Why Success Isn’t Enough — The Call to Spiritual Awakening

The Subtle Question That Success Can't Answer

Most people who come to me have already achieved. Most already have a family, a good position in their career, a beautiful home, and (mostly) fulfilling relationships. And just like you, most have some recognition for their achievements and abilities in life. 

Yet beneath all of the material success, the success that most work their entire lives for, there is this quiet question: "is this all there is? Why am I not fulfilled?"
It's as though even though all the accomplishments, accolades and worldly success are there, there is still an emptiness. 

This awareness that worldly achievements ultimately feel empty and lacking substance is one that I have had even as a very young person. As a teenager I did not feel a strong drive to achieve any material goals. I still did pursue that - with the encouragement from my parents. 

But always there was this awareness, I knew that no matter how much I "achieved" or gained, that it would not fill the emptiness I felt inside. 

Why Outer Achievement Leaves an Inner Void

It is a very difficult place to be because no one tells you that success could feel this empty. The whole world has pushed the message that if you achieve these goals then you should be happy and fulfilled. 

But that doesn't happen. 

It took me a long time to understand this but with guidance from my own spiritual teacher - the Guru from my yogic lineage - I did begin to see. 

The soul, the spiritual essence that we are, always seeks expansion. 

No matter what is achieved materially it can only satisfy you for a time - because then the soul longing inside will nudge you, will tell you, "I want more."

Most people never come to understand this feeling deeply. This strong desire for "more." But if you carefully observe your life you can. 

After a time of pursuing this "more" in the material space (more money, more houses, more cars, more relationships, etc) you will begin realizing that material accumulation cannot satisfy this desire for more. 

​Yet most people will attempt to satisfy it this way because what other way is there? This brings out a restlessness as you pursue this drive for more. Perhaps it can even drive you to burnout, numbness, or down paths that ultimately bring you defeat. 

​But these symptoms... these are all signals to help you understand that the desire for more cannot be fulfilled through material means. 

That is when you start to realize, there must be something else than the material... that is the beginning of seeking, the beginning of the spiritual path. Perhaps that is what has led you to here. ​
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The Quiet Emergence of Spiritual Longing

When the outer world stops satisfying you often we feel as though something is wrong.

Because this is what "success" is right? Everything in my life has pointed me to these achievements as the ultimate goal of happiness... yet most people find themselves asking "now what?"

The "more" that you seek is something much deeper than just material accomplishment. That desire is coming from the soul. 

It is a longing to know yourself, to know your power and know this life in completeness - a spiritual desire or a soul desire. 

This feeling that you get that the world cannot satisfy you is not boredom, its not depression and its not a failure of character. 

It is an awakening. 

The deepest part of your being is beginning to rouse from its long slumber amidst the material carnival of this world - and is longing to know its own power, its spiritual power. 

The soul is finally waking up to the reality that nothing material can ever bring permanent satisfaction. It begins to long for something more... inner self-mastery and to evolve spiritually. 

This Isn't a Breakdown - It's a Breakthrough

This is a really tough place  to be. Because on one hand you have everything you have ever worked for in your life, all your choices bringing you to this moment of success, yet still you feel unfulfilled. 

And on the other hand there is this growing awareness that somehow everything you have worked and attained pales in comparison to the next step that you must take if you want to continue to chase the deep desire for "more."

I have seen this play out many times over the years with my students and those who attend my workshops, retreats and classes. 

Everyone clearly feels this emptiness and the seeking for more, but only a few are able to take the step beyond what is familiar to begin exploring earnestly their spiritual awakening. 

Any kind of breakthrough is difficult to do... because something must "break." We have to be ready to begin seeing life differently and open up to some hard truths. 

Some people do turn back to what is safe. A life of continued material expansion. But a few cannot ignore the deep feeling. The soul has awakened to such a point that it would be a deception to ignore the thoughts, feelings and awareness that is coming. 
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The Soul's Call: A Turning Point in Your Life

This is the beginning of a new life, a life that attuned to the spirit, to the soul. It can be intensely uncomfortable and unsettling, both internally, your heart and mind - and externally, reorienting your life in surprising ways. 

