LifeForce Energy Healing Explained

The Powerful LifeForce Energy Healing® Technique Explained

by Energy HealingEnergy MedicineFeatured

One day many years ago, when I was a young student teacher in an energy healing school in the United States, I was called up by the head teacher to take over a session he was doing on a client at the front of the room. As I replaced him at the head of the table, I sensed the presence of Jesus, the Master Healer, standing behind me. I was used to connecting with Him, having done so all my life, but never to the level I experienced at that moment; His presence was surreal.

The Master Healer gently changed my position, moving my arms from the sides of the client’s head, where I was clearing, charging and balancing her sixth and seventh chakras, and had me bend my arms at the elbow, with, with my hands, at the height of my shoulders, palms facing out. As I held my arms this way, I felt an enormous wave of energy emanating from my chest, the location of the heart chakra. I desperately tried to stay grounded as I was filled with energy from above, from somewhere above the twenty-fourth level of the universal energy field. The Master let me know that all I had to do going forward to effect healing on every level, from the physical to the emotional to the spiritual, was to intend it in my heart and allow that energy wave to pass from me to the intended recipient. I was overcome with emotion as I sensed an immediate positive change in the client on the table, a woman who was dealing with advanced cancer. Later, I realized that the arm position He had given me was the same position that the Catholic priest as well as religious leaders in other traditions adopt during their rituals.

I spent years refining what I learned that day and I call this technique LifeForce Energy Healing®. I have used it with thousands of people I have worked with over the years. It allows you to establish, in a split second, a connection between Source/God, your energy field, and the field of the person you are assisting; it is extraordinarily fast and powerful.

I have successfully taught students to replicate this technique. Once you’ve learned it, you can, in less than a minute, attract divine energy, conduct it through your own energy field, and transmit it to the intended recipient. As this divine energy goes through you, the feeling of unconditional love is indescribable. Whatever was meant to happen to your client has now happened (in this instance, “client” is shorthand for the person you are healing). It isn’t necessary for the client to desire the intended result, as the client’s Higher Self knows what is best. For a brief moment, your energy field has merged with the Divine and with the energy field of your client; for a brief moment, you are in communion with All that Is. You are left with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and a burning desire to use the technique again!

LifeForce Energy Healing® is different from pranic healing, telepathic healing, and radiatory healing, all of which I teach in the lower levels of my LifeForce Energy Healing® programs. In pranic healing, you direct your prana, your own personal energy, directly toward your client so your vitality reinforces his. In telepathic healing, you transmit positive concepts and ideas to the other person’s subconscious mind to stimulate healing or change the mental attitudes that are blocking him. With radiatory healing, you develop a sympathetic resonance between your personal energy field and that of the person you are working on.

Contrast those techniques with LifeForce Energy Healing® , where you align yourself with the Christ light. This isn’t a religious concept. The Christ is the most recent human being who fully mastered opening his chakras and his energy field and merging it with Source. When you merge with that Christ light, you are able to replicate His technique. All you need to do is open your heart chakra 360 degrees (that’s the tricky part, for sure!), and merge with Him and then with the client. Every fiber of your being is intending, with unbending intent, to merge with this divine light. (Note: You are not intending a certain result for the client, as that would be coming from your personality, which is of a lower value than your client’s Higher Self, who knows what’s best.)

You may have heard the phrase, “Where attention goes, energy flows.” It’s true: energy follows thought, so your strong and positive-focused intention is what powers up this healing technique. The link between you and the Christ light and the person you are healing is inevitable because you are joining your mind and spirit with the force of unconditional love.

It is the energy of Source, coupled with earth energy, coming through you that effects change in your client’s energy field and body. The client will experience a healing on some level, whether that’s psychological, spiritual, emotional, or physical. The exact nature of the healing is up to him and his Higher Self.

(Excerpt from Heal Yourself Heal the World, pp. 199-200.)

If you are curious to learn this technique, I teach it to Masters-in-Training in the advanced LifeForce Energy Healing® Level IV program. Go to: www.deborahking.com/masters for more information.

Beyond the 5 Senses

Go Beyond the Five Senses and Learn to Utilize Your Paranormal Gifts

by Energy HealingFeaturedGifts

Have you ever had a “gut feeling” that something wasn’t right and, sure enough, it wasn’t? Have you ever known who was calling when the phone rang, without checking Caller ID? Have you ever run into someone you hadn’t seen in a long time, and you were just thinking about that person? You might call all these experiences coincidence, but in actuality, they are examples of you tuning in to your intuitive abilities.

Don’t get scared. You won’t wind up wearing a turban and staring into a crystal ball just because you knew Aunt Sally was on the phone. Intuitive ability simply refers to a natural faculty we all possess that has long been denied or denigrated because it appears to be “supernatural” or “paranormal”—something that is outside the realm of the usual five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste.

It is easy to see how the five basic senses work according to natural laws; they can be poked and prodded by machines, tested in labs, scored, rated, and all the other scientific verifications that let us know they truly exist. But when it comes to the senses that are beyond the norm, science throws up its hands and says they can’t be proven, so obviously they don’t exist. Well, they do.

There are the “clairs”—clairvoyance, the ability to see with the “inner eye”; clairsentience, that feeling in the gut that “knows”; and clairaudience, like hearing your name called when there’s no one around. Throughout the ages and in every different culture, there have always been those who could access their expanded senses.

Here are 5 ways you can expand your horizons and learn to utilize the paranormal gifts:

5 Ways to Go Beyond the Five Senses

  1. Trust your intuition. You’re already receiving more information than you’re aware of.  When you meet someone who feels “off” to you in some way, don’t start dating that person. When you look at your child at breakfast and you get a really bad feeling in your gut about the school bus, drive your kid to school that day. Maybe nothing will go wrong, but then again, maybe that guy will turn out to be physically abusive, maybe the school bully will punch out the kid sitting where your child usually sits on the bus.
  2. Let your awareness expand in nature. Find a place outside where you feel safe and allow your awareness to widen as you gaze at the sky or mountains or body of water or the green of trees and fields. Sink into a “reverie,” letting your thoughts float away like leaves in a stream. Realize how far beyond the confines of your body your consciousness can travel.
  3. When you first come into someone’s presence, ask yourself what information you are receiving from that person. Do they feel happy or sad? Relaxed or stressed? Healthy or not? When you start bringing more awareness to that person’s energy field, you might start picking up events that happened to him or her, such as a quick flash of a recent divorce, or the way he or she felt when a parent died, or even a past life.
  4. Don’t automatically discount the information you receive in these extra-ordinary ways. Instead of reacting with “That’s impossible . . .,” try for “hmm, I wonder if what I feel is true?” Allow for the expansion of your senses without putting up roadblocks.
  5. Practice with animals. The easiest sense to develop is that of “feeling”—the “gut sense” you’ve so often ignored in the past. When you’re sitting quietly with your pet, with no TV or computer on, simply intend to open to whatever your pet wants to tell you. Touch your pet gently, and you may “hear” or “know” what your dog or cat has to say. Since we usually love our pets, you may experience the communication in your heart.

