f good vibes only

P E R M I S S I O N S L I P

Y O U R E M O T I O N S A R E V A L I D H E R E

Earth school is hard.

Many of us are trying to heal, grow and thrive through spiritual modalities and daily rituals. I love that. I am part of that. I write about that. I breathe that. But there’s one thing being taught that I am not okay with: the ‘Good Vibes Only’ crap.

Disclaimer: I am not saying you should stop living an inspired life. I don't recommend dwelling in your suffering, nor am I disregarding everything I believe to be true about joy, peace and balance. I am not revoking my spirit card and I certainly will continue to live in such a way that represents these radiant ideals, but we are human, and there is nuance to this experience called life. Furthermore, I believe it is a deeply spiritual act to have grace in the presence of others who are deep in the throws of their sorrows, too. Alternately, I am not advocating for engagement with others that are a detriment to your mental health.  

I get it, we are in control of our own destiny. We choose our thoughts: we can choose loving, grateful ones or depriving, low vibe one. The choice is ours to make and ours only. Yes, we have free will, but sometimes healing isn't a straight line. In fact, it's never that simple. It's a complex, nuanced, journey full of combusting emotions and invigorating experiences. Welcome to planet Earth.

Being human means that we experience a complex, vast array of vibes and emotions. “You are the sky and your feelings are the clouds”, have you heard that one before? It goes something like this: Though you can feel the sensation of pain, it does not mean you need to suffer. Be the observer. Accept that you are an eternal soul having a human experience and all of this is temporary. Meditate long enough until you understand these concepts and embody them....blah blah blah. We get it. It's not always that easy, and that's ok. Do not beat yourself up for suffering when you feel you should be more enlightened than that. Now should you feel shitty because you accidentally let someone under your skin and allowed them to make you feel like crap. 

Sometimes healing is blissful and at other time's its down right ugly. And within the dirty, grueling, painful parts, we don’t need to be reminded via a shiny, glittery, pink blow horn that our vibes suck. 

These days it seems that if we express real, human emotion other than joy we are told that we are not enlightened enough or that we are weak and not trust-worthy enough of the universe. For the suffering person who is aware of the memo that low vibes suck, they may not even feel safe expressing themselves around those who could probably listen and hold space for them because they are so afraid of stinking up the space by emenating anything other than sunshine. This paradigm perpetuates a vicious, alienating cycle of people wearing fake smiles proving how strong they are.

P R O T E C T I O N

We have been taught so much within the spiritual community about 'protecting our energy', but it seems that maybe we've got it all wrong. I feel like energy protection took us from the well intentioned space of creating clear and safe boundaries for ourselves into a world of spiritual hierarchy and isolation. The line is thin, though it is worth taking the time to discern the difference.

The concept of energy protection always sat well with me; I am an empath who feels everything and everyone, so when I discovered there was help for a gal like me, I dove in. Though, with time, I could feel my practice of energy protection transforming into what felt like a weapon against others, rather than a tool for myself.

I got my answer one day from one of my spiritual teachers on social media, and my life has not been quite the same ever since. Jordan Bach, spiritual life coach, said something to the effect of  “rather than protecting your energy so much that you create a deep barrier and rift between yourself and all other people, why don't you create roots so deep that nothing can shake your core/ truth?” Noted, Bach. Though I absolutely still do believe in energy protection, I know there is a balance that needs to be maintained.

Would you rather sit in your ivory castle or get out into the trenches and create community and touch hearts? I think the latter. 

When I look to sacred teachers such as Mother Theresa and those I admire most, they never alienate those they serve by making them feel guilty; they are usually standing hand in hand with individuals in the depths of their suffering. I couldn't quite get over the conflict within: how is it that I am supposed to protect my energy by creating strong boundaries from those who may tarnish my energy, yet those who are suffering are the ones who need my love most? Any spiritual practice that teaches me to harden in the presence of others in pain is not one I will ascribe to. 

I am not suggesting you put yourself in an unhealthy environment; I am encouraging you, however, to discern between an abusive person and someone who simply needs your love and support.

M O V I N G F O R W A R D

please let yourself off the hook. When you're having a low vibe day, you do not always have to vibrate higher over it. You do not have to steam roll your feelings by breathing into them in meditation. In fact, sometimes you can drown them out and numb them up in some ice cream (vegan, if you please), french fries and a good movie or tv show. 

We are all human here, and along with that comes an ocean of emotions. As I said earlier, healing isn't always linear, and it sure as hell isn't always logical. Sometimes, healing means sitting in the fire, standing in the shadow, and not trying to fix it. Allow such things to be ok.

R O O T , P R O T E C T   +  C O N N E C T

R O O T

grounding meditation  | kundalini yoga with guru jagat via yoga journal

root chakra grounding meditation | kundalini yoga with poppy + seed via youtube

P R O T E C T

protection meditation/song/mantra | rakhe rakhan har info | kundalini yoga via spirit voyage

protection meditation/song/mantra | rakhe rakhan har download | kundalini yoga via spirit voyage

heart meditation for protection | kundalini yoga video via youtube

protection and prosperity meditation | kundalini yoga via 3ho

Crystals

protection crystals | via krista mitchell

I N   C O N C L U S I O N

First, root— then, protect. Send love, always. Go into the trenches with other people., but know your limits. Walk with people and their shadows, because lord knows we aren't perfect. Stay away when it is the healthiest option, only you know what is best for you. Allow your self to feel, even when it's shitty. As a matter of fact, love your shitty feels, or don't, but certainly don't deny them or feel guilty for them. And last, but certainly not least, be gentle with your self and others. We may carry within us infinite souls, but after all, we're only human.

I love you, as always,

Carly Yolanda Trujillo