A Space to Reflect and Remember

Welcome, dear one.

Here is a transcript of our free wellbeing classes in Leicester.

Thank you for showing up. For yourself, and for the shared space we create when we come together. Whether you are a regular or joining for the first time, this is a space where life’s questions can breathe and presence is honoured above all else.

Each week, we meet not just to talk but to listen and feel. We reflect on the pace of modern life, the pressures, the labels we wear. Job titles, roles, expectations, identities. Underneath it all is a quiet longing. A longing for peace, belonging, and connection.

The Myth of Peace as a Destination

Often I hear people say, “I just want peace.” But peace isn’t something we buy. It isn’t in a bottle or a book. It is not something to grasp. Peace is what remains when we stop grasping. It emerges when we are truly here, now, in our own body and breath.

Stress shows up first as a whisper. Then as a tension in the neck, a restless mind, a racing heart. When we ignore the signals, it deepens. Over time, we might call it anxiety, burnout, or pain. But beneath every condition is a call to return. To slow down. To listen.

When the Body Speaks

We talked about how stress often starts as a subtle pressure or feeling. Over time, if unacknowledged, it manifests in the body. A sore neck. A tight lower back. Tiredness that does not go away. These signs often get ignored. We tell ourselves we must carry on. The pressure builds. Six months pass. A year. Chronic pain develops. And still, we push through, until one day we cannot.

What starts as emotional or energetic disturbance can eventually surface as physical illness. A tension in the gut. Palpitations in the chest. Our systems are not separate. This is the body’s way of asking for change.

The Trap of Identity

There is no single path. No fixed way. Only presence. The tools we use, such as sound, breath, movement, mantra, or silence, are vehicles. But they are not the destination.

We also spoke about identity. How many of us introduce ourselves by what we do, rather than who we are. I am a teacher. I am a manager. I am a healer. But what happens when that role is lost? When a job ends, or a phase of life changes, who are we then?

The issue is not the role. It’s the attachment to it. We suffer when we confuse identity with essence. When we measure our worth through labels, we fear their loss. And we forget that we are already whole without them.

Fear, Belief and Belonging

Some of you shared stories of being involved in spiritual groups that began as supportive communities but turned into places of fear and control. One person spoke of how they were banned from mentioning a teacher whose teachings helped them. The group reacted with judgement, fear, and hostility. The message was clear. Conform, or leave.

Another reflected on a sense of deep confusion when witnessing reverence given to power and status rather than sincerity or truth. Someone trying to help the planet was dismissed, while a royal visitor was bowed to and praised. It sparked the question — what are we truly valuing?

These experiences are not isolated. They speak to a wider pattern in many spiritual and social spaces. The need to belong can easily become entangled with fear. When teachings are enforced with rigidity and shame, the essence is lost. True teachings lead us inward, not toward dependency or fear.

The Mind and the Monkey

The mind, if left unchecked, constantly seeks stimulation. It creates logic, patterns, and expectations. We tap a button and expect a response. We scroll through endless suggestions. Do this for depression. Try this for healing. Rub lavender here. Burn sage. Drink this tea. Try that yoga.

Within five minutes, the mind is overwhelmed. We begin with the hope of finding peace and end up more scattered than before.

This is why discernment is key. Not every shiny thing is helpful. Not every teacher is right for you. What works for one person may not work for another. The monkey mind craves the new, the exciting. The monk mind finds contentment with what is.

Techniques Are Just Tools

All these tools are simply reminders. A sound bath, a mantra, a breath, a movement. They are techniques. They are not the truth itself, but signposts toward it. Even the ancient texts, such as those from Tantra, are filled with techniques meant to bring you to direct experience.

In Tantra, we speak of technique, yantra, mantra. The triangle of sacred science. Breath, sound, symbol. But even these must be practiced with presence. Without connection, they are just rituals. With connection, they become portals.

Your Experience is Enough

No one can take your truth away. Your connection, your presence, your awakening. These are yours.

We must learn to trust that. To move with honesty. To feel deeply and respond from our inner knowing. Shiva outlined over one hundred meditation techniques. Not all of them are for you. Find what works, and stay with it. Let the mind not distract you with constant seeking.

One path is enough. And it will find you.

Return to Simplicity

If you are ever unsure, return to the simple. Move your body. Sing. Breathe. Feel your heartbeat. Let yourself be held by music, by sound, by stillness. You do not need an elaborate system. You need sincerity.

Thank you for your openness. Thank you for sharing your voice, your stories, your reflections. You never know who you are helping by simply being honest.

Until next time, stay rooted in what brings you home.

With love and light,
Hari xox