"Body is purified by water. Ego by tears. Intellect is purified by knowledge. And soul is purified with love." -Ali ibn Abi Talib
Purification is a removal of impurities. To purify is to uncover the layers, cleanse the obscurities, clear the fog and clear out the debris. Purification implies that there is a fundamental Core that is pure; free from debris, fog, obscurities and dense layers. When your pure Cosmic Core is covered up by these impurities, your radiance is diminished and the real You is hidden. As you go about your daily life, it is easy to mistake this dimness for normal. How can you know what you don't know? When was the last time that you remembered being pure; untainted by the world around you?
You are surrounded by your environment. In fact, there cannot be a you without an environment. You exist because there is an environment for you to exist in. As a human being living on planet Earth, you are shaped, molded, influenced and affected by the environment that surrounds you.
You cannot know what it feels like to be pure until you have experienced some form of purification. Until then, how you currently feel will continue to be normal to you despite how dim your Radiance may have become. So what are you to do? There are two ways in which you can proceed: Stay in the dark and continue your "normal" way of living. Or venture into the unknown in search for something better.
The Many Planes of Purification
The way to begin your experiential journey of purification is to learn about it. What is obscuring your Cosmic Core in the first place? What are the different layers to you and do they all need purification?
As already mentioned, simply existing allows for obscurities to form. Dense and foggy layers naturally seep in, covering your Core and distorting Who You Really Are. There is one way to shine the light on these impurities: Awareness. Become aware that your Radiance is being diminished and realize that this dimness is not fundamentally Who You Are. Your Cosmic Core shines brightly, no matter how dense or hidden you seem to be and you can begin to break through the layers of obscurities simply by bringing your awareness to them.
There are many different planes or elements to your experience of being. They are all connected and cannot be separated from each other. Each one affects another, which means purification of one assists the purification of another. To keep things simple, I will be discussing the 4 main elements to your experience here on Earth and how they can be purified.
The 4 Elements to Your Experience
When you become aware of the fact that there is so much more potential to you and who you are, you reclaim your power by embarking on your experiential journey inward and connecting with your Cosmic Self. The experience of your being is made up of 4 different planes or elements and with each of these elements comes opportunities for purification.
Your Physical Element: The physical part of you is all things physical. This includes what you put in your body, what comes out of your body, what you do to your body and what you do with your body.
Your Mental Element: The mental part of you has to do with your mind. Your mind includes both your conscious as well as your unconscious and has to do with your beliefs, thoughts, judgements and how you view your world, relationships and self.
Your Emotional Element: The emotional part of you is a felt sense in your body which often times goes unnoticed as you react to the world, people and events around you. You may even be one who suppresses your emotions, storing festering feelings which will begin to affect the rest of your experiences if left unattended.
Your Environmental Element: Because you cannot be separated from your environment, nor your environment from you, this part of your experience is very important. And, while it might not be able to be controlled, when you travel the path of purification you begin to realize that you have more power in creation than you originally thought. This element includes the natural world around you as well as your family, community, home, city, country and even the world.
The Process of Purification
How do you begin the purification process? Chances are, if you're reading this you've already begun at some level. I will break the 4 elements down and discuss each one separately, but first there is a general process which begs attention. As stated previously, awareness is the first step. By simply knowing there are impurities, you gain the power of conscious choice.
It is important that you begin precisely where you are at. Do not compare yourself to others. Those of you who are overachievers, it is important that you understand that anything you do to move toward awareness, starting from where you are right now, is a purification. This is not a race and there is no finish line. The examples that I give are merely guide posts to show you in which direction you may want to head, but it is up to you to read your own body, mind and emotions and act accordingly.
