Listening for Resonance

Did you know that music is the universal language? What if the resonance of music could help us understand how to listen for resonance within all aspects of our lives?

We each have a unique vibration and everyone around us will resonate with their own energy. Just as two instruments and instrument players coming together can either clash with one another or create a beautiful harmony, the same is true for the various environments, communities, and relationships we enter into.

That being said, we are all human, so resonance will not be there 100% of the time, and that is actually a beautiful thing as well. Let's be honest, how boring would life be if everyone resonated at the same frequency and with the same melody? This is the belief system of many we may come across, however, and is a recipe for the dynamics of narrow-minded group think to develop. Being aware of this tendency to focus too much on resonance can help us build our muscle of discernment.

Just as the vibration of a live guitar or a drum beat penetrates deeper than surface level, the frequency of human and environmental resonance penetrates deep into the core of our existence. This resonance, when filled with sincere empathy, compassion, and kindness, can be the catalyst for shining a light of inner love, worth, and wisdom.

Listening for Resonance Beyond Words Spoken

What is the underlying energy of the person we are interacting with? Did you know that sincerity is felt on a heart-level more than it is heard through the mind's processing capacity?

How do we feel this heart-level resonance? Often, it is as simple as pausing before entering a situation and becoming curious. Curiosity is a gateway to opening the heart center and our inner wisdom to guide us through internal signals. And yet, pausing requires conscious effort to invoke.

Sometimes we need to pause afterwards and check in with our bodies. I have had many experiences of both being met with discordant energy immediately and needing to pause and reflect after an interaction. Let me offer examples of both.

A little over a decade ago I entered into a new meditation group for the first time. Curiosity was clearly there and I found myself open enough to hear both resonance and discord within the very same space. Quite the paradox, right? The meditation practice itself and the philosophy behind the meditation sung loudly to my searching heart that inherently knew love descended upon us. Ironically enough, that love descended through spiritual mantras sung alongside the melodic vibration of the guitar! At the same time, I felt a whisper coming from deep within that said, "this leader, he's going to be a difficult personality for you."

Both were quite true! The resonance and vibration of the meditation practice continues to sing to the core of my heart and inspires a joyous dance emanating out of me.

At the same time, difficulties arose between the very stoic leader who struggled sharing anything heart level and my deeply sensitive and open-hearted experience of spirituality. That inner whisper warning of discord was also very accurate. It was a great lesson in accepting what resonates, becoming curious about what does not, and seeking the deeper messages hidden within the interactions that pointed me to my own patterns that needed to be broken. I'll get to more of that in a minute.

Let me dive into the feeling of discord after an interaction first, though. I had entered into a difficult conversation with yet another leader where I was bringing up some abuses I was seeing amongst the community. One person entered into more of a leadership role with charater traits that were bullying in nature. There were many people harmed, including the leader I was speaking with.

In the moment, the leader was convincing and my mind somehow registered feeling seen and heard. When I got to my car, however, my body was expressing anger and frustration. I was actually feeling very hot and knew something wasn't right. What felt off? There were two subtle comments that filled my very being with the energy of anger.

"[The bully] is Krishna Conscious (spiritually awakened) even if he is an asshole." And, "I fear there are more problems within your own psychology than your able to see."

Can you see where the anger arose within the core of my being? The bully was being let off the hook and the ones who were victimized were being blamed for their own experience! This is a narrative I have heard all too often and it really hits a chord that stimulates my protector mode to activate. Real people were being harmed and it was all being shoved under the rug. This is the energy my body alerted me to after the interaction.

Finding Resonance Within Life's Pinpricks

One additional comment turned out to resonate in a different way than I expected, which is where my own patterns were revealed and started breaking apart. To add a little context, the first leader I spoke of opened my eyes to impact of self-abandonment and self-betrayal of keeping the peace of the community at the cost of losing my voice and individuality. Therefore, when this second leader made a particular statement, my self-betrayal radar came online.

As I was speaking about boundaries and protecting my energy from bullies, the leader said, "Be sure to tend to the weeds within your own heart."

Little did either of us know that one statement would set us on a collision course of me standing tall in my core values, standing up for the community at large, and refusing to play into his narrative.

