Rebirth
June 2024
Rebirth
EMPTY YOUR CUP
When we let go of the past by releasing the emotions associated with it, we invite the Universe to bless our life with positivity, truth, and spiritual growth, says Aparna Dedhia
Every time Soniya thought about the new house she had bought in one of Mumbai’s upcoming suburbs, a golden glow would spread across her face. However, a glitch marred her happiness—the thought of her old house casting a shadow on her joy. She was riddled with fear and anxiety about her old house: Would it be sold? If so, would it be sold on time to the right buyer at the right price?
Have we not found ourselves in similar situations where, amidst the excitement of a new beginning, the shadows of our past linger, taking away our mojo?
People often say that time heals everything, but the truth is that nothing heals unless you deal with it. When someone asked the monk Dandapani how to let go of the past as well as fears about the future, he explained a technique from Hinduism called Vasana Daha Tantra. This technique involves taking a piece of paper and writing down the unresolved emotional experiences that consume a tremendous amount of energy in your subconscious. The idea is to understand that past experiences or worries about the future are unresolved emotional experiences stored in your subconscious with attached emotions. Emotions are energy vibrating at a certain frequency. Writing them down can help release this energy and free you from their hold.
Dandapani added that, as Nikolas Tesla says, if you want to discover the secrets of the universe, you have to think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration. You can’t change the experience itself, but you can remove the emotion attached to the experience. To do this, take a piece of paper and write down the problem. Something interesting happens as you write it down: the experience moves from your subconscious to your conscious mind because you are reliving it. The emotion then comes out of your hand onto the paper. Next, crumple the paper and burn it. Does the fire destroy the emotion? No, because you can’t destroy energy. Instead, it transforms the emotion in the paper into heat, flame, smoke, ash, and other things. How many times do you have to write it down? If it’s an intense emotion, write it three or four times. If it’s not so intense, just once or twice will do.
Making the Most of Lunar Phases
The Lunar Cycle, a natural rhythm of the universe, creates phases such as full moons and new moons, which are periods of heightened energy. Just as the full moon’s gravitational pull affects ocean tides, it’s plausible that it also influences our emotions, considering our bodies are approximately 70 per cent water. Those who are prone to feelings of anger, sadness, and depression may experience heightened emotions during certain lunar phases. Conversely, those who practise meditation may find themselves more deeply immersed in their practice. This cycle repeats approximately every 28 days as the moon transitions from visible to invisible.
The Shuklapaksha, also known as the bright lunar fortnight, begins with the new moon day (Amavasya). During this phase, the moon’s illumination gradually increases, leading up to the full moon day (Purnima). Amavasya, or the new moon, symbolises new beginnings, fresh relationships, and opportunities for positive change. It is a beautiful natural opportunity to turn inward, tap into our intuition, and set intentions for what we want to manifest or how we want to develop in all aspects of our life over the next two weeks.
Krishnapaksha, known as the dark lunar fortnight, spans approximately 14 days in the Hindu lunar calendar. Starting from the Purnima, the moon’s illumination gradually decreases, resulting in darker nights. This phase is considered ideal for activities like introspection, spiritual practices, and releasing negative energies. It is believed that the mind and body are more attuned to these practices during these 14 days.
The full moon is symbolic of both releasing and receiving energies. It’s a time when we let go of the old to make space for the new intentions we can set during the new moon. The full moon’s powerful presence encourages us to slow down, pause, and put brakes on whatever we are doing. It’s a time to heal whatever needs healing, both physically and emotionally, and to nurture ourselves in a gentle and compassionate way.
Creating a Sacred Space
In the sessions we conduct both online and offline[MU1] , we create a sacred space by lighting a diya or a candle, as well as some camphor or incense. This helps to align outwardly with the journey within. Before commencing this journey, we chant the mantra ‘Om asatoma sadgamay, tamasoma jyotirgamay, mrutyorma amrutam gamay, om shanti shanti shanti’ which is a Sanskrit mantra that is part of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, often recited during meditation or spiritual practices. The mantra translates to ‘Lead me from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality.’ It is a prayer for guidance and transformation, asking for a journey from ignorance to knowledge, from negativity to positivity, and from mortality to spiritual immortality.
