We all have aspects of our natural design that we really wish were different. I am pretty high on neuroticism (shock!) and I have always judged myself for it. I have tried to get rid of it, push it away and resist it. Then it hit me. What I really need to do is learn to embrace it and love myself BECAUSE of it. My Shiva recommended that I name three ways in which my natural higher level of neuroticism is an asset and a gift. I started there.
My natural neuroticism is a gift because it
(1) pushes me to plan in great detail for near term things, looking at each issue from all sides and
(2) has me naturally look out years ahead for any potential problems or opportunities and to plan for those too, and it
(3) encourages me toward a quieter, more contemplative life.
All three of these things support my purpose here on this earth! I am this way by design. Now, if I could only get that stress response down. This is where I had to get creative. So I tried an experiment. What if, every time I felt that familiar feeling of what I will call neurotic stress, I embraced it by savoring it like a delicious dessert? What if, instead of pushing it away, I pulled it in like a blanket on a winter night and delighted in it? Would it still have the cortisol effect?
Loving anything is the first step in letting it go. If that is taking too long, then psychedelics may help, either by microdosing or by a guided, properly conducted full session at a more noticeable dose. As always, please comply with your local laws and your gut instinct about what is best for you. For me, it worked like a charm. I will write more about my experiences with psychedelics in detail later, but for now, I will say that it has offered a profound and permanent acceleration of my personal journey.
Meanwhile, I was so blessed to take part in The Peace Circle Revival 2022 in Falling Waters, WV. This intimate and transformative day and half experience is just what the soul craved. This year was particularly special as I had the honor of elevating one my first students to Guru. So how does that happen? It is really your student’s decision, then verified by your teacher. It’s the spiritual version of the 360 review. When your students name you Guru, Master or other such title, what they are expressing is that they need you in that role in their lives. It is a call to serve their journey. At the Peace Circle, with so many light workers present and witnessing, her students and I elevated Tonya McClain – now Guru Kuja Tala Shambala Vatananda – but we will just call her Guru T. It is a journey in and of itself to follow the call to serve the spiritual path of others. And it was such pure bliss to watch Guru T’s evolution and to be there for the elevation. A new guru walks among you! May she be blessed and in so bless many others.