When you develop your intuitive gifts and open more fully to the information you’re receiving, your life will work better. You’ll “know” how to get healthier, which friends are really friends and which ones you should probably drop, what your child needs if that guy or job or house is right for you. No crystal ball necessary.

How To Ascend

How To Ascend To Higher Realms

by AngelsAstral ProjectionEnergy HealingFeatured

When your soul decided to incarnate into a physical body, you agreed to the limitations of the physical realm. But what about all the beings who are not limited by a physical form? Where do spirit guides and angels live? Higher beings like these reside in the higher realms, where the universe can be seen for its true boundlessness, and the love of the Divine flows like a river. It may sound like an unattainable dream, but higher planes of existence are accessible to you—if you know how to ascend.

 

What Is Ascension?

There are many different ways to explain what ascension means. Its dictionary definition is to rise up or go to a higher level. Of course, the greatest ascension was Jesus’ rise to heaven after his resurrection. For humans, ascension is a realignment with the Divine, a reconnection to the realms of the soul. But since you may not yet be physically moving up through the air, ascension can also be referred to as raising your vibration, expanding your awareness, and communing with the angels. All three of these spiritual expansions are forms of ascension, and with a little practice and focused intent, you can strengthen your ability to expand your consciousness and visit the higher realms.

 

Why Visit the Higher Realms?

The higher realms are like the best paradise you can imagine. At the highest level you have Source, which is the source of love, of universal energy, and of life itself. Divine love washes over everything in these highest realms, and to experience divine love is to experience the purest, most heart-chakra-opening love in the universe. In these higher planes angels are also present, which is how they can bring divine love down to Earth and to you—they live in it. A little lower in the non-physical realms is the plane where other spirit guides reside—your ancestors who have passed on but have become spiritual touchstones, your animal guides, or any other spirits that offer support and advice when you call.

When you ascend to any of the higher realms, you will start to expand your consciousness and connect with Source. You will become one with your higher self and gain valuable insight about your soul’s true purpose. With all these spiritual teachers, guides, and carriers of divine light in these realms, you come away from the experience of ascension with a greater perspective on the universe and your place within it, a patience and compassion for others, a knowledge that your true self is perfect and worth embracing, and a deep understanding that you are loved beyond anything you can experience here on Earth.

Continuing to develop your spiritual foundation is the best thing you can do to increase your progress toward ascension. Here are a few ways you can shore up your foundation, help raise your personal vibration, and increase your chances of ascending to the higher realms with more frequency and accuracy.

1. Energy Healing

Past traumas and unprocessed emotions are two major roadblocks to raising your consciousness.  Emotional baggage gets stuck in your body and in your energy field and weighs down your soul. Imagine trying to fly into the heavens with a huge boulder on your back! You have to drop the weight and clear your chakras in order to ascend. Attending healing courses and energy medicine workshops are great ways to heal past wounds, clear and charge your chakras, and raise your vibration. Building a strong spiritual foundation is what energy healing does, and the stronger your spiritual foundation, the easier it is to rise into the celestial planes.

2. Meditation

Meditation raises your awareness and can even connect you to Source. A daily practice of meditation also contributes to a strong spiritual foundation and helps you process your emotions to keep your energy field and chakras clear and functioning optimally. Generally, ascension takes lots of personal energy work, but a skilled energy healer or spiritual teacher can lead you in guided meditations, like the ones I do in my online Angels of Energy Healing Ascension Course, which can be a fast-track to ascension. A guided meditation is a great start to ascension since it will allow you to experience the higher realms. Trust me, even a temporary visit with the angels in the heavens will be an experience you’ll never forget!

3. Ask Your Angels

Angels are not limited by physical bodies since they are made of divine love, which means that even when they are here on Earth helping, guiding, and protecting you, they are still always linked to the higher realms. You can ask your angels for help with ascending to their planes. Just reach out to your angels with your specific request to join them in the higher realms, and then be aware for the next few days. Your angels may take you to the higher realms in a dream. They may visit you while you meditate and raise your vibration enough to get a glimpse of the expanded universe. They may even gather your spirit up in their wings and fly you to heavens themselves, wrapped in their protective bubble of light.

Ascension, like any spiritual practice, is not a competition. Your soul has its own timetable for progress, so trust that your higher self and your angels are guiding you well, and that when you’re ready to ascend, the heavens will be waiting. To learn more about ascending to higher planes, and how to strengthen your connection to your angels, check out my three-part live online healing and ascension course, Angels of Energy Healing, where you will learn how to access the healing energy of angels, ascend to higher realms, and experience the life-changing power of divine love. Come join me today!

R Kelly

Hiding in Plain Sight

by CelebritiesEnergy HealingFeaturedMovie ReviewsTrauma and Violence

It used to be that sexual predators had it fairly easy. The culture of “boys will be boys,” the seeming harmlessness of a little pussy grabbing here and there, and the mindset of “she was asking for it” made it so men—especially big powerful men—could satisfy their lust for power. Typically, they enlisted their friends and associates to help procure their victims and then paid off anyone who squawked. All it took was a good lawyer to evade criminal charges and avoid any unpleasant consequences, while trampling over the rights of the women (and children), destroying their credibility, and their lives.

Then came the #MeToo movement. And it began to dawn on everyone that maybe the women who squawked weren’t just after money; that they were telling a sordid tale that needed to be heard, that needed to be believed. That there needed to be real life consequences for those who indulged in this disgusting behavior. And the media began to realize that there was a story here.

The women who came forth and told their stories of sexual assault are finally unmasking the normalcy surrounding abuse. This shows the deep flaws in our society that allow for the devastating trauma of this behavior and the attitudes that help it to flourish.

In just this past year, two documentaries have come out that dive head first into the complex realm of sexual assault and pedophilia. Surviving R. Kelly, Netflix’s six-part series on the R&B singer’s history of grooming and filming young girls for his sexual pleasure, has just recently exploded with its opening on Netflix. And Leaving Neverland, an HBO documentary in two parts, took us through the lives of two of the young boys who were involved with Michael Jackson. It just won a Primetime Emmy for Best Documentary.

