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Reclaiming, Renaming, Reconceiving...

March 16Reclaiming, Renaming, Reconceiving...
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Gurumayi’s teachings have brought me to a whole new level of understanding about myself. I asked myself: Who exists within me? Is it God and me? Who is this “me”?

When I thought about it, I realized that only one exists within me, and that one is pure Consciousness, which has the form of light and love. Everything else is just layers of words that I say or think about myself.

Whenever I become aware of pure Consciousness, a feeling of happiness arises in me. It seems as if all the happiness on this earth arises when I become aware of my true Self. I always want to remember who I really am, and this is why I meditate every day and study the teachings of the Siddhas.
 

Konolfingen, Switzerland

Gurumayi’s words stretch me to expand my understanding. I was particularly awed by “all these perceived limitations become self-fulfilling prophecies,” because yesterday I was pondering how I limit myself by subconsciously holding on to old concepts. Now, I feel inspired to see how I can reclaim, rename, and reconceive these observations into words that will be more uplifting and transformative for me.
 

Connecticut, United States

I am grateful to Gurumayi for rejuvenating how I see and experience my life and the world around me. What had I taken for granted? My breath. What is the breath? I’ll rename it spanda. My breath is the holy pulse of love, of consciousness, of creation, of the Guru. If I reconceive this life-giving force and tell myself exactly what it is I am inhaling, perhaps my ego will subside and divine light will shine through me.
 

New Hampshire, United States

Gurumayi’s teachings about “Reclaiming, Renaming, Reconceiving…” spoke to me as if they had been written just for me!
I have been going through a metamorphosis recently. As I rename the narrative of my life, of who I am and who I want to be—mostly on the professional front—I am reclaiming, in all its truth, who I truly am.

A couple of weeks ago, I was working through something, and, on reflection, a new outlook emerged—“Have a beginner’s mind.” I hadn’t thought about this in terms of renaming, but that’s essentially what I did. And I truly experienced Gurumayi’s words, “It can be immensely beneficial to engage in such an act of renaming. It keeps you curious, alert, and invested in returning to your own essence. It brings a kind of freshness to that which you have possessed all along.” It does, indeed!
 

New Jersey, United States

Reading Gurumayi's words in “Reclaiming, Renaming, Reconceiving…,” I am reminded of how important it is to bring a sense of newness to sadhana. One way I do this in regard to Gurumayi's Message for the year is to look up key words from the Message in a thesaurus and then rewrite the Message using the new words. When I do this, I find that I understand the Message from a different perspective and, consequently, I gain new insights.
 

London, United Kingdom

I’ve been holding Gurumayi’s teaching “Reclaiming, Renaming, Reconceiving. . .” close to my heart to see what insights may emerge to inform my sadhana right now. Today I realized I want to reclaim my longing to know God.
 
I am grateful for how content I feel in my life. Yet when I look at myself closely, I see a certain passivity, a sense of satiation that implies being done. This teaching from Gurumayi is prompting me to step outside my comfort zone so that I can experience true contentment—the full experience of the Self.

I want to reclaim my early days of sadhana, when I was hungry for the whole Truth. Reconceiving my meditation, I will let go of complacency to see what grace has in store for me.
 

Michigan, United States

A few days ago, I gave a talk to a large group of people. There was laughter; there were tears—the energy in the room was palpable. I felt great about the talk. But afterward, as I watched a video of this talk, my lifelong nemesis, my inner critic, raised its ugly head. It chirped on and on: I was inarticulate, I was too informal, and so on.

Reading the words “Reclaiming, Renaming, Reconceiving…,” I knew this was the compass I needed to navigate my uncomfortable feelings. I read Gurumayi’s teaching with a beating heart. My feelings began to ease as I reached the last paragraph and read, “When you notice your divinity emitting its mesmerizing light, how will you keep your inner critic at bay and remain undaunted?” I’ve decided that I’m “reclaiming” the awareness that my inner state is rooted in the Self. I’m “renaming” this experience as a “lesson.” And I’m “reconceiving” myself as imperfect yet striving to do my best.
 

California, United States

When I read Gurumayi’s teaching “Reclaiming, Renaming, Reconceiving…” for the first time, the final paragraph particularly inspired me. It occurred to me, if I can simply take a pen in hand and create my own universe, what sets me apart from God?

This evening, I read the text aloud with some other Siddha Yoga students. Later, as I recorded my reflections in my diary, I realized that I was truly writing—or creating!—my own life. I often feel uncomfortable reading aloud, no matter how much encouragement I receive from others who enjoy listening to me. I worry about making a mistake—and then a mistake happens. So, I wondered, how it would be if I did the opposite—if I said, “I can do it”? Then I would be creating my own universe in which I see myself as I truly am. Then I would be connected with my divinity.
 

Obing, Germany

Recently, during a Siddha Yoga Sadhana Circle, our group studied and contemplated how to put Gurumayi’s profound and thought-provoking teaching into practice. In my case, I made a mental note to take more time to journal and explore the experiences that may arise during meditation.  

This morning in meditation, I had a vision of an unusually large and beautiful orange butterfly that danced dazzlingly in my awareness for a while. Afterward, I contemplated the qualities of butterflies, such as lightness, joy, and freedom, and pondered what message this experience was giving to me. As I did so, I recalled that I had committed to participate in the Siddha Yoga Sadhana Circle on a weekly basis in order to enhance my progress in sadhana. Upon further reflection, the image of the butterfly seemed to be a sign from my Self that I am moving in a positive direction. I feel that this meditation experience is telling me that studying the Guru’s teachings more frequently is likely to bring freedom, lightness of being, and joy.
 

Burnaby, Canada

When I first read Gurumayi’s teaching, I wasn’t sure that I was completely understanding it. But I then re-read it twice more, reminding myself that the Guru’s words transcend intellectual realms and contain a deeper level of meaning. Later on, when I was meditating, a realization suddenly arose within me that I can start renaming strong emotions and challenges as gifts from the purifying force of grace. I have begun to do that and, as a result, I already feel a greater connection to my own inner power.
 

Mexico City, Mexico