The Journey Within- Part 9

S Sriram

The Drama of Life! [Part - II]

Last issue we started with the topic that while everybody says they want to be happy, somehow it seems to be elusive. Toward the end of the post I suggested that probably it was part of the drama of life to stay where we felt ‘stuck’ although it is but a ‘choice’ that holds us where we are on any given day. A very simple example: I once worked with a lady who suffered from chronic migraine. During the discussion I mentioned that any ache or pain is actually a subconscious choice by the soul for some reason. When that ‘payback’ from the pain or ache is understood and achieved through an alternate means then it would certainly disappear. She was very unhappy to hear that and asked me, “Why would anyone choose to hold on to pain?” Well this series of posts called ‘The Drama of Life’ is dedicated to answering that very question.

The Journey Within- The Drama of Life

Sriram S

 



Everybody says they want to be happy. We hardly ever come across anyone who willingly seeks negativity or troubles. Yes, we have all heard of masochists and also those that yearn for God and salvation through punishing themselves. But then by calling them masochists, we are certainly hinting at a truth that the ‘normal’ people do not (want to) hurt themselves. And yet, in our lives we come across more people going through trials and tribulations and turmoil than would seem ‘normal’ ---especially when everyone is seeking happiness.

What is the cause of this suffering then?

A Journey Within

-By Sriram S.
(Sri Ram. S is an MSc (Math) and MBA grad from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. He was also the University Brass band leader, a mandir bhajan singer and one of the founders of the alumni Band Group known as Rhythmic Energy. Post studies he worked in the IT industry for over 6 years after which he moved on and is currently a practising Clinical Integrated Hypnotherapist working out of Bangalore. He has founded Sunshine Wellness Studio (www.SunshineStudio.in) that aims at using various modalities of hypnotherapy for healing. Feel free to write in on your experiences and also if you have any further queries at info@SunshineStudio.in )

Forging a Relationship with the “Inert”

I wonder if there is anything at all that could be termed ‘inert’. As a child I grew up believing that all objects that I get in touch with have ‘feelings’. So if my pen would not write well and if I cursed it, I would immediately retract my harsh statements. I believed that the pen could actually hear me and would ‘feel bad’. I had amazing parents who listened with open mindedness and never derided my belief systems. If anything they strengthened it. So what I wrote below is something very natural to me. I am not unaware of the raised eyebrows and mildly skeptical looks when I talk about this to others. Nevertheless, try to read through with an open mind and try out the steps and please do get back to me with your experience.

A Journey Within - Part 6

-By Sriram S.
(Sri Ram. S is an MSc (Math) and MBA grad from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. He was also the University Brass band leader, a mandir bhajan singer and one of the founders of the alumni Band Group known as Rhythmic Energy. Post studies he worked in the IT industry for over 6 years after which he moved on and is currently a practising Clinical Integrated Hypnotherapist working out of Bangalore. He has founded Sunshine Wellness Studio (www.SunshineStudio.in) that aims at using various modalities of hypnotherapy for healing. Feel free to write in on your experiences and also if you have any further queries at info@SunshineStudio.in )



Working with the Metaphors within

In the previous post we had walked through the theories of Past Life Regressions and metaphoric imagery in the mind. In this post we will learn a very simple effective tool to be able to dive into the deep recesses of our own subconscious mind and work with these metaphoric representations. You could also consider (and for practical purposes these are) past life memories.

A Journey Within- Past Life Regression(PLR)

-By Sriram S.
(Sri Ram. S is an MSc (Math) and MBA grad from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. He was also the University Brass band leader, a mandir bhajan singer and one of the founders of the alumni Band Group known as Rhythmic Energy. Post studies he worked in the IT industry for over 6 years after which he moved on and is currently a practising Clinical Integrated Hypnotherapist working out of Bangalore. He has founded Sunshine Wellness Studio (www.SunshineStudio.in) that aims at using various modalities of hypnotherapy for healing. Feel free to write in on your experiences and also if you have any further queries at info@SunshineStudio.in )

“Who are we really? Combinations of common chemicals that perform mechanical actions for a few years before crumbling back into the original components? Fresh new souls, drawn at random for some celestial cupboard where God keeps an unending supply?