In six hours, Surviving R. Kelly takes us through interviews with people who were there since the early 1970s, from the incest of his own childhood, to being nicknamed the “Pied Piper of R&B,” through the infamous sex tape scandal, the child pornography, the accusations, the survivors, the court cases, and lets us know that black girls do indeed matter. And it takes on all those who enabled this behavior. Kelly’s record label didn’t flinch when a videotape emerged and was widely circulated on the internet with their multimillion-dollar talent having sex with and urinating in the mouth of an underage girl. His entourage was complicit. Who was going to make a fuss about black children? As the Hollywood Reporter darkly quipped: “After all, it takes a village to raze a child.”

Women have been trying to come forth with their truth about Kelly for decades, and hard as it is to hear, you see in the documentary how all their accusations of predatory behavior and pedophilia and child pornography managed to slide off his back. Kelly not only got away with ongoing sexual assault, but also managed to have it all ignored by the mainstream media. But now people are listening to the testimonies, feeling the fury and pain, the guilt and self-blame, the regret, and the dogged determination to heal of the survivors. When the jury acquitted him at his first trial (one white male juror commenting that “who could believe [black] girls who dress like that,”) and his behavior got even more outrageous, the public started protesting at his concerts. It is a long overdue effort to validate what his victims have experienced, to let their stories be heard, to be treated with respect and the gravity the situation warrants.

And who now will have sympathy for Kelly? He, like all sexual predators, was once himself traumatized by childhood sexual assault. Just like Michael Jackson was undoubtedly sexually traumatized in his childhood. In all likelihood, so was Bill Cosby. So was I and thousands of innocent survivors that have asked me for help over the years. But we don’t repeat what was done to us, we’ve sought help and worked our way through the memories of those horrific experiences. Note that the men spoken of here are/were major celebrities. And celebrity has its own “get out of jail free” card. These are major talents, and there will always be those who believe the person is as lily white as his gifts. Don’t kid yourself. Talent is never an excuse for hideous behavior; it doesn’t counteract the monster inside, hell bent on devouring its prey.

Kelly is currently in custody, in Chicago, facing multiple state and federal charges of various sexual assault crimes. It’s about time.

Predatory behavior is around, be on guard for it. Parents tell their children to beware of strangers, but how about Uncle Joe, or, for God’s sake, your priest or therapist, or the doctor or coach for your child’s sports team (watch At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal, another documentary that premiered on HBO this year). They are hiding in plain sight. And the more that stories come out, and are believed, and are acted upon with real-life consequences, the harder it will be for them to hide.

Join me Thursday, September 26, at 1:00pm PDT on Facebook Live for a panel discussion of this timely topic. Let your voice be heard in protest of this kind of brazen behavior. Let’s all stand up, be heard, and be part of the change!

3 Ways Truth Can Set You Free

3 Ways The Truth Will Set You Free

by Energy HealingEnergy MedicineFeatured

When I first began my journey toward becoming a spiritual teacher and energy healer nearly fifty years ago, it began with telling the truth. I was diagnosed with cancer in my twenties, which was a real wake-up call, and forced me to start examining my behaviors and habits, my thoughts and inner beliefs, as well as emotions. I had a spontaneous remission from the cancer on the table of an energy healer, but that was only the first step. It took years of processing past traumas and delving into the deepest parts of myself to discover and process the truths that had been buried for so long. Energy healing helped cure my cancer. Later, it gave me the gift of living a full, authentic life by allowing me the safe space to discover my truth and the courage to present my true self to the world.

After the cancer was eradicated, I was so amazed and intrigued by what had happened I decided I wanted to learn everything there was to know about energy healing. I began using the money I made as an attorney to travel the world, studying at the feet of seers, mystics, and shamans to develop my own healing skills so I could do for others what that energy healer had done for me. Little did I know then that as you begin training in energy medicine, even if the goal is to heal others, you cannot help but first be healed yourself.

 

Truth Heals

One of the major tenants of energy healing is learning to express your truth and live an authentic life. Even the little tiny lies you tell others, or yourself, can create little pockets of darkness in your field and cause problems with your energy flow and consequently, your ability to be happy and healthy. Admitting your deepest truths clears those seeds of negativity before they have a chance to grow, and allows the light you were born to express shine through. Coming to terms with your inner self—your higher self—literally sets you free to live the life your soul planned for you on this earth, the life you were meant to live.

Finding your true self and expressing that self to the world is incredibly freeing. When I finally let go of all the old feelings and negativity in my field and body left over from years of traumatic abuse, it was like a weight had literally been lifted off my body. I felt lighter, freer, happier, and more in tune with the universe. I promise, you will, too.

 

3 Steps to Heal Yourself:

 

  1. Become the real you.
     
    In order to live as a light bearer, you must present the real you to the world, which means you must first discover the real you! The best way to begin the process of finding your authentic self is to consider your values, your beliefs, and your genuine desires. What do you value in your life? A partner, community, career, truth, kindness, or being of service? How can you increase those values in your everyday activities? What do you believe now? Are there old beliefs you’ve held over from your parents or teachers that are no longer serving you?Ask yourself if there are areas in your life that don’t feel “right,” that don’t resonate with you on a soul level. Is your career something your parents wanted, but you are not passionate about? Is there a piece of yourself you feel you can’t reveal to your spouse or friends? Is there a secret you are keeping from your family or yourself? This process of discovery can take some time, as your patterns of behavior and your belief systems have been set in place for years, so be gentle with yourself as you uncover the real you. Meditation and energy healing courses are invaluable for facilitating this process, especially if you find it difficult to attempt on your own.

    2.  

  2. Clear and release negativity.
     
    I bet that there is at least one time each day that you do not say something you would like to out of fear. Perhaps it’s the fear of confronting a boss or relative, or the fear of being rejected, or the fear of sounding stupid. But each of those little silences creates a tiny cloud that shadows the light inside you. If you don’t purge these little clouds of darkness, they grow and connect with each other and eventually become a big dark spot that can actually block your chakras and the flow of energy into your energy field. In my energy healing courses and workshops, I always encourage students to express their true emotions each day by journaling, or talking them out with a trusted friend or advisor, or even just speaking them aloud to an empty room. However you express your emotions, the point is to get them out of your body and field, to release them so they can’t suppress the light within.

    3.  

  3. Empower your intuition.
     
    Intuition—the feeling of knowing something, or a “gut” feeling—actually comes from your higher self and your spirit guides, so it is the most trustworthy guidance you can get. When you live your truths, you are in alignment with your soul and your higher self, which boosts your intuition and gives you knowledge that will help you on your spirit journey. When you are presented with decisions that seem difficult, having an increased intuition will help you choose the path that is best for you, that is in line with your truths and not someone else’s. Listening to your intuition also creates a circle of authenticity: each time you act genuinely and in line with your true self, your intuition grows, which allows you to act even more authentically the next time.

