the teachings of anything that has ever been given, unless it was written word for word for word. And even then when somebody reads it, they can interpret it in their own way. Once they’ve done that, they tell someone else, it doesn’t become the original teaching. So we sort of digressed a little bit, but I thought that was really fascinating cuz I’ve been thinking about that a lot. And in that sense, do we really understand the full teachings of what has been given? Because if they’ve been passed down over maybe centuries, how much of the true teaching is actually left and how much have they been adapted from less, say from from eastern culture, how much have they been diluted from the original teachings?
(30:54):
And so maybe we start feeling lost and confused because we are not seeing the results because we are not getting the depth of the teachings for me. And I’ve only just reflected on that. And also there are so many practices out there and everything is valid, everything has been given for a reason, whether it is positive or negative, everything has been given for a reason. But there’s so much stuff out there and there’s so much noise that it’s really hard for us to focus on one thing and the next shiny thing comes up and we go, Ooh, that looks interesting. And it’s hit all the key words to make me, you know, have an emotional response to it and I’m gonna try that now but seems to be human nature. But we get lost and then we start feeling confused and then we start losing our way on the spiritual path. Now that was a very long explanation about lacking direction, but I think you get my point. The next one is with dealing with past issues, some people would call it past traumas, but the things that have happened to us in our past or even in our present can create obstacles on the spiritual path as it may be difficult to fully connect with yourself or others
(32:39):
While you are carrying the weight of unresolved emotional pain. And it goes back to the struggling with the negative emotions that I was talking about earlier. How can you fully connect with yourself and others when you have these waves crashing within you all the time and there’s no quiet lake or those moments of the quiet lake are when you’re at the beach or in at holidays or on holidays or your partner’s gone away f o again or you’re by yourself for a little while. All this low vibration literally drags us down. It makes us feel like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders. It’s like walking through mud and we need to understand that that is a low vibration but it’s something that we can shift. But again, we need to be consistent and that is one of the hardest things that people have because they’re constantly jumping from one thing to the next.
(34:02):
The next one is struggling with self-doubt or self-criticism. So negative self-talk and self-criticism are definitely barriers to spiritual growth as they can create a sense of unworthiness or a belief that you are not capable of achieving spiritual progress. And I guess that goes back to feeling stuck. For me there was huge self-doubt and there was huge self-criticism. And in the last podcast I spoke about, you know, my my Buddha Chanting practice and how often I meditated and how much I just did and did and did and did. But it came from the wrong space within me. And then there was the self-doubt and then there was the self-criticism that I wasn’t doing enough and I wasn’t achieving enough and maybe I should do more and, but if I did that thing, maybe that would do it. So there was constantly me beating myself up for not being good enough or believing that with all my karma cuz we’re all filled with karma that I couldn’t achieve spiritual, that I couldn’t achieve spiritual progress, that it was purely for other people that were more lucky than I was. And that is something that
(35:36):
So many of us struggle with. It’s negative self-taught as soon as something becomes a little bit hard and particularly on the spiritual journey, right? And I’ve talked about this before, it’s not just about growth. You cannot have growth 24 7, 365 days a year. You just cannot do it. And so as soon as life becomes a little bit hard and you may be going into a contraction phase or something happens in your life, so many people give up or they go, oh it’s gotten too hard, it’s gotten too hard, I’m having, I’m having the wobblies or something’s happened in my life, this doesn’t work. But they never realize or they can’t see it. That as you energetically shift and start releasing those low vibrating life moments in the layers of self, you are never going to go back to the place that you were before.
(36:37):
It’s just physically impossible unless of course you start abusing alcohol or drugs or whatever else. But as we progress when there is a speed bump or we hit a wall, we automatically think that it’s the end of the world. We, we just seem to do that as humans. So instead of berating yourself and going, you know, it doesn’t work, I’m gonna stop this, I’m gonna do something else. I always say to my students, all it is is life moments in your layers that have come up if you can’t see them for yourself. Cuz the analogy that I give is when you’re in those moments of, in the mud so to speiec, it’s like you are just driving on street level and all you can see are the lights and the traffic lights you, you are not able to fly in a chopper and get a bird’s eye view of everything that is going on in your layers. And so what I tell my students is that when you start feeling like that, you feel like there’s a hand break coming, coming on and, and you’re going to going in the self-doubt or hitting the wall, you need someone else to be able to get into their chopper so to speak and see what is going on. They can see the lights of the city, whereas you can’t see that all you are doing is just driving a street level and everything looks dark.