Or the same soul, immortal and eternal, refurbished and reused through endless lives, by that thrifty Housekeeper? In Her wisdom and benevolence She wipes off the memory slates, as part of the cleaning process, because if we could remember all the things we have experienced in earlier lives, we might object to risking it again.”
― Barbara Michaels, The Sea King's Daughter

As a regression therapist I am asked a few pointed and recurring questions on Past Lives. I am capturing some key elements of the theory of Past Lives, needless to say, in my own perspective.

The world is divided on the topic of reincarnation. There have been many cases where the past life experience registered in a regression session could not be verified. There certainly have been many cases where the details could be documented. I have seen a pretty neutral video documentary once, on the topic of past lives where both types of cases were testified. Frankly, I had not thought much about this until I learnt and started practicing PLRs. Based on my learning and personal experience my thoughts and beliefs on the subject crystallized (at least for now). Sharing these with you...

At the outset, the context for PLRs, is set (for me) by the underlying healing out of a problem (physical or mental plane) of the client. It is imperative to keep this in mind as you read on. That said, there are two ways of considering a PLR: 1) As a truthful account of a lifetime that has been lived earlier or 2) A metaphoric imagery in the deep recess of the person’s subconscious mind. Either way, it is my experience that these ‘memories’ or ‘figments of imagination’ have a lasting impact in the day-to-day life of the client. When the person ‘views’ his / her past life and figures out the root cause of the issue in current life, magically it seems to result in the healing of the issue on hand.

That brings us to the question: How could a memory or an imaginary memory create such an impact in our lives? The answer is this:There is a popular (metaphysical) concept of ‘cellular memories’ that postulates that every cell in the human body carries memories of the individual. In fact much as the DNA represents or contains all genetic instructions of the organism, the cells seem to be a holographic representation of memories and metaphysical aspects of the ‘being’ (or person). These memories are repressed or lay dormant unless there is a ‘trigger’ that incites them into action. The trigger itself could be from any source: person (met a stranger who seems familiar?), place (ever visited a place first time and felt you’ve been here before?), time and so on. Once activated the person could feel or go through emotions or physical changes that seem unnatural or unwarranted in the present day circumstances.

In a PLR, under hypnosis, when we try to get to the source of the problem, the subconscious mind of the person brings up the memory (irrespective of lifetime, current or otherwise) and the person finds a deep seated meaning and lesson in the current experience. The therapist helps the client in using this knowledge to heal that memory and implement the learning in current life. There are many documented cases of how these regressions have helped people in their day-to-day lives.

Books by Dr. Brian Weiss (Many Lives Many Masters) & Dr. Micheal Newton (Journey of the Soul) where they have captured case studies of such PLRs throw more light on this topic.

Please feel free to write back to me at info@SunshineStudio.in with your feedback, questions and suggestions. In my next post I shall outline a simple method by which you could practice doing regressions on your own and benefit from a dive into the metaphors and memories of your subconscious mind.

The Journey Within

-By Sriram S.
(Sri Ram. S is an MSc (Math) and MBA grad from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. He was also the University Brass band leader, a mandir bhajan singer and one of the founders of the alumni Band Group known as Rhythmic Energy. Post studies he worked in the IT industry for over 6 years after which he moved on and is currently a practising Clinical Integrated Hypnotherapist working out of Bangalore. He has founded Sunshine Wellness Studio (www.SunshineStudio.in) that aims at using various modalities of hypnotherapy for healing. Feel free to write in on your experiences and also if you have any further queries at info@SunshineStudio.in )

In my previous post I had said:
Every time we believe or are told that we are suffering due to our past karma, now we realize that all we have to do is probably find out what it is that the soul(ourselves) have to learn. When that lesson is learnt, the problem or suffering has to and will immediately abate as the learning is all that was required in the first place.

In this post I shall suggest a technique by which we could heal ourselves of the effects of our past Karma and open ourselves to the wisdom or learning therein. This forgiveness meditation that I am going to describe below has its roots in the Hawaiian technique called Ho’oponopono. That said, in the current version as described here, I would lay the emphasis on going beyond the Hawaiian technique into karmic release.

