Dear Feel Love Now Community,
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In this powerful reflection, we explore the transformative message that our scars—physical, emotional, and spiritual—are not something to be feared or judged.
Drawing on teachings from Jesus and Swami Shankarananda, we are reminded that we can embrace our scars and live beyond our trauma. When we release judgment and extend grace to ourselves and others, the Light within us shines even brighter.
Here’s one of our favorite quotes:
“We don’t need to be afraid of the scars that we bear. We don’t need to be ashamed of the scars that we bear. They are included, they are enfolded in the resurrection.
So, I think, sometimes humans have this feeling of ‘I experienced that trauma, how can I live into new joy beyond that trauma? How is such a thing possible?’ And he [Jesus] just demonstrates with his life—you live.
You live the Light. You allow the Light to live through you independent of whatever scars it is that you bear. He bears his particular scars. Each human bears their particular scars. There doesn’t need to be shame associate with this. There doesn’t need to be judgment associated with this.
And so, when we let go of judgment—this is a teaching from Swami Shankarananda—he says, when judgment goes, the only thing that’s left is light. Notice which is more fun. So, the Light is definitely more fun. And see if can allow yourself to hold more lightly any way in which you have been looking at your own scars and feeling judgment in relation to those scars.
And then just notice, may I equally extend grace, not only to myself in relation to the scars that I might carry, but may I equally extend grace to other humans in relation to the scars that they might carry as well. And then I’m simply allowing the Light to be present. I’m allowing the Light to fully live. Yes, that happened and now what would the Light like to help create in this new time, in this new moment, in this new place?”
If you have heard this teaching before, we invite you — as Swami so often invites us — to hear it as if you are hearing it for the first time. Often we receive these teachings right when we need them.
In loving service,
The Karma Yoga Team at AYM
P.S. If you are interested in joining the Karma Yoga Team to expand your practice of selfless service, love in action, please click here.
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