Kundalini Splendor

One of the great challenges of the Kundalini path is that it often separates you from those with whom you have been closest, including partners, family, friends, church groups--just about anyone you can think of with whom you have--till now--had most in common. You are now someone very different from the person they have related to before.  You have had deep experiences, traveled to other realms (so to speak) and are changed forever.  Often your prior associates are very uncomfortable with the new you--they may try to account for the transformation in terms that they can understand--claiming you are going though "a phase," that you have lost your sense of balance, that you have, in effect, abandoned them (for something else is now the center of your life.)

It takes a great deal of courage and strength to continue on what may be a most lonely journey (unless you are one of the lucky ones with companions on the path).  This article from "DailyOM" speaks specifically to this problem of isolation as it manifests not just in Kundalini awakening but also in other ways in our lives.

The article stresses the need to be sympathetic to those who feel distressed by your unique state.  At the same time, it is important to be true to yourself and your (often) newly discovered set of guidelines, for you are, in fact (if you are experiencing K. awakening) being transformed into a new being.  Remember the Bible verse that says you should "leave father and mother and follow me"?  I think this setting of priorities with the new life at the top is what is referred to in this passage.

It should also be noted that there are many ways of feeling like a "black sheep" in a herd of white sheep--those who are especially sensitive, artists, inventors, creators of all kinds--these frequently do not fit the norm, but often they are among the most valuable members of society precisely because they "follow their bliss" and do not conform to the norms adopted by the majority.




Today's DailyOM
http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/display/adspolink.cgi?iid=281&aid=9273

November 27, 2012

One of a Kind
The Black Sheep

by Madisyn Taylor

When we move beyond comparisons and accept our differences, we appreciate the significance of our upbringing and socialization in each of our unique life's journey.


Many of us have had an experience in which we felt like the lone black sheep in a vast sea of white sheep. For some of us, however, this sense of not belonging runs more deeply and spans a period of many years. It is possible to feel like the black sheep in families and peer groups that are supportive, as well as in those that are not. Even if we receive no overt criticism regarding our values, there will likely be times when it seems that relatives and friends are humoring us or waiting for us to grow out of a phase. Sometimes we may even think we have been adopted because we are so different from our family members. These feelings are not a sign that we have failed in some way to connect with others. Rather, they should be perceived as the natural result of our willingness to articulate our individuality.

Many black sheep respond to the separateness they feel by pulling back from the very people to whom they might otherwise feel closest and embracing a different group with whom they enjoy a greater degree of commonality. But if you feel that your very nature has set you apart from your peers and relatives, consider that you chose long ago to be raised by a specific family and to come together with specific people so that you could have certain experiences that would contribute to your ongoing evolution. You may be much more sensitive than the people around you or more artistic, aware, spiritual, or imaginative. The disparate temperament of your values and those of your family or peers need not be a catalyst for interpersonal conflict. If you can move beyond comparisons and accept these differences, you will come to appreciate the significant role your upbringing and socialization have played in your life's unique journey. 

In time, most black sheep learn to embrace their differences and be thankful for those aspects of their individuality that set them apart from others. We cannot expect that our peers and relatives will suddenly choose to embrace our values and offer us the precise form of support we need. But we can acknowledge the importance of these individuals by devoting a portion of our energy to keeping these relationships healthy while continuing to define our own identities apart from them. 

DailyOM Website: http://www.dailyom.com/

(image found on google)