Letting go

The natural processes are a gentle succession of arrivals and departures where each stage often builds upon a small part that remains after the previous stage while a lot of its other components have to disappear. Very little is left of the flower by the time the fruit is developed. Most of the fruit is redundant compared to the seed that is its essence. The plant embryo is a very small part of the seed before it launches the new cycle. The early structures in the primate embryo are unrecognizable later in fetal life, and so on. The shedding and reshaping are essential for the smooth flow of living things.

The same holds true in our cognitive and emotional development. Ideally we should let go all the time of the useless or harmful things of the past and build on the enduringly true and positive aspects of facts and experiences. When we are children we are much better at doing that, but as our ego and conditionings grow it is more and more difficult. Our ego is holding onto whatever made us look important and “being right”. Our conditionings make us afraid of not conforming with some past rules or pseudo-knowledge or keep us tied to some negative emotional experiences.

To overcome the weight of the past and of negative thoughts and emotions we need to enlighten the power of the left channel. At a symbolic and universal level, the archangel St. Michael - called as Shri Bhairava in India - is the embodiment of that power which overcomes the left side issues. The warrior stance means that courage and readiness to act are very important. Also a source of light is often in the picture as well, at once emphasizing the need for the light of the Self as well suggesting fire as the element for balancing the left side excess.

Across ages and cultures that enlightened power has manifested in great saints and creators: Kabira, William Blake, Haendel, etc. Their writings and music can strengthen our left side and help us overcome our challenges that come from the past. When enlightened by our Kundalini, that left side power helps us “see the positivity in every negativity” as Shri Mataji puts it, essentially allowing us to float above what appears as the randomness of daily events. This frees a lot of our energy and we can then fully enjoy life as well as being comforting, nurturing and supportive for the people around us.