I was recently asked how I knew what my life’s purpose is and how one can find their life’s purpose. But to explain that in a short article, I have to first explain how I became enlightened and how this lead me to find my life’s purpose. Although there are many ways to find your life’s purpose there are only a few that resonate with my experiences. Ultimately, you’ll have to choose what is right for you because practicing yoga or meditation is not everyone’s cup of tea. My intention for all those reading this is that you will find your life’s purpose with the least bumps, bruises and scars as in my life’s journey.
I was in my first year of college when I first began to practice Ashtanga yoga a few times per month, purely on the physical level to help me with my poor posture. I did not care at all about the spiritual side of yoga and honestly I don’t remember if anything more than the physical postures were taught. I gave up my lessons due to my schedule change and finally moved away years later only to be reunited with yoga again. Only this time I began to practice the eight limbs of yoga. This is my opinion, is its most complete practice for the mind, body and spirit.
I began practicing yoga regularly for 2 years and finally a breakthrough that I had never expected happened. After practicing an intense what seemed like 20 rounds of the sun salutations, I was left feeling so exhausted that I felt I could almost melt into my yoga mat. I had never felt so relaxed before and as I laid down in savasana pose something magical happened. My mind’s chatter was no longer there and with no desire to move from exhaustion, I felt something come over me. My mind was now in a blissful state, my heart was now open and free to receive my true life’s purpose. I felt as if God had for those few minutes come over me, lifted away all my aches and pains emotional and physical and finally showed me what my life’s purpose was. In this dreamlike state that I was in, I was surrounded by a few yoga masters and one in particular held my hand and showed me what I had to do. He showed me that, when he leaves I must teach. I no longer felt lost and knew what I had to dedicate the rest of my life to after this. Later that day my teacher asked me if I wanted to become a yoga instructor. I said yes. “I am ready.”
I was also asked how I knew what my life’s purpose was once I became enlightened. I instantly knew this was right because it felt right in my core. Everything I felt that was missing in my life before was instantly filled with this purpose and I felt complete. I call the opposite of this complete feeling, “your beast”, because it runs wild inside of you like a huge animal until you set it free when you discover who you really are and just be.
If I had to describe the perfect formula to find one’s life purpose, I would say that intensity followed by silence equal finding your life’s purpose. For me that intensity came in the form of an energizing yoga practice followed by silence in savasana pose. But maybe your intensity could come in the form of running followed a short seated meditation on a bench nearby. I’ve tried this method also and it works nicely too. In a movie I saw, the Buddah also practiced yoga and all sorts of practices and finally sat meditating under the Bodhi tree where he became enlightened. Or maybe your intensity can come in the form of a great desire followed by a dream, all things are possible. So I will not say that one method is better than another because many methods exist but I will try to explain enlightenment a little better with the help of someone much wiser than I am, Goswami Kriyananda. He is a master at guiding students toward enlightenment.
Enlightenment is about quieting the mind and being present with what is. It’s a state of your pure being. What keeps most people from living a blissful, peaceful and enlightened life is the misconception of who they are. The only requirement to discovering who you are and just being is an intense desire to be free of fears and desires of everything except the ultimate truth.
When you are ready to come into stillness for a meditation, find a place where you can sit quietly, close your eyes and allow yourself to experience the pure bliss of everything being complete, right now. Flow with life and suffering will disappear. Pain and pleasure will pass, but what remains is the witnessing of them. Let go and just be. In this moment, you will see that even suffering can possess beauty. Clear your mind of all wandering thoughts and feel peace, peace, peace. Stay here for a few minutes and open your eyes when you’re ready. (For further guidance on meditation visit your local yoga or meditation teacher)
Now I’d like to share some thoughts from Goswami Kriyananda on enlightenment. “Enlightenment… is the most auspicious moment in anyone’s evolution. Some people never come to an awareness of the thought. To attain enlightenment, you must defeat the enemy. The enemy cannot be defeated with anger, or with swords or lead bullets. The enemy can only be defeated with Wisdom (strength, understanding, and insight). Enlightenment is an awakening realization of where you will be tomorrow by simply looking backwards (referring to moment you were enlightened). Then explaining how to become enlightened he writes… Wisdom is gained not by merely reading books or by simply meditating. Meditation comes by revealing to you that which is within you; by your understanding this simple truth: you are the creative principle. It is through the fullness, the gentleness, and the wisdom of love that the tree and the blossom of the tree allow the fruit to fructify.” When writing about how to solve problems, Goswami writes “Be happy now. Of course there are problems. But anguishing will not solve problems. The quietude, the serenity, and the peace, however will give you insight to more quickly and more harmoniously solve problems.”
I hope that this article will help you to better find your life’s purpose. Many blessing to you allJ
By: Cristina Tuazon
Yoga Instructor/Practitioner
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