Category Archives: meditation

by | April 8, 2024 · 8:25 am

What is living your authenticity?

In a recent conversation, someone asked about the essence of “living your authenticity,” the central theme of my podcast and YouTube channel. While it typically entails remaining faithful to one’s core values and identity, its scope is more intricate.

How can you discern when you’re not living authentically?

Embarking on the journey of fulfilling your destiny and purpose tends to engender a sense of natural alignment, accompanied by feelings of flow, joy, and passion. You will be operating on a higher vibrational frequency, naturally radiating an allure in your relationships and interactions.

Choosing happiness and masterminding your thoughts is a conscious choice.

In a conversation with the Pharisees, the Jewish clergymen of the time, Jesus admonishes them for seeking the kingdom of heaven in the external world, telling them: “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)

Living your authenticity is not a destination or procrastinating in some utopia.

The whole purpose of life is to keep on growing and elevating your consciousness. The activities that you pursue with a passion and where you stay in the flow will ultimately shape you into the person you are destined to be.

Living authentically does not mean you won’t have setbacks but how fast you can bounce back into the flow after the experience of loss, pain, or shame. It is the courage to stand up for what you believe in and to pursue your goals, even in the face of adversity especially if it gets difficult or you are unpopular.

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You might lose friends, family members, and what you believed was your support network. But very often those people closest to you are those that pull you back to their low vibrational field because they can’t bear one of their “tribal members” pursuing their dream. It would, in their mind, expose them as weak and a failure.

Most unhappiness and much of the depression epidemic we are seeing is when there is addiction to a false identity that feeds on external validation.

Especially the passive consumption of mass media is designed to make you unhappy. Their whole purpose is to generate profit for someone else, and they can literally suck out your lifeblood if you allow their messaging to shape an identity that is far removed from authentic soul purpose. You become a mere consumer instead of a creative shaper of your destiny.

If you are addicted to a mindset that is fixated on external gratification and where you are dependent on flaunting your status and possessions you will fall into a spiral of unhappiness. For there will always be someone more successful, younger, more beautiful, more famous, and happier than you are.

It is the reason why lottery winners end up bankrupt or commit suicide. Or film or sports stars at the height of their success fall prey to substance abuse, as they desperately try to avoid an underlying emptiness.

Cultivating a sense of self-love, gratitude, and awareness is key.

Your body will at an early stage send warning signals if you need to change something, like feeling stress, anxiety, and sleeplessness. Your gut feeling will tell you that something needs to change. The high-value man or woman you meet might show all the right credentials for a good partnership but something inside tells you that he/she is just not the right fit or that something is wrong.

You might be doing something where you consistently have to compromise your core values, beliefs, and feelings. When external voices have led you astray on the wrong path you will consistently face obstacles, setbacks, and disappointment. When you are on the right path you feel instinctively that wind in the sails where the universe has your back, and everything falls into place like meeting the right people at the right time.

You might just be going through the motions without feeling any sense of passion or purpose. You feel like you’re wearing a mask and pretending to be someone you are not. You might want to drown that underlying growing feeling of unhappiness by accumulating more and more things with the novelty wearing off after only a few minutes.

Experiencing a profound “flat-on-the-ground” moment can often serve as the catalyst for seeking a deeper reconnection with the essence of existence. Authenticity and true meaning come into focus when you realize that your purpose is intertwined with the universal fabric of life and its inherent wholeness.

Following the estrangement from nature, humanity faces the formidable task of recognizing this avenue of reconnection through an experiential spirituality that transcends the confines of religious dogma, belief systems, and political or ideological barriers.

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.

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by | October 10, 2023 · 7:02 am

Is there a God?

When confronted with the question of belief in God, many people respond with discomfort, embarrassment, or confusion. The term “God” has become so heavily laden with emotions and misconceptions that even those who identify as “spiritual” or “religious” shy away from openly discussing the concept.

