How To Use A Neti Pot

Winter is fast approaching, and that means, for many of us, sniffles, sneezing, colds, dry nasal passages, and coughs. At the first sign of a tickle, instead of calling your doctor or rushing to the drugstore for pills, how about trying a natural method for maintaining healthy nasal passages: the neti pot!

The neti pot has been part of Ayurveda for a long, long time. Used to clean and clear nasal passages, the neti pot has been used for allergies, colds, sinus congestion, and many other respiratory ailments. Using simply warm water and salt, a neti pot is used to irrigate, or wash, the nasal passages.

Daily nasal irrigation may be too much for most people except when treating a cold or allergy that has already manifested into something present. For maintenance, using a neti pot a few times a week is good enough for most people.

Nasal irrigation removes pollen, dust, particulate matter, as well as any viral or bacterial material that may be caught in that other gunk. Nasal irrigation also keeps the nasal passages moist, which is important for increased immunity against microbes (a nice layer of mucus will help protect the delicate skin on the inside of the nose).

Here’s a very simple article on how to use a neti pot, re-posted from The Well Daily, as well as a video for anyone curious about adding a neti pot to their winter wellness routine.

Crazy Wisdom: Rinpoche Chogyam Trungpa Explored On Film

This weekend, I saw Crazy Wisdom, a documentary about Tibetan lama/Western guru Chogyam Trungpa. Trungpa was and is considered a “bad boy” of Buddhism, a reincarnated lama from Tibet who spread Buddhism’s wisdom to the West in his own, inimitable style.

A smoker, a heavy drinker, and a man known for having intimate relations with many of his students, Chogyam Trungpa was not the stereotypical image of a guru. He was known for having “crazy wisdom,” the kind of insight that could be seen as being entirely, totally free or entirely, totally crazy. And what is the difference, really? So long as one can exist in society, there is room for our eccentricity, our total humanness.

Loved by his followers for being totally, completely human and having no apologies about it, Chogyam Trungpa taught by example. He challenged accepted memes and spoke wisdom in such a way that it forced people to think for themselves. One of his most famous books also contains one of his (still) most controversial ideas: that those on the spiritual path may be reinforcing the ego instead of dismantling it if they become too enamored of their spiritual knowledge or pursuits (I’m referring to Spiritual Materialism, one of Trungpa’s most important books).

Crazy Wisdom has lots of great archival footage of Trungpa as well as of the Vermont meditation center that later became the first building of the growing Shambala spiritual community. There’s some footage of Tibet and Trungpa’s travels around the world, and at the end of the film, Trungpa’s cremation ceremony is shown.

This documentary sheds some light on Trungpa’s life and personality, although there is still a sense of “who was this man?” at the end of the film. And that’s probably just as he would have wanted it.

More on Trungpa from the Shambala website: http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/chogyam-trungpa.php

Crazy Wisdom Trailer – NEW from Matthew Mecer on Vimeo.

Check out Crazy Wisdom through Saturday, December 3, 2011 at the Ruben Museum of Art in NYC.

From the Archives: A Swan Appeared To Me in Kundalini Yoga

Here’s another archival yoga post from my old blog Metropolitan Observer. I wrote this post after a memorable and remarkable experience in a Kundalini Yoga class. I guess animal totems are still a potent theme, as just yesterday I blogged about animal symbology in divination.

Have you ever had a visual experience in a yoga class that stuck with you? If so, please share it. Would love to hear how others are being affected.

Namaste!

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Today’s class was to build intuitive faculties. This is an ability all humans have but lays dormant in many. In those who have it and know it, it’s often pushed into dormancy by ignoring it, not believing in it, or feeling cursed by it (I was one of these people and am now in the process of healing my intuitive powers).

We did two sets: one for the pituitary gland, as represented by the third eye point (6th chakra, its color is royal blue), which is the seat of intuition, and one for creating and conserving prana (life force) energy.