 

To learn more about how truth can heal you and set you free, please check out my book, Truth Heals, and my LifeForce Energy Healing Online Course, both of which teach you how to become the real you by healing yourself from the inside out. Plus, they teach how to heal others!

Dk_blog_2.15-2

Stop Harboring Resentments – Free Yourself Right Now

by Energy HealingEnergy MedicineFeaturedMeditation

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. – Buddha

Do you have a friend who’s been divorced for many years yet still refers to the ex in the most disparaging terms? Or is there someone you know who keeps telling the same old stories about their terrible parents/ siblings/ bosses/ neighbors? What if the angry person described here is you? You may think you have good reason to continue being angry and resentful over past wrongs. It really hurt. But do you know how much it keeps harming you in body, mind, and spirit to stay in the world of “they done me wrong?”

Holding on to resentments and anger can ruin your quality of life. The only person who suffers from your failure to forgive is you. The other guy may have long forgotten—if they were even aware of the wrong or acknowledged it as something they were responsible for.  When you have suffered a wrong, or even a perceived wrong, the resulting hurt and anger you feel can burrow deep into your heart and energy field and cause great harm. And the longer you hang on to resentment and bitterness instead of forgiving the wrong, the greater the chances that those negative feelings will cause discord in your system, creating blocks in your chakras and eventually even physical symptoms and illness.

From energy medicine, you know that holding on to negative emotions, burying them deep in your subconscious and deep inside your body, can cause things to go wrong in your life. Relationships falter and fail, money issues pile up, your health can take a nosedive. It really matters that you face the anger and resentment, and the pain, and take steps to erase the negative tape loops in your head. When you acknowledge your feelings, you can begin to forgive and to release the positive, free-flowing energy needed for healing.

Here are 5 tips for setting yourself free:

1. Forgive yourself first.

You may be feeling guilty for your pain, wondering if you might have caused all the grief yourself. Self-forgiveness is more important than forgiving others. If you are constantly beating yourself up over past mistakes, that blame and anger can cause blockages in your personal energy field. There is nothing to be gained from wishing you could change the past. As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I encourage students to learn from the past, forgive themselves, and let it go.

2. You aren’t condoning.

Forgiveness is not excusing what someone did to you. There are likely very real betrayals and traumas in your life that are not excusable, and you shouldn’t feel the need to minimize what happened. Forgiving is you letting go of the residual emotions like resentment, anger, hurt, and bitterness. You stop feeling hostile and release any need or desire for revenge. This is not weakness, but great strength. It takes a lot of courage to forgive and working toward it will aid your spiritual growth.

3. Focus on the positive. 

In forgiveness, remember that your goal is to release the negative emotions of anger and resentment. You can use your ability to focus on the positive, the light, the love, and the beauty in your life to let positive energy grow within you as the negative is released. Bring yourself into contact with the good and loving things you enjoy. Take a walk in nature, meet with friends, play with your pets, and speak in positive ways that reflect your hopes and dreams. Although forgiveness can be very difficult, it may be the most important thing you have ever done for yourself.

4. Remember to reach out.

As you seek to forgive, you have infinite resources to help and uplift you. You can go deep in meditation and ask your spiritual guides and angels for help. You can ask for help from counselors, therapists, or study energy healing so you can start to get your energy flowing in a positive direction.

5. Journal about your feelings.

Journaling sets your negative feelings free from your body and energy field, and allows for fresh universal energy to fill that space.

Let go of old resentments and you’ll be astonished at how much lighter and freer you’ll feel!

Learn more about getting in touch with your innermost feelings with a mantra-based meditation practice. Meditation is the key to self-discovery and healing those wounded parts of you that keep you stuck.

[su_note]There is no better way to overcome past traumas than a live event, surrounded by the powerful force of positive energy from your fellow attendees.

This positive energy force is increased exponentially when the event happens in a location known for its powerful spiritual vortex! And the Deborah King Center is holding a public retreat October 31st – November 3rd in Ojai, California (known for its powerful spiritual vortex).

Join us to connect with seekers of truth and light, get inspired, be uplifted, and let your light shine. Click here to learn more and to get your early-bird ticket.[/su_note]

dk.blog.5.5-2

Why You Need to Awaken Your Soul

by ChakrasEnergy HealingFeatured

What do you know about the higher chakras? Though they are less known than the seven bodily chakras, these powerful energy centers are the links between your Earth-bound personality and your eternal soul, as well as your connection to the vastness of the greater universe. When activated, the higher chakras increase your spiritual awareness, unleash and improve psychic gifts, and give you access to higher beings and your higher self for valuable knowledge and guidance that can keep you on your true soul path.

With clear, charged, and expanded higher chakras, you’ll experience a profound spiritual awakening that will reverberate to your core and change your life forever.

You Are Bigger Than Your Body

When I began teaching energy healing courses years ago, chakras were a hard sell—no one knew what they were! But now, chakras are relatively mainstream due to the popularity of other practices rooted in eastern cultures like yoga and meditation, and I’m getting more and more questions about what are now the lesser-known chakras, 8 through 12. Higher chakras can be difficult to explain, as they are more experiential than intellectual, but I have found through my years as an energy healer and spiritual teacher that the first step in beginning to open your higher chakras is simply to be aware of them.

The first thing to understand is that you are so much bigger than your body! Your energy field surrounds you, both above and around your physical form, and your higher chakras are lined up above your crown chakra at the top of your head, roughly following the path of your spine down which your seven bodily chakras are located. There are many spiritual chakras above the seventh, and as you rise to those levels, it begins to be a little disorienting to be so far beyond your body. A skilled spiritual teacher can safely carry you into these higher realms.

Prepare for Your Soul Awakening

For now, you can begin your journey to the higher chakras by activating your eighth chakra, which sits about two feet above your crown chakra. The eighth chakra, sometimes also called the “soul star,” is the first of these chakras, and the doorway through which your soul must pass in order to move into the rest of the higher chakras.

Clearing and activating the eighth chakra opens up your world, and carries your spirit higher than you’ve ever been before. You need to do the personal work required to clear, charge, and balance the seven bodily chakras through meditation, journaling, and other energy medicine techniques before you are ready to tackle the higher chakras. But once you are ready, here is what you can expect from your soul awakening:

  1. Connect directly to your higher self.

When your eighth and higher chakras are open, you will be able to interact with your higher self. Your higher self is you—the perfect version of you that you came here to become—and it has answers to all your questions. Your higher self has access to your Akashic records, which contain all knowledge in existence, past, present, and future, so the guidance you receive from this chakra is equal to no other.

Meeting with your higher self will also allow you to see your soul’s contract, which is stored in the eighth chakra. Your soul contract is what your spirit came to this earth to accomplish, your life purpose. So once you’ve opened your eighth chakra, you may feel a tugging at your psyche, a nagging resolution that it’s time to follow your true path and complete whatever task your soul set up for your life. Listen to that voice that tells you what your higher calling is; trust that higher plane understanding that you’ve received by activating your eighth chakra and awakening your spirit.