Forgiveness & Karmic Release Meditation technique:
Firstly, sit in a relaxed posture and using any of the breathing techniques mentioned in earlier posts get to a very comfortable and calm state of meditation.
In your mind, imagine yourself in a very comfortable room (known room or imaginary one). The door is closed and you are alone in the room and feeling very calm and peaceful.
Outside the door is that personality with whom you need to heal your relationship or do a karmic release.
Imagine that the door opens and the person enters the room and is standing in front of you.
Do an energy exchange with the person. That is, take back all your energies that belong to you which may be there with the other person and return all energies of that person which may be there with you. You can visualize this energy exchange as light leaving you (representing other person’s energies) and similarly coming to you (representing your energies) or a pulse going back and forth or simply by your intent. Once you are certain / believe that the energy exchange with the person is complete proceed further.

You say (with feeling),
“I forgive you for any hurt that you may have caused me knowingly or unknowingly across time and space”
“You too please forgive me for any hurt that I may have caused you knowingly or otherwise across time and space.”
“I Thank You & I Acknowledge you”
“I Love you” (as one soul to another in a Divine and unconditional manner)
“In this moment I choose to set myself and you free from any Karmic obligation that may have held us in a negative bind so far. In this moment I choose to set myself and you free.”
“I also choose to live and learn all the lessons of my life through love and I wish you the same”
Now, ask the person to leave from your space. Once the person leaves the door is closed and intend in your mind that outside the door, the person’s guardian angels will take his / her energies to wherever he / she is or where he / she belongs.
Now you are again in the room by yourself and feel very light and happy within. Place both your palms on your heart and slowly integrate yourself (you can say the words: “I align and integrate my physical and energy body”) and open your eyes when you feel comfortable.

Now this is the forgiveness and karmic release meditation with respect to another person. What if you need to heal something in your life that does not necessarily involve another person. In such a case
Simply see YOURSELF in place of another person. Do the healing with the part of you that feels a certain way.
At the end instead of asking that part of you to go out simply integrate that part of you to yourself saying, I love and integrate this part of ME. Now just like this above variation, try to use creatively the power of forgiveness and the Divine aspect within yourself to heal out of any karmic obligation. All the while send out a very clear intent to the Universe / Divine that you are willing to learn the lesson and would like to and choose to learn through love.

Try this! If you have a specific issue and are unsure how to use this method, please feel free to mail me at info@SunshineStudio.in and I shall guide you for your specific requirement.

Happy Healing! :)
Love & Light!

A Journey Within

By Sri Ram S.

(Sri Ram. S is an MSc (Math) and MBA grad from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. He was also the University Brass band leader, a mandir bhajan singer and one of the founders of the alumni Band Group known as Rhythmic Energy. Post studies he worked in the IT industry for over 6 years after which he moved on and is currently a practising Clinical Integrated Hypnotherapist working out of Bangalore. He has founded Sunshine Wellness Studio (www.SunshineStudio.in) that aims at using various modalities of hypnotherapy for healing.

Feel free to write in on your experiences and also if you have any further queries at info@SunshineStudio.in)

Over the last two years at various instances I came across people, theories, explanations and discussions on the subject of karma. I also realized that for some, the concept of karma that they held in their own minds was the root cause of holding on to their problems in life. For somewhere deep down, people felt ‘guilt’ for some ‘wrong’ and felt almost justified in the consequence. So here, I would like to share (purely) my perspective on the law of karma and how it plays an important role in healing ourselves at body, mind and spiritual levels.

As I grew up I had a pretty common attitude towards religion and God. I ‘prayed’ to God (especially when I was in trouble!) and in general it was a feeling of awe and a little fear of God. It was when I came to college and face to face with Swami that my perceptions and concept of God and spirituality changed or rather formed completely. I realized and fell in love with God (Daiva preethi as Swami would say). I understood that more than being a taskmaster, God was an ocean of compassion who stood by me at all times and helped me evolve. I also discovered that spirituality was the way we lived life and not something we do at specific times in front of an altar.

Post college the lessons learnt at California Hypnosis Institute of India (CHII) and my own experience as a therapist / healer allowed me to further crystallize my concepts of karma. I have heard a popular belief system that states that if a person A slapped a person B, then by the law of karma, person A had to receive a slap (mostly from person B). I find that to be a pretty bigoted point of view (no offence meant to believers of this). Is it possible that we say that God is compassionate and yet He would create a law to ensure ‘an eye for an eye’? An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth would leave the world blind and not spiritually evolved!