One of our first exercises was to assume a lunge pose and do breath of fire for about a minute while “seeing into” our future, literally lifting our gaze (eyes closed or open) and staring deep into our third eye point and seeing what comes.

I saw many things but the one that suprised me the most was a swan. A swan? I don’t even really “like” swans. They’ve never been an animal I felt any particular way about. I certainly never felt drawn to them as an animal totem as I do to the owl or the frog. So the vision of a swan in the midst of breath of fire was certainly bewildering.

Just a few days ago I found a site that has compiled a decent amount of symbolism about animal totems. When I got home, something reminded me about my swan visitation, so I decided to look it up and was amazed by what I found.

Swans represent grace, union, transformation, balance, dreams. Since they spend most of their time in water, usually building their nests at waterside, they also take on the symbolism of water: intuition, dreams, creativity, the subconscious. Finally, the swan represents harmony and balance as it exists seamlessly between three of the four elements: gliding along the water, flying through the skies, and nesting on earth. I was further blown away to find out that the swan represents divine partnership in Hinduism where the swan is the Hamsa bird, or two swans, Ham and Sa, float around “living on honey from the blooming lotus of knowledge.”

I am feeling my intuition growing throughout my Yoga Teacher Training and the puja we performed on May 14th, the night after the New Moon in Taurus (for which I also did some rituals at home) seems to have kicked it into overdrive.

I can’t recall ever thinking of a swan before. Sure I have seen them before, but I have not thought of a swan in ages, maybe ever.

New Decks: Pathfinder, The Animal Totem Deck & Kenneth Ray Stubbs’ Shaman Cards

I’ve always been interested in tarot, but it was my Sensual Shaman Immersion that really brought me face-to-face with animal totems. I’ve always had a passing interest in animal totems and guides, and had even downloaded some basic apps to my phone that I could look up an animal if one randomly crossed my path in a way that made me take notice. But I’d never explored it with the depth I found out this subject area has.

I’m an animal lover and have been all my life. If I could do my life over, I would totally become a zoologist or some kind of person that works directly with a wide variety of animals, not in a veterinary setting, more in a behavioral and observation setting, like a zoo keeper or other animal handler. So animals and animal symbolism have always played a role in my life. When I discovered the Pathfinder deck, I knew I had to bring it into my world and learn more about working with animals as totems and guides.

The Pathfinder deck is an 83-card deck that features a different animal portrait on each card. The Pathfinder can be used in much the same way any tarot deck is used, although there are some readings designed specifically for this deck, like the “Cat’s Paw” and “Bird Claw or Talon” spread. Each of the animal portraits was commissioned to an artist, and the cards were then sold online, mostly via word-of-mouth, by each individual artist and at a site about the cards. There’s even a blogger who dedicated a blog solely to readings done using the Pathfinder cards, but she seems to have abandoned the project since 2011. There’s still some interesting reading there.

Another deck I was recently introduced to is Kenneth Ray Stubbs’ Shaman Cards. This deck uses animal symbolism but in a very different way than the Pathfinder deck does. Kenneth Ray Stubbs’ Shaman Cards have an image of an animal included amongst three other images: a plant life, a crystal, and a human. Tuning into the animal, crystal, plant, and human for “entrainment” (aligning your vibration with; coming into vibrational harmony with) to these different energies allows users of the Shaman cards to explore these energies and archetypes which are part of our collective consciousness.

The Shaman cards are used differently from typical tarot. First of all, the cards are large, about the size of a standard 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Each card has so many opportunities for entrainment that you really don’t need more than one card, although I’m sure someone has devised readings using multiple cards. But each individual Shaman card has so much to offer that it takes time getting through just one. The first step is entraining to each of the four energies (plant, animal, crystal, and human) on the card face, then entraining to the concept in the center (in the image I used to illustrate the Shaman Cards, it is “Strength”). Then you entrain to the concept, and how the four energies on the card relate to the concept in the center. It is a fascinating process that has much to reveal. For more details on how to use the Shaman Cards, as well as how to order them, check out Kenneth Ray Stubbs’ site.