  1. Unlock your spiritual gifts.

With the magnified awareness of an open eighth chakra, you may discover new abilities developing within you. As you internalize and fully accept the truth that you are not only part of the greater universe, but that you are tapped into its power, psychic talents are likely to unlock. For example, with access to more information through the Akashic records, you will probably find your intuitive powers growing. There is also the potential for an activated eighth chakra to sprout the seeds of any dormant spiritual gifts and you might uncover such capabilities as astral travel, clairvoyance, telepathy, and energy healing! After all, these skills are in your collective unconscious; you need this soul awakening through your higher chakras to help bring them to light again.

  1. Rid yourself of karmic residue.

The eighth chakra acts as the bridge to the expanded universe, so it’s the last chakra that carries human information and physical plane baggage that must be discarded before you can move on. This means this chakra is where all your karmic residue gets stuck—the lingering karmic energy leftover from lifetimes of adhering to habitual patterns of behavior. These old and worn out patterns of energy are keeping you attached to the planet, unable to evolve until you learn the lessons you’re supposed to learn. When you open the eighth chakra, it allows you to start shedding the familiar-but-no-longer-needed patterns of behavior that keep you rooted to the physical plane. Activating the eight chakra frees you from those sticky karmic leftovers, so you can advance on your spiritual path into higher realms.

Traveling through the veil that separates your physical self from your immortal soul will open your eyes to the vast space and knowledge beyond our physical plane boundaries. As your higher chakras expand, you can integrate the understanding that you are a soul in a body temporarily here on Earth, which allows you to see the vast and interconnected community of souls on this planet, each doing their best to get back to the divine, just like you. This sense of oneness opens you up to the experience of unconditional love, and in turn, divine love, which is truly a soul awakening experience.

To learn about how to clear, charge and balance your chakras and experience a spiritual awakening, take a look at my Chakra Wisdom video course

The sun is healthy for you

Are You Shortening Your Lifespan by Avoiding the Sun?

by Energy HealingFeaturedHealth

(and Reducing Your Happiness While You’re at It)

A few weeks ago, I hosted a week-long workshop in Malibu and noticed how many of my students were avoiding the sun during the breaks on the terra cotta terrace outside the conference room. This kind of “sun phobia” is a common side effect from the 30 or so years of national guidelines from countries around the world that (incorrectly) stress the danger of the sun.

In fact, not enough sun may be worse for your health than too much sun.

In a recent study that tracked 30,000 Swedish women for over 20 years, they found that women who tried to stay out of the sun were twice as likely to have an early death as those who spent a normal amount of time in the sun.

Why? Researchers aren’t sure, but it’s likely because the sun stimulates Vitamin D production, which reduces risk for cancer, stroke, heart disease, and other common causes of death. The sun also reduces blood pressure, another beneficial affect. Plus, sunlight helps decrease inflammation throughout the body at the same time it’s increasing immune function, a double benefit.

There’s an interesting correlation in studies of MS that show that the more hours of sun you’ve been exposed to, the lower your risk of MS. You will also find your general mood improves after you’ve been in the sun; that’s because sunlight improves your endocrine system functioning. Finally, it may well increase DNA repair.

So how much sun is enough without being too much?

• Aim for at least 10 minutes (if you’re very fair) to an hour (if you’re darker) at least 3 times a week. No sunscreen is needed. If you’re going to be out longer than that, add a zinc oxide based sunscreen after that initial period of time. Don’t stay out so long you burn.

• Consider your skin, the time of day, the latitude and season. That is, use common sense. Before 8am is ideal in the summer; always avoid 10am to 4pm during the hotter months. Essentially, you need less sun time in the south than in the north.

• Before you slather yourself with a “safe” sunscreen like zinc oxide, know that it too may generate free radicals when exposed to the sun. Of course, I would assume you would never use a chemical sunscreen. Eeek.

The Sun and Health Concerns

The sun is not only a massive ball of atomic energy, it’s also a huge supplier of vitality—from photosynthesis in plants to your own ability to thrive. In the Rig Veda, it is said that the sun’s main spiritual principle is to energize all created beings. The Bible says the sun is the power of light to vanquish the darkness.

The more sunlight you get during the day, the more melatonin you make at night, and thus you have less stress and sleep better. The sun affects your mood and your ability to focus and stay alert. It decreases the risk of depression for folks who are prone to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Environmental Health Perspectives journal published a study that linked exposure to sunlight to a reduced risk of prostate, pancreatic, ovarian, and colon cancer. Another, in the Journal of Human Resources, showed that students did better in tests if they got enough sun every day, and other research has shown a strong link between exposure to sunlight and a better quality of life.

And, get this, time in the sun may even reduce the risk of melanoma. A study in the Lancet Journal showed that skin that had been exposed to short wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UVB) was associated with less risk of melanoma. People in the study who worked outdoors had less risk of skin cancer than those who were “safe” from the sun in their cubicles.

But what about skin cancer? It turns out that around 99 percent of skin cancers are non-melanoma basal cell and squamous cell cancers. Getting rid of them may not be fun, but they are very rarely deadly. According to the CDC, melanoma and other skin cancers kill around 11,000 Americans a year in the U.S., while heart disease affects around 650,000. So if sun exposure helps reduce heart disease—and there are a number of robust studies that show that sunlight is good for hearts—the risk to benefit ratio seems clear.

It’s summertime. So get outside after the sun rises or before it sets and enjoy some fun in the sun. Let that magnificent ball of radiant vitality empower your health and happiness. The days are long past since public health recommendations severely restricted sun exposure. The latest advice is to get some sun, seriously!

Spiritual clearing declutter

Cleaning up, clearing out, coming home

by Energy HealingEnergy MedicineFeaturedHealth

There’s a place we all want to get to, and that’s “home.” A place where you feel welcome, secure in the love and affection of those around you. A place that is not dependent on a wealth of material possessions, but on the richness of soul. A place where you are relaxed, where you are you, unadorned, unabashed, unafraid. You are safe. You are home.

Of course, your true home is not really a “place.” It’s a space, a realm of consciousness, a field of energy that at its highest level radiates truth, knowledge, and bliss. In the Vedas, this is known as satchitananda—the nature of ultimate reality. When you enter that realm, when you merge into unity with the All, you are truly home.

So the question becomes: how do you get there?

One way is by cleaning up and clearing out. Decluttering. The way it works is that when you clear out the external “stuff” that no longer works for you, that no longer “fits” into who you are or who you want to be, at the same time you are clearing out the internal “stuff” that keeps you stuck in the same old place.

