Light, Body, & Awakening - Amoda Maa

“… My invitation is revolutionary. It takes you to the razor’s edge of mind and heart … … the end of the war of inner conflict. And the beginning of silence as the true song of your life …” ~ Amoda Maa

Finding, and living, abiding peace, in everyday life, seems to have been elusive for the majority of humanity (regardless of culture or time) despite the fact that spiritual traditions – across all cultures and time – have provided guidance, through texts and teachers, for such an important pursuit. The teachings’ fundamental, and ultimate, revelation is that discovering our true nature (or awakening to who we truly are) is what “leads” to such lasting peace. Paradoxically, the “seeker” also discovers that such awakening is available in every moment … yet somehow embodiment remains inaccessible.

Acknowledging the paradox one could claim that awakening should be, if not is, our natural impulse.

Historically, the ones who “broke through,” and shared their “lessons” were a rare few … but, thankfully, over time the numbers of such luminaries has been {gradually} increasing, especially in the last few decades. And yet, here again, despite this increase we find that embodiment, for the “seekers (or “students”)” remains largely elusive …

So, then, what seems to be missing?

One of the many gifts of our Stillness Speaks journey is that the Universe naturally brings us together with such luminaries of truth and recently we met Amoda Maa who offers a fresh answer – simple yet profound and steeped with her direct experience – in her most recent book, Embodied Enlightenment: Living Your Awakening In Every Moment:

“The willingness to embrace personal truth in the search for absolute truth is a necessary component of the authentic embodiment of awakened consciousness .”

Indeed, meeting the full range of the “messiness” of our humanness and thus fully resolving it seems to be one of the keys to embodiment. This meeting (and resolving) is what Amoda calls “embrac{ing} {of} personal truth.”

Another excerpt from her book further elaborates this “embracing” :

It’s important to recognize that awakening kick-starts the spring-cleaning, and any attempt to avoid getting your hands dirty in the mire and muck of what has been unconscious in you, up until now, is like trying to pull down the blinds after the storm has blown through your house. A more intelligent response is to participate in the spring-cleaning by consciously engaging with it by being willing to discover what is asking to be released, by being willing to use the tools for purification, and by doing what it takes to support the growth of the bud of awakening into the flower of awakeness.

In this multi-part series we will explore this embodiment (this “flowering”) through excerpts from her book Embodied Enlightenment: Living Your Awakening In Every Moment … where she explores, in-depth, “… that which is deeper than surface reality …” … by delving into …

… topics like: “… the feminine face of awakening … healing the primal wound … end of seeking … living as silence … is meditation necessary? … compassion .. forgiveness … love in action … the relationship between awakening and the body … love and intimate relationships, money, work, and creativity …” …

and questions like: “What does it mean to awaken in the midst of ordinary life? ... What’s the difference in the way awakeness is expressed in men and women? … What happens to sex in awakening? … Is there such a thing as an enlightened relationship? … Does physical well- being matter in awakening? … How do we live selflessly in the modern world? How can money and spirituality be friends? … plus “… questions and concerns about the suffering of the world …”

An intrinsic part of our humanness is our body … so it seems natural that it is one of the “gateways” to “liberation” or awakening. Amoda, very aptly, devotes one chapter (titled: The Body as A Gateway To Liberation), out of 10, to this topic. And, the role of our bodies is almost a “burning” question on the minds of many seekers … so, we begin this series with an excerpt from this chapter titled: Cellular Enlightenment … where she reminds us that we are “literally made of light” and then goes on to explore the role of light in awakening …

All italicized text below is from Amoda’s book and is published here with her gracious permission. She has also generously offered a PDF, of the Table of Contents. The free downloadable PDF and more information about Amoda, including her website, is provided at the end of this post. Click here for her current events.

