dharma discovery
Dharma is a Sanskrit word that means your purpose. It’s the reason each of us decided to incarnate on this planet at this time. I believe that each of us have our own unique gifts and our purpose on Earth is to remember why we are here. Have you ever wondered why some people are soldiers, others accumulate wealth, some explore, some entertain, others own businesses, some are monks and so on? When I really contemplate this truth, it feels like this is how we create balance in the world, when each of us are living our own unique truths. The beauty and balance are that each Dharma is different and no one person is the same.
My dharma journey started in 2021 in a little beach town on the coast of Costa Rica called Nosara. At this time, I was deep into my own personal development, dedicating hours a day to cleansing my mind, body and soul. Yoga, journaling and reading were a big part of this stage for me. Yoga opened me up, stagnant energy released from my body and strength built from the inside out. Journaling helped me to articulate my emotions and what I was feeling. Something I never knew how to do before. Reading spiritual books gave me the perspective that I wasn’t alone on this path in what I was feeling and brought me comfort to keep going.
My own Dharma journey came so unexpectedly, and it’s taken me years to connect each piece together. It all started at a yoga class. I remember arriving early and my teacher was this beautiful, flowy, spunky woman named Rebecca. The energy in the space was so open and inviting. I set up my mat, got my props, laid down in a deep heart opener and waited for class to begin. That flow changed my life and opened me up to this energy I had never felt before. I remember thinking to myself, if I am able to cultivate just an ounce of her energy within myself, I will be happy. About a year later I was called to reach out to her and next thing I knew, Rebecca was my spiritual coach, gently guiding me back to my own truth. I would not be here today without her guidance, and I am so grateful that I listened to that little intuitive hit to reach out and follow my dharma.
During my time working with Rebecca, I got another hit. That I needed to do my Yoga Teacher Training. It’s 2022 now and I’m getting ready to go to India. I found a program that felt aligned and next thing I know, I’m on my way to Dharamshala to study yoga at Sarvaguna Yoga. I didn’t know at the time, but this step was a deep dive into my shadows. Before I even left for this trip, the universe started to initiate me onto my path. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. I was tested every step of the way to see how devoted I truly was. I spent 8 weeks in India diving deep into my shadows and insecurities that when I came back to the states, I felt even more confused. I was going through a spiritual awakening and realizing all the ways that I had abandoned myself up to this point. I was shown the truth, but I still had to learn to forgive and love myself. When you’re in this stage of awakening, it’s lonely. It feels like you are against the world. I remember feeling so angry at the world and the way it was. I was disconnected from everyone around me and unable to accept a view that was different from mine.
My spiritual awakening was an excavation process of returning home to myself and after about a year and a half, I took my next step. I had heard of Vipassana when I was in India and I got a hit that I needed to sign up for a course, so that’s what I did. August 23, 2023 I found myself in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho where I learned how to meditate deeply and it was the first time in my life that I didn’t speak for 10 days. This experience brought me to my knees, to the depths of my despair. I grieved all the parts of myself that I knew I was letting go. It was terrifying because I had no idea what I was stepping into and even letting go was so hard. Coming back from this experience, I felt like a complete mess and like my life was falling apart. I was so hurt and filled with anger. Changes had to be made. I finally realized that the only way to change my outer world was to change my inner world, because our outer world reflects our inner world. I had to take radical ownership for what was happening in my life. I finally saw this truth. It was like the veil lifted and I saw all the ways that I was responsible. This brought me to the Dharma Development stage, and I finally took action. I signed up for a coaching course to become a spiritual life coach, something that had been in the back of my mind for years. I began truly devoting myself to my own truth. Getting lost in the study of astrology and becoming a student at the Dharma Coaching Institute. Slowly, I started to feel more ease and grace in my day-to-day life. I had finally stepped into the vibration of matching my own dharma and now it was time to really develop my craft.
Currently, it’s the end of 2023 and this is where I am in my journey. Deep into developing my craft. I can now see how each step was guiding me here to this moment. I have the words to share and speak about my experience. I have a deeper understanding of the spiritual path and that it’s a life long journey. My dharma is to use my voice to help others find their truth and it will continue to evolve and change as I do. This is just the beginning and I’m learning how to enjoy each step because now I know from personal experience that it does get better when we surrender and trust that in this moment, we are exactly where we are meant to be.