(38:17):
So that is such an important thing cuz as soon as you start doing that, that negative self talk and the self-criticism starts to disappear. But in order for you to do that, you also need to have community because the spiritual path
(38:34):
Is so hard to do on your own. And what I love about Peiec is that it’s able to balance out those highs and lows. So very quickly, and it took me a long time to figure that out, that it was given to accelerate our spiritual path and to balance out the highs and lows even of kini awakening and kini awakening. Everything that you’re experiencing in the physical vessel, the overwhelm and everything else that’s going on, it’s because the life moments are coming up in the layers of self to heal. And so if we can go in or we can get somebody who does the work to go into our layers and to release that, it calms everything down. It’s magic. It’s absolutely magic. And the next one is balancing spiritual practice with daily life. It could be challenging to find a balance between spiritual practice and the demands of daily lives, such as work, you know, family and you have social obligations.
(39:53):
And I think for many we start out and we are literally driving that car and we are going from first gear and we hit it into fourth and we are going at a hundred miles an hour because it’s a new thing. It excites us. We sense changes within ourselves and it’s those times we make time for ourselves because it’s a new thing. And then we find that things start encroaching. I mean obviously particularly if you have kids and have young kids and you have family, you need to give time. But having your own practice is so important so that you can maintain more of a balanced emotional state at work for your kids, for your partner, for your pets, pretty much everywhere.
(40:56):
And there’s always this thing about having to do for everybody else where if you don’t do for self, you’re gonna run out of energy and then you’re gonna start feeling stuck again. Then you’re gonna start lacking direction, you’re gonna struggle with self-doubt, all your past trauma or things are going to literally come up and create a reality for you that you don’t want to be in. And then you start taking that out on everyone around you, your people at work, your boss, your coworkers, your partner, your children, your friends, your animals. And then you become more and more disconnected from self, you become disconnected from you. You become disconnected from the people that you love. You become disconnected from the universe, from source, from God. Everything that you were searching for and wanting is are the things then that you disconnect from. And so in a sense, everything then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
(42:06):
Ugh, I knew that wouldn’t work. It’s not for me. I don’t, I don’t believe any of that spiritual stuff. So it’s balancing the spiritual practice with daily life is so important. If you can only do 10 minutes, then do 10 minutes. If you have to get up 10 minutes earlier in the morning and work through your layers, then you do that because source in that moment knows that you’re giving to self, you’re giving to source God, but you are also giving to the world and the global consciousness. It can start there. If that is all you are able to do and to begin with, then start there. As things start shifting for you, you will be able to create more time for yourself and over time you will be able to set better boundaries for yourself as well. Particularly if you have maybe a partner that is not supportive, you will find that you will get a voice because you will find that you will need to and want to speiec up for yourself because that is also part of your path and part of your journey.
(43:33):
So the spiritual path and spiritual growth is about healing, but in such a different way than what people believe healing is. Healing is not, oh you know, I didn’t have any trauma in my life. Um, so I don’t think I have anything to heal. Healing is about growth. Healing is about understanding ourselves. Healing is obviously also about potentially healing things in our bodies. Everybody has something. So if you don’t like using the word healing, just use growth because there’s always growth. This journey never ends. It is never about an end point. It’s about the unfolding of the path
(44:31):
And becoming you. The gentle version of you that is able to speiec out the gentle version of you that is able to be creative, the gentle version of you that is able to live life in a very different way and in a way that you want to live because it aligns with who you are. So if you start addressing these struggles that I’ve just talked about, it’s very likely that you’ll become motivated again to pursue your spiritual growth and find the support and guidance that you need to overcome these obstacles. So I hope this episode has given you something to think about and definitely go back and listened to this podcast again and maybe think about what roadblocks that you have put in place for yourself. What excuses have you made? What things have you put into your life that has stopped you from going on the journey for yourself in this lifetime? And for me, the spiritual growth is about how far can we get in this lifetime until the moment of the last breath and that we can have spiritual growth whilst we still have the demands of daily life. And you will get to a point where you’ll find a balance in that and then you’ll find that your life will completely change. Cuz as the growth within occurs, then the growth outside of you occurs as well. And then that flows on to everybody in your family. And it’s beautiful and it’s why we are here. Thank you for being with me here today and we’ll talk very, very soon. Many blessings.

 

 

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