Much like any other process, purification has its ups and downs. It is the type of thing that commands commitment and dedication because not every day is going to bring a reward. You know that old saying: "It's gotta get worse before it gets better." This is often the case and it can be easy to bail out when you've reached a state of turbulence. Sometimes it is helpful to look back to where you've come from to give yourself some perspective, but it's important to keep your focus on where you want to go and not judge things by where you are at. As an example, someone detoxing from an addiction is going to have withdrawals. These symptoms can sometimes feel like you're going in the opposite direction, or that things have gotten worse. This is the moment where it is so important to keep your focus on where you want to be. This resistance happens at the physical, mental and emotional levels and it is a very normal and necessary part of the process.
Purifying Your Physical Element
As mentioned previously, this element has to do with what you put in your body, what comes out of your body, what you do to your body and what you do with your body.
The most common example of what goes in your body would be consumption of food, drink and substances. It begs repeating that you begin from where you are currently at. For example, purification for one person might be switching from drinking alcohol to smoking weed. Or to someone else, they might be ready to let go of these substances altogether. Another person might want to cut down on meat, cheese or refined sugars in their diet. It is important that you realize that the purification process is completely unique to you and try not to guilt yourself if and when you do indulge. It's okay! None of this has to be rigid, just keep your focus on where you want to be and you will be guided in that direction.
My story of purification began with food allergies. Thankfully my body made the decision for me and I slowly, somewhat even unconsciously, began purifying my diet. Over time, the purification of substances followed suit and my body continued to refine its wants and needs. I let my body guide the way and together we continue this process of purification. I have come to really enjoy it! It feels good to be pure, both physically as well as mentally and emotionally. I have a new found freedom in ridding myself of things that I didn't even know were weighing me down!
Another way that you can purify your physical body is through exercise. Sweat is a purification! While it may not remove toxins from your body, it gets stagnant energy moving and releases built up tension and emotions. Any time your body releases a substance (sweat, elimination, tears, etc) it is ridding the body of that which it no longer needs, which is a form of purification. So the next time you go for a run, remember you are releasing impurities!
Purifying Your Mental Element
Can you "hear" the whirl of thoughts, judgements and stories spinning through your mind? Is there any break in the noise? Most often, the food and substances you put in your body are to escape the racket of your mind! They are a distraction from incessant thoughts and, while they may give you a break from it at times, they do not address what is actually causing all the noise. This is where inner work comes in. When you are ready to face the chaos of your mind, you can begin to move through the noise and find pockets of peace. Over time, these pockets or gaps become longer and stronger until they fortify themselves as your baseline.
Meditation is great practice for taming the mind. First of all, it gives the mind the space it needs to play out its stories. When you ignore the stories or push them away, they are not given an outlet. Instead they remain festering and even grow stronger. They cannot stay buried forever and eventually they will find a way to get your attention. The goal of meditation is to witness these thoughts, judgements and stories. Just let them be there, meanwhile give your mind something to focus on so that you can develop the muscle of a strong attention span. The modern world has us racing around, doing things nonstop. Our incredible technological advancements have created a world of instant gratification making patience difficult. We are immersed in this environment and it does have some extraordinary perks, so we need to find a way to live symbiotically with it. All you need to do is develop a practice of finding the calm amidst the chaos.
Another way to explore the depths of your mind is through inner work. Consciously going inward to seek out what lurks in the corners of your mind with shadow work is invaluable. It can be difficult to see your own hidden unconscious and this is where it is helpful to have a coach. However, there are 3 ways that you can begin to explore these hidden parts of you: through triggers, visualizations/active imagination and dreams. I dive into this topic deeper in my article "What Is Jungian Life Coaching?".
Now, when you combine inner work with meditation you have propelled yourself on a powerful path toward inner transformation!
Purifying Your Emotional Element
Inner inquiry and insights will only get you so far. If you do not bring the emotions to your purification process, you cannot make real changes. If you are one of the many who has learned to shut down your emotions, now is the time to learn to feel again!