Every yogi, mystic, enlightened one and master has passed through this gate of awakening. 

The prince Siddhartha was awakened to the suffering of the world on a chance walk outside of the palace in the city and went on to abandon his kingly acclaim. He struggled for a time, but then awakened to an entirely new kingdom, one of the soul, and became the Buddha, an enlightened one. 

I often think of my own life as two different lives. One in which I was deeply unconscious, ignorant of my real power and struggling with fulfillment in the world - and a second life that began after my energy awakening that began to lead me deeper into myself. 

​This new life is not one that abandons the old, but one that is informed by the past, and helps you to access a deeper part of yourself. 

There is so much more within you to be discovered and experienced - your spiritual powers through the subtle energy centers or chakras. 

As you journey on the path of awakening you discover an entirely new dimension of life - subtle energy. This is what happened for me... and this was the excitement I had to continue my spiritual exploration. 

This world of energy became alive for me and it was there all along waiting for me to discover it. This is one of the reasons why I continue to share yoga the way that I do. Because I wish that everyone could become aware of their subtle energy and the power that they hold. ​

Why Most High Achievers Miss This Moment

In a world that worships doing, visible accomplishments, and accolades - the depth and profundity of the soul is often missed. 

But the reality is that which will bring your fulfillment is not something visible. It is a phenomenon that you can only experience within yourself. The moment you begin walking the spiritual path earnestly a different level of satisfaction arises within you. 

My students often say to me that the spiritual exploration is the most engaged and fulfilled they have ever felt with anything else in their lives. And I understand this feeling very well, because it was the same feeling that came to me and keeps me close to my spiritual path. 

It is a deep resonance of the soul knowing it is walking the path it was meant to. 

But many people struggle with taking the practical steps of making time for their spiritual process. Even though they feel the impact they do not make it priority and get absorbed in the busyness of the world. Coming back to the spiritual process only periodically using it as a balm for the stress of the world 

Others struggle with it because they feel an immensity surfacing within them. As famous poem by Marianne Williamson goes:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

As you begin acknowledging your awakening and taking positive action on your spiritual path, sometimes you begin feeling an intense fear arising. In my yogic tradition this fear is recognized as the fear of your great power Kundalini Shakti coming to life. 

Then there are those who struggle with the societal norms. It can be hard to step away from the programming that we are brought up with and to take a step back from everything you "think" life is supposed to be about.

But I am here to let you know... you can. You are meant to discover your power within and to begin harnessing it even more powerfully than you have been in your life. You are meant to become awake to the powers of the soul through the chakras. 

It takes real courage and honesty to take the steps you need to on your path. But I believe you can do it... as I have, as my students do, and as all the masters have done before us. 

The ​Courage to Walk the Inner Path

This isn't about escaping your life. It's about deepening it and awakening to an entirely new dimension of life. 

I have constantly counselled my students that the point of spirituality is not to leave behind the world. But to fully awaken ourselves, recognize our place in it and reintegrate into the world with a more enlightened consciousness. 

Every aspect of your life was carefully chosen by your soul to support your spiritual process. It may not seem that way - but once you become more conscious and discerning you will begin realizing that the soul was planning its awakening from the very beginning. 

The goal of our spiritual process is not quick fixes to the problems of life, but true authentic inner transformation that allows us to navigate life skillfully. 

As you awaken your inner powers a new level of wisdom and mastery rises in your life. Then you begin seeing the circumstances of life as an opportunity for your soul to sport with life, to play with life, to adventure in life. 

Real spirituality is not renunciation. One may abandon their family, their possession and their place in the world only to find that as they wander alone, they are carrying it all in their hearts and minds. 

Real spirituality is about deep connection and understanding the perfect place of everything, including ourselves. 