Light, Awakening, and the Body

When we speak of an inner body of light, or of embodying the light, it is not merely a metaphorical statement, and neither is it just a metaphysical one. It’s a description of a physical reality: we are literally made of light. Many ancient cultures (such as indigenous Aboriginal Australians and Native Americans) and many Eastern traditions of medicine and healing (such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda), as well as some esoteric traditions (such as the Kabbalah and Alchemy), have known that the body draws light from the macrocosm of the universe and distributes it through the energy meridians of the body to the microcosm of the organs, tissues, and cells.

While this knowledge has been mostly forgotten, there is increasing evidence today (at least in some areas of medicine and science) that every cell of the human body has the capacity to store, utilize, and create light. And, more important, that the movement of light in and out of each cell is crucial to the health, vitality, and harmony of the body. This movement of light in the body has been called by various names: chi, shakti, mana, universal life-force, and holy breath are just some of the names used over the ages by different cultures.

Once again, as in previous pages, what follows here is not to be taken as irrefutable fact; there is plenty of historical, scientific, and spiritual literature that you can find if you are thirsty for knowledge about this topic. The invitation offered here is for you to simply relax into beingness, here and now, and hear these words from an inner silence. The more you relax, the more you inhabit your body. And it is in the fabric of your body that an inner knowingness is available. Here, in your innermost being, you do not need to seek evidence from an external authority. You simply know what is true because it resonates.

I invite you to take a pause for a moment, right here. Breathe deep into your belly and relax. Gently release your attention from any attempt to either grasp on to or reject the words on this page; in other words, turn your attention away from thinking. The invitation here is for you to enter an inner abode of light. You can sense this light, not with your physical eyes, but because it has a quality of silence, spaciousness, stillness, and a subtle, scintillating aliveness. And even though it is absolutely silent, it is this inner body of light that informs you, because light is life’s intelligence.

As you rest here, be open to the possibility that light is carrying, in this moment, information from one cell to another, in order to keep the function of the endocrine system (the glands that regulate hormones) and all the organs (liver, kidneys, heart, nervous system, and so on) in alignment with diurnal rhythms; that is, the day-night cycle. It’s a constant and precise ebb and flow of cleansing (the outflow) and nourishment (the inflow), just like the tides of the ocean, that allows us to rest and regenerate at night, and to wake up refreshed and reenergized in the morning. There’s a whole body of research that reveals the complex biochemical interactions involved in this process, but it is not the purpose of this book to supply you with this information. The invitation is for you to allow these words to resonate in your inner knowingness, and pause here for a moment to open to the mystery of how this delicate dance does not require you to take charge of it, because it is perfectly orchestrated by the innate intelligence of light. Waking up tired, sluggish, or mentally foggy is a sign that the flow of light has been interrupted. Disease, especially if it is chronic, is a sign that the instrument through which this light flows has been damaged.

Now consider including in your inner investigation that recent discoveries in the field of advanced biology support the ancient wisdom of an inner body of light. This research shows that tiny light particles known as biophotons are released by DNA and then held in the cell membrane, in clusters known as electron clouds. The more electron clouds that gather, the more permeable the cell membrane is, and the more permeable the membrane, the more light passes through, with vital information from both the internal environment of the body-mind (the microcosm) and the external environment (the macrocosm) of the world and the universe. It is estimated that the human body is made of up 100 trillion cells, each one with a membrane that acts as a portal for information. This intricate system of cellular membranes is the communications highway of the body, allowing the light of universal intelligence to regulate the myriad of metabolic pathways necessary for a healthy life.

Further discoveries also show that the cell membrane is highly sensitive to the acid-alkaline balance of the fluid surrounding it. There is a delicate relationship between hydration, body temperature, and pH, and many chronic illnesses are known to correlate with an imbalance of these three factors. In order for electron clouds to be held at an optimal level in the cell membrane, the pH has to be just right. If the balance tips too far into acidity, the electron clouds dissipate, light diminishes, and the information relayed through the body is distorted. We could say that the cell has literally become “endarkened.” We could also say (on a metaphysical level) that the shadow has set in. This kind of acidic internal environment is created by physical pollutants ingested in food and water or through the air, stress, fear, and unresolved emotions, and eventually this leads to disease.

