I used to think I could find true safety in the world. I used to believe that the people and the places that I knew would stay fixed and stable. I used to think that people would always be kind and supportive to each other. I used to think that countries wouldn't bomb each other. I used to think I could manage how people perceived me. I used to try really hard to be the kind of person they wanted me to be, so that I could feel safe. I used to think I would one day become someone who would...

It is not about always feeling happy or about only thinking positive thoughts. It is not about pushing away the pain or discomfort, and only embracing feelings that you prefer. It is not about pushing through or forcing. It is not about plastering a fake smile on your face, and trying desperately to pretend that you are not falling apart. Real joy is is effortless. It takes no effort to be what you already are. Your true nature is joy. It is lightness. It is aliveness. It is simplicity. It is...

It has for me. And this is what became my doorway for spiritual awakening. It started when I was a young teenager. I felt like some kind of alien on a strange planet, so much so that for a while I wanted to end my life. When I found the spiritual path (or it found me), I was already ready to lose it all, and die to the truth. But life wasn't done with me. It continued when through several smaller life-knocks, until the big one... When I met my beloved husband Robert Hanuman , I felt I had...