Any genuine yogic lineage will have a systematic approach to the spiritual process that allows you to unfold your spiritual potential step-by-step, in way that enables you to engage with your life meaningfully. 

My own lineage - Kundalini Mahayoga - embraces the world and our play in it as an opportunity to grow awareness and develop our self-mastery of our spiritual powers through the chakras. Through spiritual discipline and exploration - we learn to surf with the waves of life - allowing it to take us to ever deeper self-discoveries. 

My Journey Into Energy Awareness

I know this journey intimately. It is my own story. As a teenager growing up with exposure to this yogic lineage - I was aware of the possibility - but never expected to feel it as deeply as I did. The emptiness and lack of fulfillment that plagued me, even as I climbed the success ladder, was crippling.

Pursuing material progress felt pointless to me when I knew that at the end of it I would not feel satisfied. 

When I graduated from university I made the controversial decision to return home from the USA to Trinidad and Tobago so that I could spend time with my mom. At the time she was suffering with cancer and in my heart I knew that I had to be with her. ​

I spent those three years with her until she transitioned. Her death was what solidified the spiritual path for me. When she passed I saw her power as a yogini - she was the one who ensure that I was connected to the yogic path. She consciously held her body even as it became decrepit, and at the right moment she chose to depart. ​

I saw the power of the soul that night... and that has guided me ever since. 

After she passed I chose to spend time in an ashram with my Guru -Sri Vasudeva, where I began to learn how to really go deeper into spiritual practice. A couple years later I found myself on pilgrimage in the Himalayas to the ancient temple of Kedarnath. It was there in the presence of that ancient spiritual site and my spiritual master  that I understood my place in this world and the life of guiding others on the yogic path that was meant for me. 

Since that time I have stayed committed to the spiritual process and to supporting those who want to learn this path of Kundalini Mahayoga. Serving and supporting others in their own spiritual awakening - giving them the tools to walk the spiritual path skillfully, that is my commitment. 

How to Begin Your Own Awakening Journey

If this speaks to you then know that you are meant for this path. I invite you to become more conscious and ask yourself what is it that you truly want in your life. And then take positive action in alignment with that. 

Let me affirm for you that you deserve to be fulfilled and satisfied in your life, and that can only come from meaningful spiritual growth. Our souls came her not just to enjoy and achieve materially, but also to explore its spiritual powers and identity. 

Unless we engage with sincerely we will continue to remain thirsty for "more."

Begin looking at this soul longing that you feel, the longing for more. And really examine if more material gains will give it to you... certainly there will be enough evidence in your life to see it. 

If you feel ready to explore meditation I invite you to take a look at my book - "Start Meditating Today." In it I share the basics of meditation, give important spiritual skills, and also invite you to contemplate some bigger spiritual possibilities. 

If you are ready for a much more structured approach you can join the waitlist for my Online Meditation Membership. It is a tremendous resource and has many opportunities for spiritual exploration. 

Finally for those who want the quickest results and the most support - I invite you to contact me directly and I can offer some advice on how to proceed. 
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A New Definition of Success: ​Inner Mastery

Consider what would truly make you fulfilled. It is not just material success - but Soul success. 

The Enlightened masters constantly remind us - it is not mastery over the external world that defines success - but mastery over oneself. The moment you begin walking that path of self-mastery, you are finally taking charge of life at a deeper level. 

You can experience something greater, the spiritual dimension of energy, the power of your soul through the chakras, and your deepest nature of satchitananda, conscious-blissful-being.

But it begins with walking your spiritual path, honoring the soul longing that you feel and acting in alignment with it. I urge you to give attention to that soul desire. Sometimes it might be crowded out by the external experiences of the world, but again and again it will rise until you begin walking the spiritual path that is meant for you. 

When you are ready to walk that path, and you seek support to do so skillfully, do reach out and connect with me. It would bring me no greater joy than to support your awakening, and by extension the awakening of our world. 

Namaskar. My soul bows to you.