The pinprick of being asked to serve alongside a bully who was actively harming the community stimulated an inner resonance of inner worth, cultivating boundaries and limits around my time and energy, and trusting the wisdom residing within myself. It broke apart my people pleasing tendencies and pulled me back into self-trust.

Pinpricks Offer a Window to Our Wounds

Whether we think of triggers as pinpricks or being plucked like a guitar string, it can soften the tone in our minds that allows our hearts to become curious about the deeper lessons hidden within.

Just as pinpricks are felt by the body, the idea of being plucked comes with a visual of internal vibration. The internal vibration of anger was one filled with deep pain as I heard the same commentary that had conditioned me to abandon myself and my needs for the good of communities for way too long in this lifetime. When we recognize the vibration points to a pattern trying to reveal itself, then wisdom can enter into the wounded spaces.

Recognizing the patterns being pricked or plucked is the first step. The second step is understanding that we have sovereignty to make a choice that supports our own inner vibration and resonance through seeking to uphold our deepest held values and needs. Finally, taking conscious action on what comes through helps us build self-confidence and empowerment.

It was a deeply painful process to deal with these various scenarios and the wounds still creep up from time to time. The pain is still vivid as I recall the depth of anger felt within my bones and the tears streaming down my face. And yet, there was an amazing strength and inner empowerment that emanated as I chose to honor my core values more than someone else's opinion of me. My own energetic vibration was felt in a more personal and enlightening way. I recognized the power of exerting my energy rather than absorbing the energies around me.

As I did so, I had the opportunity to witness how my own energy landed for others. When I exerted my heart-centered and wise, empowered self in the presence of both leaders, I witnessed something amazing! Their energy shifted into fear, smallness, and resentment as they could no longer hide their underlying insecurities and hidden pride in their reputations more than their character traits. This is where the wounds turned into my greatest strength as I resisted taking on their narratives and chose to stand tall in my truth.

The Resonance of Authenticity and Sincerity

What does it look and feel like when we tap into our own inner resonance?

Have you felt the energetic difference between struggling through a task that you really dislike vs. being focused on a deep passion of yours?

One key point of inner resonance came through a trip up and a whisper. See, I was in India and going around touring many temples from my spiritual tradition. There was a point where I literally tripped, should have fallen on my face, but was miraculously caught by a force beyond myself. As I regained my balance, the familiar intuitive whisper came into my right ear, "My dear, you're not aligned here! Just see this pace, the chaos. This isn't where you resonate. Please remember the forest. It is in nature where you resonate deeply. Please return home."

This caught me off guard because while I had my various struggles with temple life, there were also many, many resonant moments that put me on this continued path of allowing my authenticity to shine brightly. At the same time, how could I ignore that whisper?

As I took more time out in my own garden alongside the nature I have availabe here in Utah, I began to understand why I needed to heed this whisper. Nature has offered me an opportunity to slow down, hear myself breathe, and find the rhythm of life. This is giving me a continual opportunity to check in with the core of my being and ask, "where does my authentic self reside? How can I shine brightly for my open hearted nature and let that vibrate through the world around me?"

As I sat with these questions, I recognized that more and more of my heart space was able to speak through mystical metaphors, serendipitous interactions with other living beings, and noticing my own energy being expressed with greater awareness and authenticity. I recognized that I needed freedom to see how divine love shows up in a variety of ways, enter into new communities, and embrace the magic happening within and all around me as I continued to pause and settle into self-care.

I cannot deny the magic that continues swirling around me as I accept life as it is and choose to honor my unique nature and life journey. It's not always easy as my own authenticity has created discordant energy in spaces that needed to be addressed, but when I am true to my heart, knowing I am connected to something greater than myself, then the resonance of dancing with the divine mystery fills my cup and spills out into the world around me in ways that are beyond my capacity to fully understand or express.

As we close out, I want to invite you to take a few deep belly breaths, bring yourself into this moment, and curiously ask:

"What parts of my life, body, or mind feel discordant?"

"What do I need to bring resonance back into this moment?"

"What one decision can I make today to honor my inner resonance and tap into authenticity?"

Please take your time with this and do your best to be patient so your inner wisdom can guide you through deeply feeling how your body, heart, and intuition are whispering the answers.

Sending you so much love!

Nartaki