Emotions are accessed through their felt sense in your body. It can be uncomfortable at first but once you face them and learn to feel into them, you begin to realize that the feeling will always pass. Nothing is permanent and emotions are no exception. They do not stick around unless you hold onto them! The problem is, by blocking them through avoidance or resisting them through stifling them, you are holding onto them and not letting them pass through. Instead, what you want to aim for is to simply feel them and acknowledge them. By bringing your awareness to your emotions and letting them run their course, you not only let them go, but you also transform your body by allowing it to release something that it's probably been holding onto for a very long time! Until you release your emotions, they are trapped within and stored deep inside your body. These trapped emotions can cause all sorts of conditions from digestive upset to back, neck or shoulder pain and tightness of the jaw just to name a few! This is why it is so important to start bringing your awareness to where the emotion is felt in your body. This is something that is unique to you, so start paying attention!
The other side to exercising your emotions is both a physical and energetic activation of your chakra system. Your chakras are condensed energy centers which correlate to different organs and glands in your body. For instance, when you cry, not only do your eyes release tears, but tiny fibers behind your eyes expand and contract. Through nerves, these fibers are connected to your brain and cannot help but affect your pineal gland, a part of the Third Eye chakra. If you really experience a deep cry, you may even feel its effects in your chest (Heart chakra) or deep in your belly (Solar Plexus). By releasing these emotions, you not only create space for emotional and mental transformation, but there is a very physical activation taking place as well! So the next time you find yourself crying, see if you can really belt it out! Feel into it and pay attention to what parts of your body are being activated and where you feel the release. You might be surprised at how good it can feel!
Purifying Your Environmental Element
When I speak of your environment in regards to purification, I am referring to that which you can change. Start where you can and you will learn that you can change a lot more than what you might think. These environmental elements might include your living space, the items or things you keep around you, the people you surround yourself with, family, culture and even the society around you.
When you hold onto things you no longer need, there is an energetic attachment that persists. It takes a lot of energy to hold onto things! Only until you let something go do you feel the weight of it. If you practice purging, the process of clearing space will help you in your emotional and mental cleansing as well!
Remember, you start from where you are at. Perhaps your definition of a purge is to let go of some old dishes that have been stuffed in the back of the cabinet. Or even just give a quick vacuum or dusting! Do not underestimate the power of clearing spaced! Removing dirt, debris and clutter aids in removing old habits and stuck tendencies! The next time you get inclined to clear space on the counter or empty your fridge, reflect on how good it feels to have "deleted" something. You've now made space for something new to enter your life!
3 Tips for Success
Now that you have an idea of what is available for you to purify, the options are endless. You can start anywhere and it doesn't matter how small a step that you take. What is important is that you take a step! That being said, here are a few tips which will help you on your journey of purification.
Intention: Set an intention for what you want to purify. The more specific you are the better, but any intention helps! Is your focus physical, mental, emotional or environmental? Remember all are affected by another so there is no wrong choice. Your intention merely gives your unconscious a place to focus, so you can be clear in what you want. Get as detailed as you can and if you really want to magnify your results, write your intention down or voice it out loud to someone who will support you in your endeavors.
Consistency: Once you've set your intention it is important to be consistent in your practice of purification. Give yourself a timeline. Maybe you are going to go from eating refined sugars every day to 2-3 times per week for 30 or 40 days or longer. Again, the more specific you are, the more clear a message you send to your unconscious. Your unconscious will guide help you!
Substitution: Instead of thinking about removing something or taking it away, it can be helpful to substitute instead. To use the above example on cutting down on refined sugars, you might want to think of your favorite fruit and give yourself this treat instead. This way, you are not depriving yourself of something, just changing what it is you are looking forward to!
In Conclusion
Purification is a process. It is something that you start from where you are at and, chances are, you've already begun unconsciously. By bringing your conscious awareness into your practice, you strengthen and magnify your results.
You can purify on a physical, mental, emotional or environmental level and it doesn't matter where you start because each element of your experience affects the other. The important thing is that you start from where you are at. Your results and where you are in the process are completely unique to you. Keep your sights focused ahead on where you want to be and your unconscious will guide the way!
The rewards of purification are very real and very profound, but you've got to be willing to practice and put in some effort. You get out what you put in and no step is too small.
What part of your life will you purify today?
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