Navigating an authentic discussion about God, spirituality, and beliefs has become especially challenging in a world that is progressively secularized, marked by feelings of isolation, and a sense of disconnection.

As a child, I had a fixed image of “God”. I was told he was the father residing in heaven and imagined him to be an old man with a long flowing beard, like the Gandalf character in “Lord of the Rings”. Some churches and medieval paintings portray him as a stern figure in the sky who punished bad behavior.

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Why does God allow evil and suffering?

Atheists therefore gain much traction when they deny the existence of a “God” based on empirical evidence and science. They would also argue that if there is a Creator, or an all-powerful, all-knowing “God,” why does he allow wars, natural calamities, and all the cruelties that humans commit on fellow humans?

“The world has gone crazy,” a man in my local post office lamented recently. He was having a bad day with “crazy” customers but he was not entirely wrong. Much of the dysfunctional and crazy behavior we observe on a daily basis can be attributed to a separation from the inner core or what the mysticists would call the “inner spark” where the soul resides.

In our modern world humanity has become alienated from the natural world. All things are seen predominantly through commercial eyes where nature is exploited, destroyed, and harvested. It is far removed from the animism belief structure of the ancient peoples who believed that everything in nature, including plants, animals, rocks, rivers, and other natural phenomena, possessed a spiritual essence or soul.

“God”, or the universal intelligence, the higher deity, expresses herself/himself in everything that we see around us. The Franciscan friar and author Richard Rohr defines God as a universal presence that permeates all things.

In experiential spirituality “God” can be directly experienced through contemplative practice and inner transformation by emphasizing love, compassion, and the interconnectedness of all life. The experience is beyond externally imposed conceptual thinking that tells the individual what to believe, and how to behave.

Meister Eckart, the 13th-century Dominican monk, and Mystic, spoke of the “inner spark” or the direct experience of God’s presence within the human soul.

Ultimately, the term “God” arises from humanity’s inherent desire to rationalize and conceptualize the ineffable, a concept that mystics assert is beyond the realms of both conceptualization and rational thought.

A deep personal spiritual experience defies linguistic expression, transcending the limitations of words and explanation. It is what Albert Einstein essentially defined as the “cosmic religion” of the future.

We have been given the power of choice

In some religions, evil is seen as part of the dualistic existence. Man has been given the power of free choice and the two opposing forces of good and evil are in constant struggle. Evil behavior can generally be described as actions with conscious intent to cause harm, destruction, and suffering to others. Murder, torture, genocide, and extreme forms of violence are universally condemned by most cultures and belief systems.

Evil occurs where there is complete separation from the “inner spark” or from the interconnected matrix of divine purpose. The presence of evil, according to some religions, also provides an opportunity for a greater purpose, such as the development of virtues such as love, courage, compassion, and resilience.

We are imperfect beings. In the acceptance and understanding of that dark side within, our inconsistencies, our shame, and failings we become empowered to make a shift in consciousness by choosing the light.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.

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by | September 19, 2023 · 5:30 am

Surrendering to humility

Walking the Camino pilgrimage route in northwestern Spain is an analogy of life and a fast-track course in self-development and soul elevation. It is why many people who start this 800-kilometer walk as a sporting endeavor end it as a pilgrim.

A fellow pilgrim once said to me: „If you don‘t walk this path with humility, it will force you to become humble.“ It is a mantra that has remained etched in my mind as one of the many life lessons learned on the Camino.

Life gets in the way of a plan

Life inevitably gets in the way of a meticulous plan or agenda. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a financial plan or pension savings scheme. You should simply be aware that even the best of plans can be scuttled by external events out of your control. You should therefore be prepared all the time to adapt, amend, and surrender to the flow of change.

On the journey of the soul, the pursuit of knowledge is an endless path of discovery. However, within various religious communities, there exists a phenomenon often referred to as the “spiritual ego.” This tendency can manifest as individuals within a group belittling those outside their faith or belief system, portraying them as less enlightened or unaware of profound truths, while they remain blind to their own hypocrisy and failings.