According to me, the law of karma requires person A to REALIZE what it is to receive a slap so that he would desist from such an action in the future. That’s it! It is true that the simplest way for the mind to understand this is when the person A receives a slap in the first place. But it is not to taken as a prerequisite for learning the lesson. The law of karma is in place to ensure healing and not wounding.

What is the significance of this theory? Every time we believe or are told that we are suffering due to our past karma, now we realize that all we have to do is probably find out what it is that the soul (ourselves) has to learn. When that lesson is learnt, the problem or suffering has to and will immediately abate as the learning is all that was required in the first place.

I welcome your comments and inputs to these thoughts at info@sunshinestudio.in and in my next article will outline a simple meditation by which one could resolve issues, especially relating to karmic release in relationships. Please watch this space for that.

Love & Light! :)

A Journey Within

By Sri Ram S.
(Sri Ram. S is an MSc (Math) and MBA grad from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. He was also the University Brass band leader, a mandir bhajan singer and one of the founders of the alumni Band Group known as Rhythmic Energy. Post studies he worked in the IT industry for over 6 years after which he moved on and is currently a practising Clinical Integrated Hypnotherapist working out of Bangalore. He has founded Sunshine Wellness Studio (www.SunshineStudio.in) that aims at using various modalities of hypnotherapy for healing.Feel free to write in on your experiences and also if you have any further queries at info@SunshineStudio.in )


Mana eva manushyanaam karanam bandha mokshayoho! We have heard these words from Bhagwan many times where He tells us that the mind is the key to man’s bondage as well as liberation. When I heard these during His discourses, it was yet another pearl of wisdom spoken by the Lord. Well, that was it! At that time I was unaware that Swami had a very beautiful journey planned for me as I traversed through practical methods of utilizing this knowledge for my own and others’ growth. I completed my MBA and went on to work in the conventional corporate world in a Program Management role. As years flew by I was certain that I was meant to be doing something closer to my heart. Life and experiences got me to learn a course in Hypnotherapy from CHII. I found the course to be an eye-opener that taught me to go deeper within and understand myself better. It was just a matter of time and Divine Will before I moved out of my regular job and took up hypnotherapy as my profession. Through this section, by Swami’s grace, I shall share my experiences, theories, knowledge garnered and also simple techniques in making this journey within, a more joyous and enlightening one. In each article, we would take up one topic and where relevant or possible we would have a simple exercise or technique to go with.

This edition’s topic is: WHERE DO I FIND THE ANSWERS I SEEK?

What some may call ‘problems’, others may view as ‘opportunities’. Either way, we are all Divine Souls on a journey. We are here by choice and not chance. We choose our experiences, ups and downs, successes and failures, each leading and prodding our Soul forward in evolution. And yet, how often do we stand and look at life with a seeming disorientation and a million questions? Many of them seem to lead us to dead ends or dark spaces of uncertainty. And if we have chosen the path ourselves, why are we unaware of it? And more importantly, where could we find the answers?!

The answer is WITHIN! I am sure practically everyone has heard this multiple times. How many of us, however have FOUND the answers? This is what this series is all about. Watch this space for more as I share some clues and techniques I have learnt.

Exercise: Breath

I leave you with a simple breath exercise today. If the mind is the key to the answers, our breath is the key to our mind! Have you noticed how your breathing is rapid or shallow or fast when you are agitated? Have you noticed how calm and easy it is when you are at peace? This first technique teaches us how to relax and get to a calm state immediately (no matter how intense the situation or agitation may be).

1. Take in a deep breath for 9 seconds (you could start with lesser if you are not used to it; you could also use a count for defining the length or duration of inhalation).

2. Hold your breath for an equal duration (9 seconds as suggested)

1. Release or exhale in an equal duration of time (You could exhale through your mouth whenever you need to release a negative emotion or pain; exhale through your nose when you are looking to calm down and find answers).

2. Repeat this breathing pattern and over time you will find that without concentrating on the count you are able to keep your breathing regulated and uniform. Simple isn’t it? Life’s lessons are always simple just as Swami used to teach us through the most easy ways. You could use this in a moment of stress or make this a habitual exercise each morning when you meditate.

Look out for the next sequel in this series on “A Journey Within” in Venugaanam.