Last semester, I took a class focused on exploring wisdom. One of the assignments we were given was to create and share a personal mahavakya - a Sanskrit term that roughly translates to great saying. In the Vedic teachings these are set of core teachings. For the purposes of this course, we were asked to share and explain phrase that expresses a truth we hold about wisdom. I thought that I'd share this reflection with you today -

My Personal Mahavakya:

I am Love. All is Love. There is only Love.

My Reflection:

This is a personal prayer – it never occurred to me that it was a personal mahavakya – that has been with me, evolving in form and meaning for over a year. It has become a part of my morning ritual and is a touchpoint I return to whenever I feel myself falling into the trap of being attached to forces outside myself. It is like a spell I can cast at any time to return me to the deep well of wisdom within – you could say that it’s my inner version of Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers (“There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”).

What it means to me has continued to evolve as I have interacted with the materials in this course and contemplated “wisdom” as more than an abstract concept or attribute assigned to a chosen few. It reminds me that ready access to the universal field of consciousness is our birthright - it is our truth from conception, even when we forget – and, to me, “Love” is what I have come to understand that field to be. The Sufi poets like Rumi and Hafiz have left behind beautiful ways of expressing the heart-knowing of all of creation that is possible – even if we are only fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of it from time to time.

I was also inspired by Chapter Five of the Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley, specifically his use of the term “love-knowing” to differentiate between intellectual, mind-centered knowing of a thing and knowing and appreciating something with the fullness of your being (p.82). This quote from William Law - “Love is infallible; it has no errors, for all errors are the want of love.” (p.81) - reminded me of this personal mahavakya and helped me to further anchor into its role as a thread I can always pull to return me back to the source of everything. When I find myself in “want of love” I need only remind myself that “I am Love. All is Love. There is only Love.”

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This is becoming the central heartbeat around which everything in my life revolves. When I'm not sure what to do, where to turn or how to show up in the world, I return to the quiet of my inner world for a moment and I say these words to myself until I feel the clashing energies settle. When I open my eyes, I can better sense the direction to point my toes and the next right step to take.

At a time when it can feel overwhelming to open social media or look at the news, when there are more worthy causes than hours in your day, energy in your tank, and $ in your bank account, and when every other person you encounter has a strong opinion about what you should be doing to show you care and are paying attention, I invite you to get crystal clear with yourself about what it is that you deeply, truly and wholeheartedly care about. What is your personal mahavakya? What is the central heartbeat of truth around which everything in your life revolves?

Journalling is a great place to start this exploration - set a timer, grab a pen and paper, and ask yourself "what do I deeply, truly and whole-heartedly care about?". See what emerges in 5-10 minutes. Circle your top 3 - the ones that feel real and true to you (not the ones that are a reflection of what you've been told you should care about). Now journal about each of these separately and see what emerges for you. Imagine that you are unearthing the most beautifully aligned treasure from within yourself. Take your time - this whole exercise might take days or weeks to complete. Now create a statement - an affirmation, a mantra, a mahavakya - that encapsulates the one (or all three) that resonates most with you and work with it for a month or two, repeating it to yourself in the quiet spaces of your day. Allow it to evolve - the words might change over time - and lean into it when you are feeling directionless, powerless or frustrated.

Here's to everyone connecting to the sources of calm, clarity and courage that reside within and the mahavakya that brings them to life.

Sending you Love,

Tawnia

PS: You can end the year as part of a dedicated meditation circle designed to support you in being Calm, Clear and Courageous. We start September 1st! Please head here to learn more.​

What else I'm up to:

🧘‍♀️ Calm, Clear & Courageous: a meditation circle for 2025: This is my vision for this meditation circle - develop the habit of consciously choosing calm, clarity and courage every single day until ...

🪄it comes far more naturally than it ever has before.

🌬️you know how to return to it even when the winds of change seem to blow you off course.

⚡️ this is the energy you bring by default to every interaction, no matter how challenging.

We'll meet for morning meditation circles and Sunday evening Uplift the World group energy healing circles beginning September 1st through the end of December. Use this time to increase your connection to the well of calm and clarity and courage that lies within you so you can express it into the world with the quiet confidence that says "I know who I am." Join today for just $33/month for 4 months or a one-time payment of $132. And invite a friend to join you.

🖋 Shi(f)t Happens: musings on the spiritual journey of life: I'm sharing about all the shi(f)t that happens as we move through the world in greater alignment with our truest nature in this fun little writing project I started last year. As my time gets absorbed into my studies, you may hear less from me here so if you enjoy what I share in this Soul-Centered Email Series, then I invite you to join me there where I write 2-3 times a week straight from the heart. Subscribe today - there are free and paid options.​

🎁 Have a gift-giving occasion coming up this season? You can give soulfully! Know someone who could use a little time set aside in their schedule for self-care and deep restoration? Give the gift of a month of 1:1 membership with me! When you purchase from the Soulful Gifting Page, you can schedule a custom email message to be delivered on the date of your choice.

🧘‍♀️ Drop-in to a virtual yoga class this month: that's right - anyone can drop-in to each month's Moving Meditation and Restorative Yoga classes for just $15 with a class pass - check the calendar for the dates and times for upcoming classes.

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