The universe has its own sense of humor in bringing us back to humility if we denigrate others with our inflated pride. 

The Ego-Throne

The Achilles heel of the high achievers who have phenomenal success and then come crashing down is the illusion they created it all by themselves while seated on the golden throne. Their decisions are always infallible. Criticism by underlings is seen as disloyalty so they are eventually surrounded by sycophants and boot lickers.

History is full of examples of captains of industry, emperors, presidents, and superstars who lost everything because they withdrew into a cocoon far removed from the real world and the lives of ordinary people.

The challenges of good leadership

Aware of the temptations of power, the Stoic Roman philosopher emperor Marcus Aurelius (161 to 180 AD) had a servant follow him through the streets of Rome whispering in his ear: “You’re just a man… just a man,” to keep him humble. He is remembered to this day as one of the “Five Good Emperors” of the Roman Empire. His “Meditations” continue to be studied and revered for their insights into Stoic philosophy and the challenges of leadership.

During my more than a dozen walks on the Camino I’ve met some extremely wealthy people walking the path with a simple backpack and sleeping by choice on a bunk bed in a pilgrims hostel rather than spending the night in a luxury hotel. 

It was an eye-opener to hear their stories of how they had transitioned from grief, financial ruin, and other obstacles that life had thrown at them. They all shared the same traits: Kindness, humility, and wisdom embedded in the knowledge that nothing can be taken for granted. The most precious things in life are free, and happiness can be found in the smallest of things. 

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.

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by | July 11, 2023 · 5:31 am

Defining your authentic purpose

“Each of us is an artist of our days; the greater our integrity and awareness, the more original and creative our time will become.” – John O’Donohue

Being successful and living a purposeful life is not the same thing. Success is often counted in the external trappings of wealth, fame, and youth but you could still miss the mark of what you were destined to become when you were born.

The disconnect between external and internal needs will inevitably trigger a pain often drowned in the addiction to short-lived gratifications and distractions. This is why taking time to reflect, digest, and reassess personal values and needs is so important.

Humanity is collectively transitioning to higher consciousness

The meaning of life and purpose differs for every individual but at the same time, humanity is collectively transitioning to an ever-changing evolution of consciousness. The global crisis situations we are experiencing at the moment are the very nature of the transition between the old and the new.

Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl describes the journey of creating and doing, experiencing and encountering, and cultivating a different perspective on pain and suffering. 

For eons, the largest part of humanity has essentially struggled to provide basic needs such as food, shelter, and reproduction. Our ability to walk on two legs and use our hands to shape, mold, and exploit our environment has honed exceptional survival skills, even in the harshest environments.

As social beings, humans have in communities, villages, and cities made major technological advances through division of labor. Individuals were able to specialize in skills such as carpentry, clothing manufacturing, or food production while others could spend their time studying or working on new inventions.

Moving from a culture of exploitation to one of restoration and sustainability

The downside is that we have become so successful that we are threatening the foundations not only of our own future but of most other species on Earth. Since the incremental industrialization of the 19th century natural resources have been extracted, exploited, and destroyed. The burning of fossil fuels is the foundation of our transportation and manufacturing industries but it has heated the atmosphere to such an extent that if nothing is done, life on earth will become uninhabitable for humans.

We should not be nostalgic about outmoded structures and institutions but work on new initiatives which reconnect us in search of common goals and help restore the natural balance of nature.

There is no silver arrow in finding a life of meaning and purpose. One stage of life often is a training ground for the next stage. The skillset acquired in one discipline serves another but in a different way. Growth and meaning are found where we perceive the flow of where we can engage actively with our unique abilities and creativity.

The pain and trauma of the past can either be a burden pulling you back or it was that “walk over the hot coals” that instilled the burning desire, providing the fuel that catapulted you forward into a new future.

