Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: Is using one's intuitive powers a gift? Or can anyone do it?
A: Both are correct:
It is a gift, but anyone who approaches learning to use intuitive powers with openness can
improve those skills. A person's starting point may be anywhere on a continuum, from
nascent awareness to active clairvoyance, but as with other skills - not everyone can run a
100-metre dash in under 10 seconds, but most can put one foot in front of the other -
one's abilities can be honed and enhanced through instruction, practice  and dedication.

Q: Sacred Body assumes that soul and body are one. In my meditative practice, I'm used
to negating the body. Why the emphasis on body?
A: My personal opinion? Working on one's inner self without embracing the sanctity of the
physical and light bodies is simply onanism turned inward. But to quote the more
diplomatic words of Anodea Judith: "The separation of spirituality from the rest of life
leaves us spiritually homeless. In reflection of the archetypal divorce between Earth
Mother and Sky Father, we are taught to seek enlightenment by denying the basic nature
of our biological existence. This chasm between Heaven and Earth creates a
corresponding abyss between spirit and soul into which many fall ... Denying our basic
nature in order to achieve unity is a contradiction steeped in dualistic thinking which will
never lead to unity or wholeness."
  It's crucial to realize that dualism in all its forms is an illusion. Sometimes it is a
necessary illusion, in that it allows us to analyze, and thus bring the ineffable into
conscious awareness. The body is something that we perceive, and through which we
can perceive, with all our senses -- both internal and external. As such it is a wonderful gift
through which we can experience the divine, and our soul can experience physicality.
          The body is the very essence of why Spirit manifests on this physical plane we call
Earth. Otherwise, why should the soul bother to incarnate? The answer is that it is through
the incarnate body that the soul can experience and learn its lessons -- through the
strengths and weaknesses, joys and sorrows of the human form -- both in ourselves as
individuals and as we interact with others. In short, how can you attain oneness without
acknowledging that everything is one?

Q: The more I seek my own personal spiritual enlightenment, the more open-ended the
process seems to be. How can I tell if I’m any nearer my goal? And how can I justify this
self-absorption when there is so much pain and suffering in the material world?
A: First, a couple of quotations from St. Augustine:
"When I seek you, God, I seek a blessed life. I shall seek you, so that my soul may live."
and "To seek the highest good is to live well." Note that he doesn't say 'to OBTAIN  the
highest good is to live well', or 'when I've FINISHED seeking you, my soul may live'.
  The blessed life is in the seeking, in constantly keeping open the connection to the
higher power. It's the old 'the journey is the destination' thing. That does not mean that,
along the way, you will not have insights and revelations. It means more that the nature of
the divine is so profound it is only understood by us mortals on the instalment plan.
  Enter every day with a hopeful attitude of mind that, as you walk along your path, and
encounter people and things, each one opens your awareness to some new, wonderful
aspect of higher power, or that you re-experience afresh a wonder you have known before.
  As to any nagging sense that seeking spiritual enlightenment is somehow more
frivolous than working in a bank, please recognize that this is an old, judgmental script
from your upbringing or earlier life. It is functional to the extent it motivates you to create
some form of skill or endeavor that allows you to support yourself materially.
  Now is the time to feed your soul, and let the body be taken care of by the hard work that
you have put in up till now.

Q: What is the 'Shining'?
A: It is the Light of Heaven, the shining light of the Almighty Lord -- the being above all the
gods of all the planes of density, light and darkness -- which penetrates upon this earthly
plane as Spirit. This is the Spirit which, in turn, penetrates all aspects of being, through
every atom as pure space invigorated. The light of the Shining purifies, strengthens and
washes away all impurity.
  How do we invite the Shining? In supplication. It is a gift to be received as a blessing of
the Spirit offered for those who are of highest vibration, prepared in spirit and mind for
transformation in the Light.

Q: What's the difference between Spiritual Counseling and Pastoral Counseling?
Do I need to practice Christianity, Buddhism or any other formal religion to benefit from
Spiritual Counseling?
A: Typically, Pastoral Counseling works from the viewpoint of a particular religious
doctrine. Spiritual Counseling works on the level of your own higher self, no matter how or
whether you define it.
  You do not need to subscribe to any organized religion.
  All you need is a willingness to seek inner guidance and connection with Spirit.

Q: How does Spiritual Counseling work?
A: The reason why any soul incarnates is to experience, to act in the material world work
on issues determined by its destiny -- think of it as spiritual DNA. It needs a body to be
able to manifest action in the physical realm, and to interact physically and emotionally
with other souls infusing other bodies. If through action and serendipity a soul resolves an
issue, it  will not likely be confronted with it in precisely the same way in its next
incarnation.
  But if it does not, it will repeat the pattern in future lives until it gets it right. (Think of actor
Bill Murray's character in the movie Groundhog Day.) When these unresolved issues
become firmly entrenched, they can manifest in the physical body, or in the emotional or
other subtle bodies, as a form of energetic interference resulting in physical, emotional,
mental or spiritual disharmony.
  Among the central questions to consider  is that asked by poet Rabindranath Tagore:
"That which oppresses me, is it my soul trying to come out in the open, or is it the soul of
the world knocking at my heart for its entrance."
  Working through an intuitive process, the practitioner and client identify what issues are
involved and where in any of the bodies they may be located. We then ask Higher Self to
remove the energetic dysfunction, not just for this lifetime, but also for future and past
lives. Following this, counselling helps to create positive alternatives to dysfunctional
ways of thinking or being that have evolved from the energetic dysfunction.

Q: Do I need to be a good writer to benefit from a Write Your Life workshop?
A: No. Nobody is 'graded' in these workshops. And often people who have limited writing
experience or a modest appreciation of their own writing skills come up with some of the
most profound, articulate work. Everyone has a story to tell -- in a real sense, we are our
stories --  and the emphasis in a Write Your Life workshop is in creating an environment
within which people can begin to get in touch with the deeper meanings underlying the
narrative of their lives.

Q: Do I need to know or practice yoga to benefit from Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy?
A: No. Phoenix Rising assisted asanas can be adapted to any level of fitness or disability.
And the other elements -- dialoguing, breathwork, affirmations, etc. -- are accessible to
anyone who enters a session with an open heart and mind. Having said that, those who
do have a yoga practice may experience through Phoenix Rising sessions entry into a
deeper level of self-exploration. (See the Phoenix Rising page in this website for more
detail on what's involved in a Phoenix Rising session. Or contact www.pryt.com.)
Sacred Body
Medical Intuitive  &
Spiritual Counseling