I’m definitely a fan of animal symbology on both cards and in life. As I was just writing that sentence, two pigeons swooped by my window. Pigeons are common in the Northeast urban centers, but I checked Pigeon animal totemism anyway, and it says “love of home, love of community. Security in family and numbers. Your foundation, your heritage. The promise of a loving home.” Sitting here at my desk, clacking away at my laptop while looking out the window, I am in full glow of the love of my home, the love of my foundations, feeling the community I am blessed to have that offers me strength, love, and common bonds.

If you have any interest in animal totemism, symbology, or animal guides, I encourage you to look into it because it is an area rich in information. Are there any animals that speak to you? Do you have any memories of a particular incident involving an animal? Is there an animal you feel a particular affinity towards? These might be clues that may help you discover one of your animal guides.

During Isis Pheonix’s Sensual Shaman Immersion, we used shamanic journeying to discover our animal guide. In a complete surprise, mine was Eel. I will blog about that at some other time. Not a few days after discovering my totem animal through shamanic journeying, I literally came face-to-face with another animal that had uncannily similar information to Eel to offer me. That was American Woodcock, a lovely round bird that shouldn’t be in New York City, but was probably flying through on a migratory route, hit a window, and was injured and afraid when I found him huddled in a corner on 3rd Ave. and 43rd St. I’ll blog about him soon too. Then all weekend, I have had a fly in my apartment. I even opened the door, shooed him out, and he returned (or another, bigger hairier blacker fly took his place). Fly teaches adaptation, making the best even out of displeasurable circumstances. Fly can also warm us about our ego. Perhaps we are “bugging people” with our big buzzy ego. Maybe we are annoying someone just for kicks, to instigate something for fun or to get things moving.

Animal totemism can work like tarot in that it offers us a lens into our current inner world and allows us to organize our thoughts, perhaps even revealing things to use which we might not see if we were observing our situation just in a literal sense. Allow animals to speak to you and enter the world at a level beyond conscious thought; engage with the universe archetypically.

New Moon Sagittarius Nov. 2011

The New Moon of Nov. 25, 2011 is in Sagittarius, the sign of adventure, truth, learning, expanded perspectives, good fortune, and freedom. A ritual you may like to observe for the New Moon days is to align with the energy of the new moon (a fresh start, as well as the cosmic signature that will preside over the moon for the next 2 weeks of its cycle) and speak or write some intentions for how you could invite or use this energy in your life. Referred to as “New Moon wishes” by many of us in the astrology community, starting out the next two week period consciously aligning yourself to the archetypal energies of this moment can sharpen your perspective and bring clarity to your intentions.

New Moon wishes for Sagittarius should be formulated in the areas of

• Adventure
• Freedom
• Travel
• Truth
• Risk-taking spirit
• Helpfulness
• Optimism

Sample wishes for this New Moon are:

• “I want to easily find myself making choices that lead to my feeling a greater sense of personal freedom in every area of my life”
• “I want to easily find myself discovering the truth I am seeking in the area of _____________”

Write down a maximum of ten wishes, then come back to these intentions throughout the next two weeks from time to time. See how they are growing, along with the moon. See if your thoughts towards freedom and truth are growing with light and energy, as the moon is in the night sky.

Wishes are most potent Saturday Nov. 26 from 12:01am-7:05 pm, and 10:04 pm – midnight and on Sunday Nov. 27 all day and night.

Jan Spiller’s New Moon Power Days are the source of much of this information, but you can intuit your own New Moon wishes or areas of intention by meditating on what the sign of the new moon represents. By connecting with the energy of the sign the new moon is in, you can align with archetypal energy over the next two week cycle. You may do this either by action or insight/introspection.

Symbolic and archetypal information is everywhere.

From the Archives: How To Make a Living as a Yoga Teacher

Before I started this blog, before I started teaching yoga, I would blog about my practice at my other blog, Metropolitan Observer. In the interest of keeping things organized and sharing content previously created but still (hopefully) interesting or relevant, I’ll be cross-posting some old articles from Metropolitan Observer from time to time.

