How to handle the plateaus and dips in your life
A teaching from Srimati Shanti Mataji
The dark night of the soul
In the inner life, there are times upon times when the path may feel dry, the heart may feel empty, and meditation may feel fruitless.
When the devotee knows what it is to feel the presence of the Beloved, has experienced the stirring of the heart, has known clarity of vision, and has tasted the certainty of wisdom and inner guidance, then the seeming absence of divine presence—in whatever form has been known or longed for—feels barren, indeed.
Also, the discovery of areas within ourselves that need to be uplifted or healed may make us feel bereft of any claim to our divinity in conscious awareness. A great lover of God before us has called these barren times “the dark night of the soul.”
Emptiness itself is the presence of God
At such times, we can remember that the path up a mountain is not evenly inclined. One must also cross level plateaus, seemingly going nowhere, which are still integral parts of the climb. There may even be momentary dips before the path turns steeply upward again.
Plateaus and dips are normal and essential, for we often need time and space to assimilate what has gone before.
“Remember that the path up a mountain is not evenly inclined.”
At such times, we can also refocus our perception to know that the emptiness itself is the presence of God. Then we can focus on the apparent emptiness as yet another way to experience the divine presence. When we do that, we will discover that what before seemed bitter has become sweetness itself; for we have found God in one more of the infinite garbs in which the Beloved comes to us.
Truly, there is no experience, no condition, no being that cannot be uplifted in our consciousness into the blissful perception that, behind what it seems to be to the mind’s first glance, it is in its depth the manifestation of God!
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If you are interested in learning more about how to handle the plateaus and dips in your life, there is a wealth of information available online about the teachings of yoga philosophy, Advaita Vedanta, and the mystical teachings of Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, Hinduism, and Judaism. You are also invited to discover these teachings through Awake Yoga Meditation’s offerings. Based on your interest in this article, you may also enjoy:
Listening to our podcast episode: Feeling More Love Than Pain
Taking our October 2020 workshop: The 21st Century Yogi
Attending one of our live meditations on Tuesday, Friday, or Sunday
Joining our free eYogi Community
You are also always invited to schedule a private, personal, spiritual conference with Swami Nityananda whether you are completely new to the study of yoga philosophy and meditation or one who is seeking to deepen your practice.