Dandapani teaches that as we allow our emotions to flow from pen to paper, we essentially transfer them from the subconscious mind to the conscious mind. During the sessions, participants are encouraged to release on four different levels:
- Emotions: Emotions indeed form a broad spectrum of feelings, encompassing both positive and negative aspects, and are intrinsic to the human experience. They are essentially energy in motion, encompassing both negative and positive manifestations. Negative emotions such as anger, fear, guilt, grief, impatience, and anxiety can act as impediments in our journey towards manifesting our aspirations. By fostering a sense of angst, these emotions obstruct our path to living the life we envision. As we write, “I release all those emotions like anger, grief, fear, jealousy, etc., that no longer serve me,” we feel a substantial weight lift from our being, making us feel lighter and charged to take on our lives with a renewed sense of hope and vigour.
- Relationships: Over the years, we’ve accumulated many animosities in our relationships. We carry the weight of those who have hurt us or whom we’ve hurt, consciously or subconsciously. This baggage can hinder us from living the life of our dreams. Letting go of toxic relationships that no longer serve our well-being is crucial. Interestingly, in one session, my nephew Soumil, who had gone through a recent break-up, found his soulmate, the girl of his dreams, shortly after releasing the negative energy from the past relationship. When you release the old, you make space for the new. Participants in our sessions have released spouses, siblings, best friends, and in-laws. Some may wonder if releasing someone means entirely cutting them out of our lives. The resounding answer is ‘NO’ in bold letters.
In most cases, releasing the negative energy surrounding the relationship is what truly matters. We must address the baggage we carry from past relationships to live a fulfilling life. Letting go of toxic relationships that no longer serve us is crucial for our mental and emotional well-being. We create space for positive growth and new opportunities by releasing negativity around our connections. It allows us to move forward with a lighter heart and a clearer mind, paving the way for a brighter future.
- Habits: The habits that once helped us survive may no longer serve us when it’s time to thrive. Transitioning out of survival mode requires adopting new habits for a new life. It’s common to cling to conscious or subconscious habits, simply operating on autopilot. These habits impede our manifestation journey as habits like overthinking tend to gather negative energy around situations. Many other habits, such as judging people or situations, procrastination, never being on time, emotional eating leading to overeating or binge eating, gossiping, and never appreciating the good in life, can take us on a downward spiral.
The full moon allows you to let go of past limitations and embrace a future filled with possibilities by releasing the habits that hold you back. So, the moment you write, “I release all those habits that no longer serve me,” don’t expect all those habits to go flying out of the window. You will start living a life of awareness. You will remind yourself to stop whenever you put that extra helping of yummy biryani in your mouth, to accept people or situations as they are instead of judging them, and to do things on time instead of procrastinating. A new you will emerge as you shed the old, making way for the new.
- Physical Pain: Whether it’s a dramatic headache that throbs like the plucked strings of a guitar or a dull muscle pain that niggles at you like a persistent doubt, all physical pain you experience can be released. As you write, “I release all the pain that no longer serves me,” don’t expect that pain to magically disappear. Instead, you may synchronously meet the right someone who will cure you of your ailment. Participants have often released their chronic sinusitis, migraines, or acute toothaches in the sessions. People have shared encouraging feedback, mentioning that, for instance, they met an acupuncturist who helped them deal with their 10-year-old sciatica. The release ritual can help break away from these pain patterns. You might meet a therapist or healer who helps you address your pain from a mind-body perspective.
Making Way for New Possibilities
As for my friend Soniya, as she released her fears, she manifested synchronicity: a neighbour who lived two floors below and was looking to upgrade from a two-bedroom to a three-bedroom flat bought her house at the desired price. The art of letting go invites us to release what no longer serves us, freeing us to embrace new possibilities and growth. This transformative journey towards a more authentic and fulfilled life involves awareness, acceptance, forgiveness, mindfulness, and surrender. By letting go, we create space for the beauty of the present and the potential of the future to unfold. I have experienced this process multiple times, dissolving misunderstandings, manifesting calls from long-lost friends, and meeting a new yoga teacher who ignited a fitness journey with renewed passion and vigour.
Life can be compared to the profound Zen story of the disciple and the master. In this tale, the disciple approaches the master with his cup, seeking to learn. The master instructs him to return when his cup is empty, implying that he must first release what it holds before it can be filled anew. This story is a powerful metaphor, illustrating that we cannot welcome new experiences and wisdom until we let go of what is already within us. Just as the disciple had to empty his cup to receive the master’s teachings, we too must release what is already inside us to make space for growth, learning, and new perspectives in our life.
Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than hanging on.
—Eckhart Tolle