I recently came back from a lovely 2-week retreat in Ananda Assisi. However I feel upon coming back I run into a lot of negative experiences and people. During the retreat it opened me up and made me kinder, etc., and many other great qualities. However I feel now I am an easy target for negative entities, and in a way even more sensitive to negative influences and people. How can I make myself spiritually stronger? Even more so when one of your family member is mentally ill, extremely unstable.
—J.K, UK
Dear J.K.,
On the spiritual path we have to balance two sides: one side is getting kinder, more subtle, more sattwic, more open. And that is wonderful and necessary. Equally necessary is the other side: we have to increase our inner strength and stability. Otherwise we’ll get eaten up in the jungle of life, and trampled on, and exploited. So try to practice the enerization exercises you have learnt in a very strong and powerful way, intentionally increasing your inner power. You may also practice the yoga postures, which help us to strengthen our aura. Regularly practice affirmations of inner strength.
Here is one, by Swami Kriyananda: “I live in the fortress of God’s inner presence. Nothing and no one can break through these walls and harm me.”
When you are with people, feel energy flowing outward from you, blessing them. In this way you will be not receive weird energies.
Feel your spine strong all the time, holding it straight. Radiate an aura of strength.
Reserve your sweet, open, and subtle side for your meditations, and for the time you are alone (which are important!), and for people where you can allow yourself to be that way. But out there in the world practice feeling yourself a lion.
Follow the Masters. Inside they are very subtle and deep and pure, but at the same time they are lions in the outer world. They exude power. So they will clearly perceive the strange energies of others, but their own energy can never affected. We try to follow their footsteps: becoming Masters ourselves.
All the best, keep going, you are in a good process, learning to roar like a lion,
Jayadev
