My spiritual pathway

'Geiten wollen sokken' or just very down to earth?

It's funny when people tell me their view at people doing yoga or being spiritual, it's a Dutch saying: 'Ah geiten wollen sokken types! Niks voor mij..' translated 'Ah goat woolly socks types, nothing for me'. But seriously, being spiritual or doing yoga has nothing to do with being woolly. It means you're grounded; connected with the earth & universe.

Since I was a kid I felt connected with the universe, always dreaming and looking at the stars to feel bonded with all souls looking down at me. Dreaming that I could fly and talk to the dead. I guess no one knew, it was my little secret and it made me feel special.

Of course later, after the passing of my father when I was eleven years old, even more I felt the parallel between the souls on this earth and in another dimension. I had to believe there was more after leaving this earth, I had to believe my dad was still around and I did feel he was.

During my Vinyasa Yoga Teacher training my two teachers Claudia van Tier and Daphne Koken inspired me to deepen my spiritual pathway. They learned me about the elements of nature and how we're all connected. I learned about the Chakra's, Kosha's, Guna's, Bhagavad Gita, Purusha & Prakriti and so much more.

“I wish you the blessings of Shakti who lives in you in the form of energy & vitality. And the blessings of Shiva that lives in you as consciousness and knowledge. May they always take care of you and in their infinite love guide you to your cosmic consciousness."

Shiva & Shakti = Purusha & Prakriti

The first time I learned about these principles through the teachings of my teachers and the Bhagavad Gita it took me a lot of effort to understand what the meaning of it was. It just didn't land and I hated it for not understanding. But I kept putting energy in it, reading about it online and in books, I spoke about it in my classes, spoke about it with friends and started integrating it in my own practice. Thanks to that effort things landed and it got a form which worked for me.

Because I have a huge interest for the chakra's (spiritual energy channels) I started to read the book 'Chakras' from Johari and in this book he explained that Shakti, our Divine mother is resting in Muladhara chakra (root chakra) in the shape of Kundalini energy. She desires for the union with her beloved Shiva, the Divine, who is in constant state of enlightenment in the Sahasrara chakra (crown chakra). The rising of Shakti, our spiritual energy, is being delayed because of the constant fluctuations of the mind "citta vritti nirodha". In the world we live in we are feeding our Ego, listening to the perception of the world, are in thinking modus, listening to the obligations, having desires, feeling pain and pleasures. But when Shakti meets Shiva, her beloved, the union of Prakriti and Purusha reveals and everything becomes one; we work up to a natural state of being wherein we are satisfied that everything is as it should be and that it is good enough. It's very refreshing!

Prakriti stands for energy, nature, materials, change. Prakriti stands for Shakti, our divine mother, she nurses, feeds, gives warmth and love and has desires. Purusha stands for never changing, our Pure Consciousness. Purusha is Shiva, male shaped and has no desires.

I love this quote: "Purusha is the empty clear screen onto which Prakriti projects her colorful film."

I do realize, in the world we live in, on this beautiful earth, it's not possible (for me..) to be in constant 'Bliss', to be constant connected with my Pure Consciousness. Because if that would be the case, I would not be standing with both feet on this earth anymore, I won't be able to connect with nature and the people around me. Purusha & Prakriti need each other.