Ancient systems of health (such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda) have long understood this and have developed specific techniques for deep cellular purification and deep cellular renourishment, to return the pH to its natural state at slightly alkaline. Recent discoveries show that a slightly alkaline environment increases cell permeability and attracts more electron clouds. On a physical level, more light is stored in the cell membrane. On a metaphysical level, we could say that each cell becomes en-lightened. Light can now move freely in and out of the cell, in tandem with circadian rhythms, and you literally become radiant with the luminosity of consciousness! This is a physiological reality in which you, as the expression of consciousness through a body-mind vehicle, dance in harmony with the totality. Once again, many ancient traditions have known about this phenomenon; some of the names given to it are the rainbow body, golden aura, and kundalini awakening. We could also simply call it cellular enlightenment.

Far from being a supernatural state, cellular enlightenment is your natural state. Another way of saying it is this: it’s what exists prior to physical or psychic pollution, or that which exists before the shadow sets in. You could also say it’s that which is in right relationship with its inner and outer environment, or that through which innate intelligence flows unimpeded. Most animals, especially those in the wild, exhibit this natural state of unity of body, beingness, and environment, as do many ancient indigenous cultures untouched by civilization (although not many of these exist today).

Certainly in animals, this natural harmony is not fully conscious; it is simply the way life is. What is so different today, in the complex and often disharmonious modern world in which we live, is our capacity to fully engage with the process of cellular enlightenment. We engage with it by saying an unadulterated yes to the meeting of all shadow-energies, by the willingness to do what it takes to release all physical and psychic pollutants, and by being unwaveringly present in the body.

As you begin to fully participate in the process of cellular enlightenment, consciousness becomes conscious of itself through every cell. Each cell is a living entity unto itself; you are, in fact, not a single organism but a community of cells. Healthy communication between cells is vital if the community is to function as a harmonious whole. When each cell in a community is enlightened, whether it is you as an individual or a cell in your body, a new world is born. Could it be that this new world, whether it’s an awakened humanity or the radiant glow of your light-body, is the foundation for an evolutionary leap in which the universe itself becomes conscious of itself?

~ Amoda Maa

Stay tuned for … the next part … where we will dig further into “… living your awakening in every moment …” … and click here for her current events.

All italicized text above is from Embodied Enlightenment: Living Your Awakening In Every Moment … by Amoda Maa and is published here with her generous and gracious permission. Click here for the free, downloadable PDF of the Table of Contents.

Amoda’s Stillness Speaks Teacher Page will be coming in the future … until then, here’s an excerpt from her website bio page: Amoda Maa is a spiritual teacher, offering meetings and retreats to support and deepen the living of an awakened life. She has been sharing her teachings since 2012, initially at small gatherings. Today, her teachings are followed by a growing number of seekers world-wide.

Amoda brings to her teachings a depth and breadth of understanding of the human journey, born out of her own immersion in the furnace of personal transformation. In 2002, in the depths of existential aloneness, she experienced a profound awakening in which there was a liberation of self from the knot of ego and an ongoing unfoldment into inner silence. After a long period of integration, in which all seeking and all methods stopped, she started to speak in public. Her teachings are free of any ideology and are not affiliated with any lineage or tradition. While she is often referred to as a ‘nondual teacher,’ she prefers to emphasize the full embracement of the human experience as a path to liberation. Her work continues to evolve in alignment with the real-life concerns of the modern-day seeker of peace and fulfillment in an increasingly chaotic world.

Amoda has been a speaker at the Conference for Nondual Wisdom and Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, a regular speaker at the Science and Nonduality Conference in California, a guest teacher at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Wellness in Massachusetts, a guest teacher at Wisdom’s Goldenrod Center for Philosophic Studies in New York, a guest on numerous radio and podcast shows, and her work has been featured in a number of magazines (including Watkins Mind Body Spirit Magazine and Conscious Lifestyle Magazine).