When Everything Falls Apart!

How people manage life without a Guru is beyond me! When my life got turned upside down and inside out, it was the tools of this path, and my Guru’s grace, that navigated me into the light again.

I came back to England during the break up of my marriage, for a little bit of space, not realising that it was a one-way ticket! My life in Italy, my Ananda community with whom I had spent years, my home, my husband, the lot – disappeared into the rear-view mirror as it became clear that the ‘little bit of space’ wasn’t what Master had in mind. My life changed beyond recognition in the blink of an eye, and suddenly all that was familiar had gone. Here I was in England with no map, no compass, no home and no scroll telling me what to do. It was pretty scary! It was also an opportunity to put the teachings to the test.

What I did have however, were the things that endure, no matter what life looked like in that chaos, and the tools and gifts of this path took on new meaning for me.

DIVINE FRIENDSHIP

The support from my Ananda family in Italy and my UK friends and family, was without a doubt, a great blessing. Cultivate your friendships – they are one of our greatest gifts! As Yogananda says ‘Ah, friendship – flowering, heaven-born plant! Nurtured art thou in the soil of measureless love, in the seeking off soul progress together’.

PRAYER

Meditation eluded me for quite a while during this period of my life, and prayer became my strength.

Asking for guidance, asking Master to be strong through me, to show me a new way of being. For His will to be done. I was always praying to Master. He was, and is, my anchor  – ‘walking by my side, and guarding me with invisible arms’.

AFFIRMATION

This is one of our greatest gifts on the path – years of practicing them came into their own! They came to me like life rafts that carried me through. ‘I completely trust that all is well, Thine all-protecting presence encircles me’. – ‘Fear cannot enter a quiet heart’ – ‘With the sword of devotion, I sever the heartstrings that tie me to delusion. With the deepest love, I lay my heart at the feet of omnipresence’. – Affirmations are priceless jewels. They raise our vibration and keep us positive.  Yogananda’s ‘Scientific Healing Affirmations’, and Kriyananda’s ‘Affirmations for Self-Healing’ are great books to add to your library

BIGGER PICTURE

I looked for the bigger picture. This wasn’t really about loss, divorce or heartbreak – it was about karma, growth, and a deepening of my trust and faith, which went to new levels as a result of this experience. I learnt to offer myself completely at Master’s feet. Big challenges help us to surrender. We need, more than ever during them, to hand our lives over to God and Guru, and Master promises – ‘I will enter and take charge of your life’ – Yes please!

MUSIC

‘Life is the Quest for Joy’ by Swami Kriyananda, was my constant companion at home – it soothed my soul and brought me close to my inner home again. We have so much beautiful and inspiring music on this path, to lift our souls.

SERVICE

Before too long, I began holding meditations – what a blessing!  I also did some holistic trainings, and started running workshops and group. I always felt so much better after serving in this way – ‘the channel is blessed by that which runs through it’ was a tangible feeling! Serving really helped me to get outside of myself!

ONLINE TALKS

Listening to our great sources of inspiration at Ananda always gave me a boost when I needed it!  A phrase from one of Asha’s talks has stayed with me since my early days back in England – ‘we are here for one reason only; to recover the awareness that we are one with all, and to be instruments of the Divine in all that we do’.  Without tuning into the online talks, this pearl of wisdom may have eluded me! It helped me to understand my challenge somehow, on a deeper level.

INTO THE LIGHT!

I’ve never had solid ground under my feet since I came to England in 2014, do we ever!? But the light is always there, and it comes through the keys on this path, attunement, service, satsang and prayer and meditation. Even in the midst of life’s biggest tests, dig deep into the toolkit – it won’t let us down!

‘Wrap yourself in the thought of God.  His holy Name is the Power of all powers.  Like a shield, it deflects all negative vibration’ – Yogananda.

And here in 2022 – Ananda UK is blossoming!  My service to Master and His work has unfolded here, in a way it wouldn’t have done without my life falling apart! When things crash, it’s to clear the way for us to get closer to our soul, our dharma, and to God and Guru. And for something new to unfold – Jai Guru!

Get in touch if you would like to know more about the path of Kriya Yoga, or learn to meditate.