Being a spiritual mutt
In a world that’s riddled with fake news, algorithm-based news/information sourcing, and a spiritual money-generating machine at play (the self-help industry is worth around $11B per year), I think it’s important that I start out by sharing what I believe in so you can decide if I’m someone you want to learn from.
I sincerely hope that this next part will save you time and energy - cause you’ll need it on your journey.
My spiritual beliefs are kinda complicated and simple at the same time.
It’s basically a mix of nonduality, nature worship, goddess embodiment, meditation and prayer practices, breathwork, energy work, dance, trauma-informed psychotherapy, a splash of stoicism, smeared with a thick lawyer of Jesus.
And, if you told me I had to go to a deserted island and I could only pick one: it would be Jesus. Because in that inner relationship, I feel less lonely and safer.
It has been a real ride to get to this point. In fact, the 20-year-old me would have been mortified to admit to such a position (about Jesus). But here we are…
Also infusing my approach to life are my beliefs in social justice, a “leftist” approach to how to run a democracy, humanism, feminism, anti-racist work, decolonization work, gender equality, restorative justice, and climate-change awareness.
PHEW! That’s a whole bunch of labels to cover up a very simple basic truth of who I AM:
An invisible yet undeniable energy of love, light, and hope that radiates those qualities in the present moment.
Sometimes is the Spiritual / New Age teachings as well as in the Christian world teachers focus on “ascending and arriving into 5D reality/enlightenment” or “earning your way into the heart of Christ”.
I’m just going to give it to you straight.
I believe that any spiritual practice that aims to get you somewhere or where you need to “arrive” somewhere like “enlightenment” — or where you need to punish your sinful self — will be, for most humans, a PHAT trap.
And I don’t want you to go into a trap (unless you absolutely have to choose that for your specific growth).
In my experience as a seriously committed spiritual “seeker” that have spent more than 17 years doing daily spiritual practices and supporting dozens of other humans IN-DEPTH for a very long time, I want to share that I believe that thinking that things will be better when you arrive somewhere else WILL NOT WORK.
Super effed
Right now, it seems like western humans are suffering more deeply than ever (I’m talking in modern history, since after WW2 or so). It appears as if the specific conditions present on this planet right now have unearthed deep existential despair that is unparalleled in the age of technology and global connectivity. Cognitive dissonance is at an all-time high. Old trauma-based survival patterns and strategies are being triggered and life for many people that had gotten used to a certain level of denial, comfort, and privilege, frankly SUCKS.
(I’m imagining that for marginalized people it sucks worse than ever but they were not as much in la la-la-land as many of us privileged people were.)
So what’s a good “Spiritual” person do? Duh! Of course, try to manifest our way out of this shit. Or work harder. Be better at thinking positive thoughts. Improve our flawed selves. Help others more.
But, does that really work?
Not in my experience.
So what are the experts saying?
The popular spiritual teachers seem to be going one of two ways.
Double down on the spiritual bypassing and make EVEN more money by selling a fantasy that it will get better if we just keep ascending and working on ourselves promoting harmful spiritual-bypassing behaviors.
Stop presenting themselves as the “Guru” and share how other's can do their own work through experimentation in their own lives. They promote taking personal responsibility while ALSO acknowledging structural imbalances that are present in our modern societies. Bonus points for sharing low-cost ways for people to access real trauma healing.
(I’m generalizing a lot here to make a specific point without having to write you a novel.)
I’m sorry to be a buzzkill and say this but as far as I can tell from experience, everything I’m observing (and talking to older people), no one seems to be exempt from things happening in their life that will cause them to suffer.
Achieving fame?
Won’t save you. Just ask Chrissy Teigen, Johnny Depp, and Lindsay Lohan.
Getting rich?
Nope! Ask Jim Carey, Bill Gates, and Britney Spears.
Have lots of Instagram followers?
No way! Ask… any of them.
The truth is: All of us can and will have bad and horrible things happen in our lives.
You can lose a loved one.
Get left by your partner.
Not find a partner.
Get sick.
Get hurt.
And ultimately, we will all die. And we don’t know when that will happen. Could be tomorrow!
Though this epically challenging time, we’re faced with so much death, destruction, shame, change, loss, grief that it can feel unbearable just to exist.
No wonder we’re looking for an out. Something to focus on. Something that will save us from ourselves and each other!
But unless you’re planning on becoming a monk/nun in a monastery you are left to the mercies of life like the rest of the mortals.
Ok, good luck with that!!! Byeeeeee!
Nooo, you didn’t think I would leave you hanging in that horrible place, did you?
Maybe I should. And frankly, I have been. These days when the people I love the absolute most in the world call me in pain, I no longer rush in to fix them.
Believe me, I tried that path, for decades, and I have finally, without a shadow of a doubt figured out that is DOES NOT WORK.
Waaaaaaah! Part of me really wants it to work. I want to help all the hurting people!!! But then again I’m glad it doesn’t because I have limited time and that isn’t a sustainable solution.
If spiritual bypassing or saving others doesn’t work – what does?
This seems to be the consensus from both my “Christian” and my “Spiritual” friends (the ones that seem to have real results that is):
Accept that we’re “flawed” on purpose - as in, we were never made to get everything right. In fact, we were made to continuously learn and grow through mistakes and sometimes *gasp* hurting ourselves and others.
This is so that we finally stop trying to figure it out and try and control all the outcomes but instead learn how to trust life, be slow and listen to the Love that we are in each and every moment that is showing how to be Love and Compassion in action. We were never meant to do it alone.
This place is a TOTAL setup, as in the game is rigged in the best possible way because Love always wants to flow back to itself and wake us up to the realization that we are not ultimately only flawed humans - we’re also Divine, Loved, Innocent children – we get to be both.
So let’s say you’re like:
“Cool, Karna, great, so if I just surrender and trust love all the pain will go away and I’ll not have to feel all the shit feelings that come with being human.”
Then I would have to say:
Wouldn’t that be SO nice? But no, you would still have to feel and experience the human stuff. You will just not have to do it ALONE you will get to have Jesus/God/Inner Mother/Divine Self/Peace there with you.
And when you apply yourself to this process of feeling, releasing, being, activating compassion, and surrendering – with practice and time – you will constantly be better at discernment and boundaries and love so your life, in general, will take on new qualities of presence, love, and truth. And maybe even joy and peace! (HOLY SHIT, wouldn’t that be the freakin’ BEST!).
So to me, the bottom line is, as always this TRUTH:
You are Love and Loved. Always. No matter what. No matter how dark it seems. No matter what you did or didn’t do.
The end.
And the beginning.
Until death do us part.
Your friend in humanity,
Karna
You got a topic you want me to write about? Fun!! Email it to karna@karnalivnau.com with the subject line Topic! And I’ll add it to my list.