This one is from June 2010, around the time I’d just finished my yoga teacher training at Reflections Yoga.

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How to make a living as a yoga teacher

I really wish I knew. I haven’t even gotten my Yoga Alliance certificate yet. Heck, I haven’t even gotten my certificate from my Yoga Alliance-certified 200-hour teacher training program yet, but I am already thinking about how I can transition to making a living doing what I love. I love yoga. I love many things, but I really love yoga. And more than loving yoga, I believe in yoga and what it can do for human being. This is the biggest impetus behind me wanting to devote my life to yoga: because humanity NEEDS yoga, and I want to share it.

I want to teach yoga, and eventually, I would like to work full-time for myself teaching yoga, writing about yoga, blogging about yoga, doing thai massage, offering web services for yoga and wellness related businesses. I think it’s a viable idea, but the little bit of searching I have done on “how to survive as a yoga teacher” or something like that have turned up one of two answers.

Let’s call answer 1 the yogic answer, and answer 2 the marketing answer. The yogic answer is something along the lines of “you’ll never make a living teaching yoga, so get right with that first and understand this is something you are doing out of love.” The yamas are quoted. Ideas about how much money is really needed to live are debated. The dedicated say the make just enough to pay their bills and attend some continuing education classes and that’s enough!

Answer #2, the marketing one, is totally different. You know these studios and these teachers. They take on marketing almost as another branch of yoga, the mysterious 9th branch of yoga, that says something along the lines of “marketing is necessary to continue to provide yoga to those who need it. And now, the marketing of yoga.” These websites are slick and full of search-engine optimized keywords. There is a sales funnel. There’s a form on every page! These teachers are so buff. They are beyond fit. Their bodies are as hard as their bank accounts. I’m generalizing, but just sayin’.

So where does the truth lie? How DO we make a living teaching yoga and not become the very thing we came to yoga to escape, namely stress, conventional thinking, shoulds, to-dos, and oughts?

I wanted to share this nice thread I found entitled “The Care and Feeding of Yoga Teachers.” I will add more to this overall topic, how to earn a living contributing to society in a positive and transformative manner, as I gather more information and learn more via experience. If you have any insight to the topic, please comment!

Cross-posted from Metropolitan Observer

 

Tantra as path of self-awareness

Yoga is not a religion

Yoga is a science, a physical science, a mental science, and a spiritual science, but it is not a religion. Yoga has no gods, although it does borrow from the gods of Hindu scripture. Yoga has no commandments, although it does have the yamas and niyamas, which are part of the eight limbs of yoga, and which are communicated not as things you must do if you want to reach heaven and avoid hell, but which are actions that will lead to an embodied life and personal spiritual growth. Yoga has no holy book, although the Yoga Sutras, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika are some of the most important texts of yoga philosophy. Yoga has no religious holidays, although Ashtanga Yogis do not practice on Moon Days (when the moon is new or full) to allow the body, mind, and spirit to rest. Yoga doesn’t utilize prayer, but yogis often do chant mantra, everything from Om, the sound of universal creation, to chants to Ganesha or any other god.

However, lately there seems to be a lot of energy surrounding this idea of “yoga as religion” and it is making people, especially religious people, very angry. They claim you can not be a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim and study yoga at the same time. They say that yoga is in direct contradiction to Christianity. Some even view yoga as “demonic” and urge their followers to reject it. Some have called yoga “pure occultism” and claimed all yoga teachers are Hindu or Buddhist missionaries. Even Yoga Journal published an article in the December 2011 issue exploring this very question among “experts”: yoga teachers, religious scholars, etc.