In a spiritual context, we as individuals have been bestowed with Grace by a divine entity. We have been given unique individual talents and were born into circumstances that have put us on the trajectory of becoming who we really are.

The soul path is always edging toward fulfillment but often this path is clouded, confused, and distracted. Yet in those most extreme moments of pain and joy, there is alignment with soul purpose. You become aware that the universe is minding your back and that you are being guided into your authenticity.

Life is a constant process of learning, adapting, realigning, and ultimately growing as spiritual beings in human form. While deep walking through life, the soul is harvesting from all of life’s experiences and becoming whole.

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

P.S. In my new book “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living” I go into more detail on this topic. It is available on Amazon and where all good books are sold. You might also find my other books “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago” of interest.

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by | June 6, 2023 · 6:13 am

Nature and purposeful living

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. Time is a game played beautifully by children.”—Heraclitus.

The seasons of life are in a constant state of expansion and contraction. Like the systolic and diastolic beating of a heart, we cannot escape the impermanence of life. During spring there is birth, growth in the summer, harvest in fall, and withdrawal in winter.

The notion that we are an integral part of nature and its natural laws was never questioned by the hunter and gatherer societies, and even so-called “primitive” societies today.

The ancient Chinese teaching of the Five Elements is very much about yielding to and synchronizing with the natural cycle of the seasons. The tenets of this philosophy is rooted in Taoist philosophy, dating back thousands of years when humanity did not see the world around us as a separate entity.

Timing with nature’s seasonal cycles

Great respect was given to the timing and expressed in elaborate ritual. There was a time to plant, a time to harvest, and a time to rest. This is still applicable today even though the necessity is clouded by the demands of modern life and its luring distractions.

Modern man has severed his ties to the natural order of things in his mad striving for material wealth and prosperity. Cut off from his spiritual roots and the natural order of things, he is filled with a deep sense of loneliness and fear, which seeks compensation for that void in boundless greed and substance abuse.

We know from numerous neurological studies that the sounds of nature, green meadows, and trees, or the gentle sound of waves breaking on the shore calm the mind.

The permanent hum of traffic noise in cities and crowded living conditions in the concrete jungles of an urban environment is alien to the human condition.

So what has led us to today’s disconnect? Paradoxically, religion, which is meant to align us with God or the universal intelligence has been abused in large parts by the institutions.

The Role of concept-based religion

A misunderstood Christianity has played a huge role in the estrangement of man from the natural world. The mystical part of Christianity was exorcised in the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. Roman Emperor Constantine I presided over the Council which defined the Christian belief and doctrine. While the mystical part of early Christianity left much room for individual spiritual experience, the doctrine clearly defined what had to be believed and what religious rules had to be followed. One of the consequences is that for centuries Christianity has had a false understanding of man’s role in nature based on the misinterpretation of the Old Testament in Genesis 1:28, in which man is given the cultural mandate to subdue and rule over the earth.

As in ancient Chinese philosophy, the old Greek, Egyptian, and Roman worlds, applied nature’s golden rule in the arts, architecture, and many other endeavors, striving to create synchronicity with nature.

On a collective level, we have to face the question of whether we have enough time to transform a system based on greed and exploitation, where only a small minority reap the rewards, into a value-based restorative nature-based system that serves the betterment of all living beings.

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

One more thing...This article is an extract from my new book “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living”. You can preorder a Kindle edition on Amazon. Both Kindle and Paperback versions will be available in July 2023.

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by | May 30, 2023 · 5:42 am

The biggest threat to humanity is not what you think

In terms of the public narrative humanity is very much threatened by external threats such as the environmental crisis and a potential nuclear war, failing to pinpoint the major underlying cause why the vast number of human beings appear to be unaware and unable to solve the problems threatening our species.

Stress lies at the core of many relationship breakdowns, health problems, financial woes, and preoccupation with drama. The weight of past and current emotional stress is preventing millions of people from living their full potential and elevating human consciousness to another level.

