Interested in spiritual wellbeing? Wondering how to find your dharma? Keep reading…
There is a lovely Hindu story about a man who gets stung by a bee but doesn’t react. An onlooker asks him why he’s not annoyed at the bee, surely he’s in pain? The man replies, “it’s the bee’s dharma to sting and mine to accept it.”
Dharma is a sanskrit word meaning vocation, a calling, our purpose in life. You could say it’s a sacred duty. The highest dharma is to recognise the truth in one’s own heart.
I was reminded of dharma during the recent Ladies US Open tennis final between Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez. I found myself mesmerised by watching these two young, strong and talented women barely out of their teens battling it out on the court. Matched on every level, physically and mentally, with complete focus and determination, totally in the moment. No self-doubt or fear. They both knew they were in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing. And that’s what dharma is.
So how do you know when you’ve hit the spot?
- You have a sense of ease, fulfilment and contentment
- You don’t feel the need to chase after, yearn for, grasp at or cling to anyone or anything
- You put your heart and soul into any activity without force or effort
- You’re not copying or following someone else’s path
- You feel you’re living and communicating authentically
Some people are fortunate and find their dharma early on. Others take longer, and I am one of them! That’s okay, we don’t all travel along the same road, do we. I had to go through a few permutations before landing on my purpose, which is to teach and communicate self-empowerment though yoga, writing and podcasting. This is now my thing. The point is to keep going, feeling your way forward and eventually you’ll get there.
Meanwhile, have a listen to my MatChat with Mina spiritual wellbeing podcast “Accessing the hidden gifts” with Sarah Cox where we discuss how to connect to our true Self.
It is better to strive in one’s own dharma than to succeed in the dharma of another. Nothing is ever lost in following one’s own dharma.
Bhagavad Gita Verse 3.35
Namaste