Day by day, room by room, go through your living space. Clean up the bathroom drawers that have collected such a strange assortment of outdated lotions and potions. Toss it all in a garbage bag and clear it out of the house. Same with every closet. It doesn’t matter how much that cute jacket cost, you’ve worn it only once in the last five years. Out! Kitchen gadgets. The kids’ grade school projects. The garage. 

This may not sound like spiritual work, but trust me, it is. All those outer pieces of “stuff” carry vibrations, memories, emotions. There really are no inanimate “things.” They all reflect a moment in time and space, a combination of who you were then and the person who gave it to you. Or what you were going through at the time you bought it. You can feel the history of each object, but what does it do for you now? Does it lift you up or bring you down? Feel it, weigh its importance in your life. Each piece can then be passed along to a friend, hauled off to Goodwill, thrown out, or kept.

Every piece of clutter you get rid of makes room for more light in your life.  

The next level of cleaning up/clearing out is even more personal than old towels and chipped dishes. What about your CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes? Do you have tons of pre-digital photos that you could scan and save digitally? Old media to toss? What about books that may need a new home? 

Cleaning up is such a powerful spiritual tool because it goes far beyond the physical level. It’s like cleaning your electronic desktop. Turns out there are many folders of old stuff that can be archived or even tossed, just like those residual emotions that you really don’t have to hold onto anymore. . . any of the slights you’ve carried, those little stings to your ego that you’re still smarting over. Isn’t it time to let a lot go? To shred any pettiness, and to acknowledge any deep-seated emotions that may be ready to leave.

All this is a great starting point for moving from one “place” to another, from an old stuck realm of consciousness to a more awakened one. There are, of course, other levels, other gateways to pass through, but start by letting go of what you no longer need or want on the physical plane, and it will help bring you closer to the light and the feeling of home.

Your one true home, your soul.

Strawberry Moon Summer Solstice

2019 Strawberry Full Moon and Sagittarius: Summer Solstice to Follow

by Astrological EventsEnergy HealingFeaturedLunarSolar

This week, as we move into summer, we are gifted two wonderful opportunities to experience the incredible healing energy of the cosmos.

First: The Full Moon

Take some time tonight or tomorrow night to sit outside and connect to the feminine energy of this week’s full moon, known as the sweetest moon of the year. Since ancient times, Native Americans have given very descriptive names to each full moon, inspired by what’s happening in nature at that time of year. They call this full moon in June the Strawberry Moon because it is the time of year when wild strawberries ripen and are ready to pick.

As you sit outside under the night sky, allow the light of the full moon to gently open your spiritual side. And listen to whatever fruitful guidance she may offer you. I’ve had some of my biggest spiritual openings outside, under the light of a summer full moon, feeling her energy and receiving her counsel. So head outside and let the moon do her magic on you!

Then you’ll be ready to make the most of the solar energy of solstice this Friday – you’ll be open to hearing what’s best for your body and how to restore and optimize your health, open to hearing the perfection of the now.

Next: The Summer Solstice

The Earth is closer to the sun this week than at any other time of the year, and we are bathed in solar energy. In summer, we celebrate the incredible bounty of the earth and the powerful energy that can turn tiny seeds into nourishment. The warmth of the sun can help you to grow the seeds of your inner being into an abundance of health, happiness, and wisdom.

For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, Friday, June 21st marks the longest day of the year. Ancient astronomical monuments like Stonehenge are aligned to the sunrise of summer solstice, celebrating the height of glory for the Sun King before the days start growing shorter once again. You can connect to the sun’s vital power at solstice during the extra hours of daylight and remember that you, too, can burn brightly and bring nurturance into your life.

Summer is the time of flowering, a time to reap the rewards of your spiritual efforts and grow in the Light. It’s also a powerful time to recharge your life force energy out in nature, seeing how everything is alive and vibrant under the sun.

Summer is a happy time of year, filled with incredible energy. Use the available energy to walk in the woods (and try Forest Bathing, see last week’s blog, swim in the ocean, or a lake, tend your organic garden (even if it’s just a pot or two on the windowsill) and relish the beauty of nature’s patterns in the vegetables and flowers you grow. Align with the influx of powerful solar energy as you swim or kayak across the water, the sun sparkling its surface and infusing you with joy.

Fuel Yourself Accordingly

It’s a good time of year to eat more lightly, and the perfect time to try eating a more plant-based diet with so much fresh produce readily at hand. Remember to stay well hydrated while out in the summer sun. There are so many luscious fruits available to help your liquid intake. Try blending chunks of watermelon into juice; it’s about 92% water with lots of nutrients and beneficial compounds that lower inflammation and improve your heart health as well.

The Light – It’s Here For You

When the sun is shining and your body is warming along with the outside temperature, and you’re able to sleep outside under the summer’s night sky, you are content in the moment and grateful to be able to serve the light – the moon light, the sun light, the star light, and the inner light of Spirit. So let the light of the full moon and the glorious sunrise of the summer solstice awaken you and guide your way.

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How to Cultivate Your Inner Light

by Energy HealingFeatured
shutterstock_130218290

Can you think of someone you know who is always positive? This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are always happy—sometimes life throws pretty hefty curve balls—but do you know someone who responds to those curve balls with grace and perspective, who reacts from a place of love and light? It’s these types of people, like Ghandi or Maya Angelou or Mother Teresa, who face hate and fear with love and forgiveness, who are true beacons of light that inspire the world.

The Light Inside of You

You have a light inside of you, too. Depending on where you are in your spiritual development, that light might be a flickering flame or a giant bonfire, but it’s there, and it’s ready for you to nourish it and let it get brighter and stronger.

Those people who seem to be lighter and happier have reached higher levels of awareness. In an expanded state, you realize that we are all connected to the universal field, and this understanding allows you to interact with the world from a thoughtful, loving, distanced standpoint. This is a far cry—and a much happier one—from the immediate knee-jerk reactions and fearful defensiveness that is the pattern of so many who are not coming from an enlightened awareness.

Spreading Love to All

I have traveled all over the world to meet with shamans, priests, monks, and many other spiritual teachers and energy healing practitioners, many of whom were living their daily life full of love and looking at the world and all its struggle from the vantage point of an expanded state.

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What I learned from them, and have confirmed in my thirty years as an energy healer and spiritual teacher myself, is that when you have experienced the light of the divine, even momentarily through meditation, you can begin to cultivate that divine light inside of you. When you begin to express it through your thoughts and actions, it creates a ripple effect of love in the world.

Don’t Squelch Your Light!