A friend of mine who studies and lives a Tantric lifestyle says she’s not surprised at the backlash. Embodiment is one of the greatest threats to religion there is. When people discover their own truth, there’s no need for an external system of control to keep you in line, to tell you what is right/wrong, and to tell you how to behave. Even yoga’s Sutras don’t tell you if you don’t follow the yamas and niyamas, you’re a bad yogi. You may notice a difference in your practice and life if you are rejecting ahimsa and being mean and crotchety to yourself and everyone around you, but it won’t land you in Hell (although your personal karma may then attract more and more hellish situations).

Could the interest in this topic be a reflection of the tension building between the people (the 99%) and the social, cultural, economic, political, and religious structures that have been created to keep them in line? As we become more independent in mind and spirit, will the “powers that be” (read: those in political, religious, and cultural power) become more threatened by a system that encourages and builds freedom in the practitioner? These are interesting questions to consider as humanity approaches a tipping point and begins to see through the tattered rags of the Emperor’s Clothing. More and more people are noticing a larger and larger gap between what we’ve been told to do to feel secure, connected, and expressed and what really provides us those opportunities.

What do you think about the debate?

How concepts from yoga work “off the mat”

Taking your practice “off the mat” is a meme that many teachers and yogis mention when tying some of the more esoteric concepts from yogic philosophy to daily living. Practices that seem very accessible in class may take some time to knit into day-t0-day awareness at first, but once you begin to understand that “on the mat” and “off the mat” are the same place, yoga’s wisdom begins to flow outside of the yoga studio and into your daily life.

Let’s start with one of the most basic concepts taught in everything from Bare Bones Beginner classes to advanced: observe the breath. The breath is a sensitive gauge that can reveal to us many things about our state of mind. It can also show us if we are pushing too hard (strained, forced, rapid, or tense breathing) or disengaged (sleepiness, boredom, falling asleep in savasana, arrhythmic breathing patterns). So what does it mean when a teacher asks you to “follow your breath” or “observe your breath”?

At the most basic level, it means simply to watch. Become a witness with no judgement, expectation, or desire, simply watch the breath. How deeply are you breathing? What is the texture of the breath? Does it enter and exit the body easily and fluidly, or is there a sense of effort on inhale or exhale? Do you feel the breath in your body, say by the ribs moving sideways to allow space for fully inflated lungs? Are you aware of connecting your breath and your movement, inhaling and exhaling in rhythm with the movement of the body? The breath can become like a tide, moving in and out with a noticeable pattern that over time, may shift to something more subtle (like when in savasana) or more forceful (when applied consciously, such as in a pranayama like bhrastrika breath). You can use the breath as a gauge to see if you are pushing too hard or not connecting.

How does this translate to life off the mat? Notice your breath in emotionally charged situations. When you are angry, afraid, stressed, or sad, can you notice a shift of some sort in your breath? By taking your awareness off whatever emotional current is running thru you to observe the breath, you give the mind some space. Your mind really can’t focus on more than one thing at a time in the sense of true mindfullness, so when you observe your breath in an emotional situation, you can give your emotions some room to regulate as you remove yourself, your “I” or ego, from the situation.

Instead of fixating on the person or situation that is “causing” your anger, you can observe the breath, noticing the change that is occurring in you as the emotion plays out. Giving that emotion some distance can give you room for an appropriate response, instead of an emotionally-fueled reaction.

Another philosophical idea many teachers return to again and again is the idea of accepting what is. When practicing asana, it can be tempting to wish for something that is not: I wish I could do a full split in Hanumanasana; I wish I could get my whole pelvis on the floor in pigeon; I wish I could wrap twice in Garudasana. So when our teacher reminds us to be with what is, we accept ourselves and our practice exactly as we are in the moment. There is nothing else. Wishing something so does not make it so. Wishing a more flexible hamstring or more open shoulder doesn’t make it so, and not only that, but a challenge to our concept of what “right” or “good” is allows us to soften our demands, on ourselves and others. We find that accepting how we are right now gives us space to grow, evolve, and transform. To have a fixed idea of how things should be is limiting and subtly masochistic. We expend energy is wanting to control things to our ideas of right and wrong, good and bad, instead of simply experiencing what is, in its limitless array of possibility and potential.

