Discovering Your Soul Lessons

n many spiritual traditions, there is the belief that our souls have lessons to learn by living in this human form in the earth plane.

The lessons that are specific to a soul are called curricula, and like curricula in a school, these lessons involve a series of theme based experiences that deepen growth, skills and the levels of refinement that one brings to this glorious dance of life.

What is your soul’s curricula? How do you know what themes are present in your life as soul lessons?

Take a moment and relax and breathe deeply. Allow yourself to be in this present moment as we explore how to discover your soul lessons.

(1) Taiji and qi gong movement can help you discover the soul curricula of your life.

For example, when students rush through the movements without paying attention to detail, they reveal a curricula that has to do with mindfulness. So, the form can be used to deepen the ability to be mindful not just of taiji but of all things in life.

Other students overextend themselves. Instead of accepting they are beginners, they try to progress too soon to movements that are beyond their skill and injure themselves. Sometimes this rushing ahead is egoic-driven–a desire to compare one’s self to others or impress others. Sometimes this overextension is about a lesson of excessiveness, reflected in extremes in their lives.

So how one performs and approaches taiji and qi gong practice reveals soul lessons.

Think about how your movements reveal your life lessons? How are you moving when you walk across a room or run errands? Are you thoughtful and mindful without much regard to how your body is moving through space and time? Is your body physically guarded and cautious or open and flowing easily?

Take a few deep breaths and simply reflect on the awareness that comes from recalling your movements in a mindful way.

(2) Notice Patterns or Schemas in Your Life

Patterns can reveal our soul lessons.

lifelessonsSchema Example : Self Responsibility

Some of us have soul curricula that involves developing deeper levels of awareness about owning our choices and behaviors in terms of how we nourish and treat ourselves and other people.

When our heart energies are open, we are more apt to take responsibility for our actions, communicate openly with others, and also own moments when we are helpful to others and also owning moments when we might create pain or challenge for others.

In owning our behaviors, we then are empowered to change behaviors–transform challenge into nourishment.

Other Patterns that Reveal Curricula

Control: You might have a curricula around control if you find yourself reguarly feeling irritated, annoyed, frustrated, anxious or upset when others do not behave in the ways you expect or prefer. Sometimes we may think we are being helpful in trying to advise or guide others, but often our motivation may be about control –that we cannot let go and let others choose their own paths and lessons.

Control curricula might also manifest in terms of challenge with being a team player. Often when we make decisions but do not include others, it is an issue of control. We cannot trust others to allow them to participate in decisions or actions, so we control situations by acting on our own without input from others.

Faith: Lessons around faith might involve situations that require you to stretch out of comfort zones to have faith and trust in God, other people and yourself. How much faith do you extend to others in your life?

Fear: Life can be scary at times. Fear is natural. Yet, when you recognize that many of your choices and behaviors including how you choose to interact with others is coming from a place of fear, then this may be a deeper soul lesson for you. Often times people who have this curricula are in denial of it…they do not perceive themselves as fearful, yet when you encourage them to examine their behaviors you’ll find fear of failure, fear of love, fear of intimacy, fear of abandonment and a host of other fears.

Often, lessons around authenticity go hand-in-hand with lessons around fear because it is often difficult to be authentic and straightforward with one’s self and others when one is fear-based. False selves are often presented when fear is a predominant soul lesson.