Healing and enlightenment go hand in hand—it’s much harder to reach states of expanded awareness when your energy field is blocked or your chakras are spinning incorrectly. Think of it like this: when your chakras and energy field are not operating optimally, darkness fills your field and your body like a drop of ink in water, spreading quickly, and dimming your inner light. This is where energy healing comes to the rescue. With energy healing, you can clear those blockages and begin cleansing, charging and balancing your field, allowing space for the light to return.

Here are 3 tips for healing yourself and growing the light inside of you so you can live a more positive, happier life.

1. Have fun.

Joy is often overlooked in our fast-paced, work-driven culture, but it is one of the most important catalysts for bringing light into your life. If you’re like many, you are often rushing around, caught up in the busy-ness of projects, travel, appointments, etc. and you might forget to take time out to simply enjoy yourself. Take a fun break! Even if you have to schedule it in, make time to read a good book or watch an entertaining movie or take a bubble bath, play games with friends or run with your dog. Whatever makes you smile, laugh, and feel uplifted—do that as often as possible. Really let yourself have fun the way you did as a child, totally free and uninhibited. Think about how good it feels to let go. Joy is healing.

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2. Live your soul’s true purpose.

When you are living your true purpose in life—doing what your soul came to this planet to do—you move further into the light. It’s like a key in a lock, and when you find your true life purpose, each day will feel like a gift. You know how they say, “You never work a day in your life when you do what you love.” I have found that to be true for myself: when I’m doing energy healing or teaching my healing courses, I feel great! I wish for you to manifest your own life purpose, whatever it may be, and if you haven’t found it yet, you can discover it through meditation, working with a spiritual teacher, or other personal work. You can always tell when someone is living in alignment with their true soul’s purpose, because they literally glow.

3. Be of service.

If you’ve been to one of my energy medicine workshops or listen to my weekly show, you have probably heard me say, “Chop wood, carry water.” Be of service. Serving others is a way to help heal yourself. I know it might sound backwards, but giving and using your gifts for the greater good takes your energy and light beyond yourself and helps others. But since we are all connected through the universal field, that light you shine on others comes back to illuminate you. Light brings more light.

If you encourage the light that is already inside of you to grow and expand, it will eventually burn so brightly that others can’t help but see it, and they will want to follow your radiant example. Not only will you be raising your own vibration by living in light and acting from a framework of positivity, but you will also be helping to raise the vibration of the whole planet!

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Forgive, Not Forget

Forgive, not Forget

by Energy HealingFeaturedForgiveness

You’re angry. You’re hurt. You’ve been betrayed, cheated, assaulted. Or your loved one was hurt badly. It was the other guy’s fault and you’re completely justified in your rage, in your desire for revenge.

Now what?

Will you let those powerful feelings take over your life? Will you let your pain color everything and everyone around you?

“60 Minutes” recently had a segment on the show about the Restorative Justice Project at the University of Wisconsin Law School, which, after careful vetting, introduces victims of violence to the convicts that committed the crime. One woman, whose brother had been killed by a drunk driver who was serving 10 years in prison for his crime, said that she, too, had been locked in a prison of her own making. A mother of four and a teacher, she was trapped behind the steel bars of her feelings of hatred and resentment; as she called it, she had been “sentenced to a life of vengeance.” She had become a “bad” teacher, a “bad” parent, and knew she had to find a way to forgive so she could live in peace again.

She finally reached out to the Restorative Justice Project, and five years after her brother’s death she was able to meet with the driver. They talked for hours, and she cried for him. In order to rectify her own situation, she had to extend her personal forgiveness to him. She apologized for having made it her job to find evidence of his character flaws so he would receive the longest sentence possible.

The victim has to request help from the Project; the prisoner has to be seeking redemption. Both parties have to be willing to meet and face each other. And while nothing will bring back the murdered love one, or fix the injuries that may have been suffered, forgiveness does allow both the victim and the perpetrator to get out of self-generated emotional prisons.

The University of Wisconsin program is one of many that focuses on what harm has been done and how to make amends. Restorative Justice is both a philosophy and a social movement. It thinks differently than our usual system that emphasizes punishment, instead focusing on healing and rehabilitation. Not only are victims helped, but so are the perpetrators, through dialogue and communication, community support, and respect.

You could be the victim of a crime as heinous as the murder of a loved one, or the victim of rape, or the betrayed one in a relationship. Maybe you were cheated or scammed out of all your money. Maybe a doctor bungled your surgery. There are hundreds of ways you could become a victim and be furious at the one who perpetrated your suffering. And you could get stuck there. Because you don’t understand that forgiveness is for your own benefit, not the other person’s.

It doesn’t mean you forget. You don’t forget that type of trauma, the physical or emotional violence that was done to you. But in time you can learn to forgive. You can get yourself out of a life-long prison sentence in which you are endlessly trapped in negative thoughts and feelings.

You don’t necessarily have to have a face-to-face meeting with the person who hurt you so badly. You may never see or speak with them again, and that’s fine. But in your heart you can plant a seed of forgiveness. You can water it with compassion, with kindness for yourself.

You can seek your own restorative justice. It’s like going through the divorce from hell, feeling like you have lost everything and that you made terrible decisions; you’re really angry at your yourself and your ex. You can brood, gain 40 pounds, and dream of revenge, or you can see that you are victimizing yourself more than your ex ever did and let go. Let go of those feelings of resentment, let go of those revenge fantasies, and forgive yourself. Eventually, you may feel good enough about yourself to also forgive your ex.

Forgiveness is not an extension of victimization. You are not lying down like a doormat and saying, hey, you hurt me but it’s okay. It’s not an extension of people-pleasing. It’s a way to release the negative emotions that are crippling your chances of happiness. It’s a way to live in the world and with yourself, not as a victim, but as a whole functioning person. It’s for you.

You can watch the “60 Minutes” show segment at http://www.aaronweisz.com/portfolio/the-most-unlikely-meeting/

Spiritual Burnout

Burnout: 5 tips to Recover

by Featured

You can feel it when you wake up in the morning. You open your eyes with reluctance and a feeling of uneasiness spreads through your body. Is it fear? Is it dread? Another day to be survived. When did this sad state of affairs become your new normal?

Feelings like these can build slowly and eventually become like a dark curtain descending over your spirit. They call it “burnout” because it resembles the fading embers of a dying fire—the warmth and the light are going out. Without fuel, the fire dies.  People who work in the helping professions are always being cautioned to watch for burnout and take measures to prevent it. Your spiritual nature calls you to help others; that means you are susceptible to burnout. How well are you taking care of yourself and making sure that the light you bring to the world isn’t beginning to fade?