Off the mat, we can take this same attitude of non-grasping and simply be with whatever is. Even if it’s scary, strange, unexpected, or what have you, accepting whatever it is that is in front of you is a step towards freedom: freedom from expectation, freedom from control, freedom from social and cultural programming.

Another way yoga teachers like to speak about this principle is with the word “surrender,” a word that is difficult for some people to accept because they think it implies passivity or taking on something distasteful or troubling in the name of acceptance. Surrender is best thought of as “surrendering,” or letting go of, ideas of right and wrong, should be, could be, will be, would be, etc.

Over the years, I’ve come to absolutely believe that whatever happens in my life is for a reason. I attract people and situations to me that I need for my personal development and growth. I accept what comes to me because there is no choice–it is here–and look for what lessons are contained in the situation. If you take a moment to observe your “difficult situation,” you will find numerous lessons and opportunities for more compassion and love, for yourself and others.

I will build on these ideas in a future blog post. For the time being, these two oft-heard concepts (or equivalents thereof) are timeless, practical ideas that can be adopted on the mat, or off. Since we spend more time off the mat than we do on, to be in the practice of yoga even when not in the asana practice (asana is only one of eight limbs of yoga) is characteristic of a mature or evolving yoga practice.

How does yoga philosophy influence your life off the mat?

Stages of a Twin Flame relationship

This is re-posted from http://www.twinsoulunity.com, a website dedicated to Soul Mate, Twin Soul, and Twin Flame relationships.

At one point, I believed I had met my Twin Flame, but I was sad because I was not sure if he recognized me as his Twin Flame. I still believe there is a bond between me & this person, but I am fully in the stage of Surrender, and have moved on. All along, I knew the pain and frustration of this non-consummated union was in service of spiritual growth. Unconditional love was one of the most poignant lessons I learned from this not-quite-relationship, as was listening to my Higher Self, which doesn’t think and analyze, but receives, senses, and knows without knowing.

As human evolution continues to advance, and spiritual growth accelerates for those who are tuned in to such energies on the planet, I believe we will be seeing and hearing a lot more about Twin Flames. I don’t think Twin Flames need to be united in sex or physical love. As tempting as it may be to feel this person is “made for you,” maybe they are made for you as a beacon towards your own spiritual development, which will enable you to love ALL, not just one, with the gift of spiritual, accepting, un-grasping love.

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The Stages of a Twin Flame Relationship

1. Recognition and Temporary Spiritual Awakening
2. Testing
3. Crisis
4. Runner Dynamic
5. Surrender
6. Radiance
7. Harmonizing

**The Key to getting to the final Harmonizing stage with the least amount of suffering is to bypass one’s own Testing, Crisis and Runner stages.  This can be accomplished by staying surrendered to G…od throughout. **

Stage 1:  Recognition and Temporary Spiritual Awakening

Characteristics of Stage 1:
Both Twins recognize one another at the soul level and feel as if they have met before.  Synchronious events surround the union.  The heart chakras open and both souls quickly merge into a third unified energy.  Both Twins experience an acceleration of spiritual understanding.

The purpose of the Recognition and Temporary Spiritual Awakening Stage:
To activate the memory of each soul’s life mission and to help awaken each Twin to higher levels of consciousness.

Stage 2:  Testing

Characteristics of Stage 2:
The initial temporary spiritual awakening (illumination) fades. The ego (“little self”) begins to re-emerge.  One or both Twins may attempt to fit the relationship into the “old model” of Love, couplehood and relationship as it relates to their ego desires and learned belief system.  Inner conflict arises.  Twins ruminate on what they were taught to believe their beloved “should be” and how relationships are supposed to serve them.

Both Twins feel simultaneously inspired and toppled by the power of the union.
Doubts creep in making one or both Twins begin to view their beloved critically or suspiciously.

The purpose of the Testing stage:
To cause outdated mental concepts about relationships to rise to the surface to be cleared.

Stage 3:  Crisis

Characteristics of Stage 3:
The crisis of the Twin is realizing they must reject their egoic beliefs about Love relationships or reject their beloved.  Having to shed “little self” or identity-based beliefs and desires to embrace a higher expression of Love can lead to stubbornness and anxiety.  Fear can take hold, triggering many dysfunctional emotional patterns.  In staying present with the patterns, they can be witnessed and released.

Despite fears, both Twins naturally come together in cycles for bonding, confession, forgiveness and Lovemaking.  These rituals cement higher levels of consciousness into the energy fields of both Twins.

The purpose of the Crisis stage:
To provide opportunities for the healing and maturing of the mental and emotional bodies.

Stage 4:  The Runner Dynamic

Characteristics of Stage 4:
The human ego naturally fears annihilation in the face of the Unified Consciousness encoded inside the Twin Flame Union.  The pain body rises up and old ego survival mechanisms or “bottom of the barrel” emotional and mental patterns like defiance, resistance, manipulation, anger, punishing and judgment arise.

One or both Twins become emotionally and mentally flooded with deep pain from what feels like soul-level rejection and abandonment.  The unbearable soul-level pain leads one or both Twins to withdraw physically and block communication in fear and futility.  One or both Twins may unsuccessfully try to re-create the original unified harmony.

The purpose of the Runner Dynamic:
To propel both individuals towards God for healing and maturation of the spiritual body.

NOTE:  The temptation to engage in ego battle or withdrawal is very seductive and difficult for many to resist, which is why many Twins never reach Surrender, Radiance or Harmony.

Remember, there is no room for judgment in Twin Soul pairings. Each soul learns from much walking its own path and choosing through its own will.  Your non-attached loving thoughts will be felt by your beloved in the subconscious, keeping them strong.

Stage 5:  Surrender

Characteristics of Stage 5: 
The direction and outcome of the relationship is surrendered to God in full faith and trust that the Union is under Divine Protection.  It is accepted that what is best and destined for the final physical harmonizing will transpire in its own time. (Both Twins must reach Illumination in order to harmonize in the physical)

The “Runner” Twin is allowed the space and freedom to choose to evolve at their own pace in their own way.  At this stage, the frequency of compassion returns and maintains itself.  The Surrendered Twin holds a heart space for their beloved while fully exploring life on the way to becoming an Illuminated human.  This may be a time of channeling Unconditional Love into art, music, writing, teaching, active service or some other creative outlet.

Purpose of the Surrender stage:
To help each soul release the ego, develop regular communication with God and demonstrate their full trust in God to do what is best and when.

Stage 6:  Self Realization, Illumination, Radiance

Characteristics of Stage 6: 
The ego or “little self” dies and the God-force energy takes over the body.  This leads to a complete spiritual awakening, arriving at one’s fully awakened divinity. This is the stage of radiating Divine Love rather than seeking romantic Love.

At this stage, the surrendered Twin’s emotional, mental and spiritual bodies arrive at full maturity.  New creativity and healing abilities arise, which are put in service to assist others.

Purpose of the Radiance stage:

To establish an outward flow of Divine Love through one’s body and works, which vibrates at a level that uplifts humanity.

Stage 7:  Harmonizing

Characteristics of Stage 7:

By this stage both Twins have awakened.  They come together in the physical to assimilate their newly evolved energies, flowing into the new dynamic of their Unified Potential.  Both Twins integrate fully into the third energy of Unconditional Love in a way that influences others towards their own heart opening.

Purpose of the Harmonizing stage:

To fulfill the intended mission of the Twin Flame Union.

**Twin Flame relationships come into your life to help mold you to embody the vibration of Unconditional Love.**

Written by a gal named Jenna

www.profoundhealingforsensitives.com

Looking for yoga, healing, and wellness coaching? Let me help you develop a wellness plan for your entire life: body, mind, and soul: http://www.lolarephann.com/my-approach/