The job of keeping yourself healthy and well in mind, body, and spirit is yours alone. The gift of life in this world has been given to you along with the responsibility and the power to nurture it. You even have a soul gauge to tell you how you’re doing. When feelings of gloom and doom replace your optimal setting for joy, love, compassion, and laughter, something needs adjustment. When your soul is crying out for a reset, when you need healing and sanctuary, the symptoms described above will appear. Your burnout alarm will sound.

Here are 5 signs of burnout to watch for, along with some solutions:

  1. You feel angry and bitter. You are mad at life and everything in it. You resent the people who expect something from you (love?). These negative and destructive emotions are blocking the energy that keeps you buoyant and resilient in the world. Where did they come from? How did they begin? What have you not resolved and healed in your past? What have you not forgiven? Try journaling your raw feelings until you have nothing more to say. This will help you feel more balanced.
  2. You feel hopeless. You can’t see any positive future ahead. It feels like the hole you are living in has no bottom and certainly no stairs to the rim. Your problems have no solutions and there is no help available for the likes of you. Look closely at this hopelessness and see if you see any reasons for it. Do you know anyone else who has a more challenging situation than yours? What steps are they taking? Isn’t there a power you are forgetting to reach for? Have you forgotten who you are and why you are here? Look around for an appropriate 12-step program — sharing with like-minded people is a great place to start your recovery.
  3. You are exhausted. You can barely get out of bed in the morning. You feel as if you haven’t really rested in recent memory. A wall of numbness surrounds you. You feel empty and immobile. Have you really not rested enough? Is your fatigue really physical?  Can you imagine a scenario where you can truly relax and “recreate”? Can you picture a place of renewal where you are truly comfortable, happy and free? Where can you find the spiritual fuel you need to revive yourself? You are sleep deprived — change your schedule to get more sleep. You deserve it.
  4. You are unbalanced and out of sync. Something is wrong with the natural rhythm of your life. You can’t connect with the healing patterns that sustain you. Have you fallen off from your practices of meditation, prayer, journaling, exercise, study, and service? What is interrupting your rhythm and keeping you off balance? What can you do to restore your healthy equilibrium of mind, body, and spirit? Meditate, meditate, meditate. 😊
  5. You are living in a box (or a cubicle). You haven’t been outside for a long time because you just don’t have the energy. You haven’t seen the sun, or the moon, for so long. You don’t know how the hills, the grass, the clouds, or that squirrel who lives in the oak tree even look any more. Your world is so small, so narrow, and so cold. How would it feel to walk outside and look up at the sky? When is the last time you visited the park, the woods, the beach and took a long walk? When is the last time you touched the earth with your bare hands or your bare feet? Go outside and enjoy, nature will revive you.

 

The good news is that being susceptible to burnout means you are striving to live with awareness and an open heart. Having a spell of burnout is common for those who love and give and serve.

The important thing is to realize when the fire is burning low and take steps to refuel. Don’t let the light go out! Practice self-love and compassion by healing negativity, seeking balance and rest, and joining in the company of like-minded friends who are also on the path to wellbeing.

If you’re really feeling the burn, you can register for my upcoming October retreat in Ojai and watch in awe as your energy is restored, your heart refilled, and your life aligned with your true purpose. The help you need is just one click away >>>

Krishnamurti

Learn from This Great Modern Philosopher of Ojai

by Energy HealingEnergy MedicineEventsFeaturedTrauma and Violence

We have finally moved into the new location of the Deborah King Center in beautiful Ojai. I love it! Ojai has such an extraordinarily high spiritual vibration, and a history rich in spiritual endeavors.

It wasn’t only the Chumash tribe that called Ojai home. So did Jiddu Krishnamurti, one of the great philosophers and spiritual teachers of our modern era. He talked about everyday concerns, life in a society filled with violence and corruption, an abiding respect for nature, and everyone’s search for security and happiness. He precisely explained how the human mind works, and what the practice of meditation can bring to daily life.

Krishnamurti’s story is unusual. He was born in 1895 into a Telugu family in colonial India, one of 11 children (six of whom survived childhood). He lived next to the headquarters for the Theosophical Society in Chennai (Madras). When he was eight years old, he was discovered on the grounds of the headquarters by Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater, the leaders of the Society, who raised and groomed him as the next great World Teacher to guide the evolution of humankind. He and his brother Nitya were privately tutored in school subjects as well as in rigorous exercise and sports, theosophical and religious lessons, yoga and meditation, and British culture. Later the boys were brought to Europe to continue their education, and Krishnamurti gave his first public speech in England.

The Theosophical Society established the Order of the Star in the East (OSE) to prepare the world for Krishnamurti, the Coming of the World Teacher. But by the time he was 29, Krishnamurti rejected the title, dissolved the OSE, and withdrew from the Theosophy organization. Sadly, he had been sexually assaulted by a higher-up in the organization as a young boy and, rightfully, he no longer wanted to be affiliated with the Society or anything remotely religious. He dedicated himself to working toward a psychological revolution in the minds of humankind in order to bring about radical change in society. He wrote many books, gave talks and held discussion through his non-profit foundations in India, Great Britain, and the U.S.

In 1922, Krishnamurti and his brother and companion, Nitya, stayed in the Ojai Valley, thinking the climate would be good for Nitya, who had tuberculosis. They, too, loved Ojai and a cottage and property were found for them and Ojai became Krishnamurti’s official residence.

It was in Ojai that Krishnamurti had a life-changing experience, one that wasn’t directed by his mentors. First he went through a three-day spiritual experience of mystical union and immense peace, and a few weeks later went through a longer condition that he called “the process,” which recurred almost nightly until his death. These experiences were described as “the sacredness” or “the otherness.” (Clearly, he had experienced one of the higher initiations that I conduct as well as describe in my writings, e.g., see chapter 8 of my most recent book, Heal Yourself – Heal the World).

As he wrote: … [I] woke up early with that strong feeling of otherness, of another world that is beyond all thought…there is a heightening of sensitivity. Sensitivity, not only to beauty but also to all other things. The blade of grass was astonishingly green; that one blade of grass contained the whole spectrum of colour; it was intense, dazzling and such a small thing…”

The Krishnamurti Foundation of America founded in 1969 is in Ojai. They have a publishing division as well as the Oak Grove School (pre-K-12 college prep), which empowers students to take responsibility for their own learning and to develop life-long practices of inquiry into how they live their daily lives. Krishnamurti’s former home, Pine Cottage, has become a Study Center and Library for reflection and contemplation.

As you can see, his impact on Ojai has been considerable.

I understand completely why he was so attracted to Ojai and why he stayed here until his death at 90 years of age.

If you’d like to experience the exalted spiritual air of Ojai, be sure to join me for our Hallowed Retreat at the magnificent Ojai Valley Inn at the end of October . There, I’ll be talking in depth about some of Krishnamurti’s key teachings and how we can apply them to our lives today. Hope to see you there!