Grievance culture spread by mass media is amplifying the twin shadows of anger and melancholy sadness. A person under mental and physical stress with emotions running out of control has literally lost his mind. This is what happens:

The oldest part of the brain the Amygdala, also known as the reptilian brain, is responsible for the fight or flight response that is triggered immediately when we are under duress. We feel increased anxiety, fear, or anger. Impulse control or rational thinking that we find in the prefrontal cortex of the brain is shut down.

Elevated levels of stress hormones in the body such as cortisol can further impair emotional response. Trauma from the past can be triggered by a mere thought if we have not learned how to transmute that thought.

How many adults in the world are living in the bodies of the hurt inner child?

Carl Gustav Jung, the notable Swiss psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst, often referred to these unconscious aspects of the human psyche that collectively posed the greatest threat to humanity. A repressed hurt or denied aspect of the “shadow” of the human personality could manifest in destructive behaviors on a larger scale.

A repressed feeling or hurt can be a boiling cauldron just waiting to explode as we have seen and are seeing in many tyrants and authoritarian rulers.

Many historians believe that the roots of Adolf Hitler’s cruelty were buried in his childhood. An abusive father and several other personal humiliations following Germany’s defeat in World War I may have contributed to Hitler’s deep-seated anger, resentment, and desire for power and control.

But while some abused children end up being angry and resentful adults others manage to transmute such trauma into something positive. A mind at peace has learned to reconcile itself with the past.

How do you create peace of mind?

It is still somewhat of a mystery why some people learn and grow from adversity while others succumb to the blame game and stay stuck in the quagmire of grievance culture.

One of the key factors appears to be the capacity of self-reflection and willingness to engage in personal growth. Persons willing to examine their thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors gain valuable insights into their patterns and make necessary changes. It involves the humility of taking responsibility for one’s actions, and actively seeking out personal development resources, such as therapy, counseling or mentoring.

You are never done in the self-healing and self-development process. The higher you develop your spiritual consciousness and leadership skills, the higher will be your challenges but also your opportunity for further growth. Zen masters encourage practitioners to embrace adversity as an essential part of life’s journey. They teach that difficult circumstances provide opportunities for growth, self-discovery, and spiritual development. Adversity can be a catalyst to dig deep into inner resources and wisdom.

Take a walk in nature

Some of the world’s greatest writers, philosophers, and musicians spent alone time walking in nature to realign and stimulate their creativity. Meanwhile, several studies conclude that natural sounds such as the flowing waters of a creek, bird song, and the blue and green spaces significantly help reduce stress hormones in the body, lowers blood pressure, and improve heart variability.

The mere act of walking can release endorphins, reduce stress, and improve your mood, which can, in turn, enhance cognitive function and creative thinking. By stepping away from the distractions and demands of daily life, you can enjoy a sense of freedom and foster a deeper connection to the higher self.

Henry David Thoreau, the renowned American writer, philosopher, and naturalist said: “In wildness is the preservation of the world. Every tree sends its fibers forth in search of the wild. The cities import it at any price. Men plow and sail for it. From the forest and wilderness come the tonics and barks which brace mankind.”

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

One more thing...If you have found this article interesting you might want to subscribe with the “follow” button above or recommend my FREE weekly Blog to friends and family. My books can be ordered at all places that sell good books in both paperback and kindle.

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by | April 17, 2023 · 6:55 am

Moving beyond religion

One of the greatest obstacles to the elevation of consciousness is a mindset cemented into the “isms” of fixed belief, ideology, religion, or philosophy. It has been the root cause of much human suffering over the centuries.

With much of traditional religions having succumbed to the practice of empty rituals, the spiritual vacuum is being filled by political preachers and ideologues fanning the flames of fanaticism.

If the shutters to the mind remain closed there is no sunlight that can penetrate the inner room. The mind is captured in the conceptual prison of a one-sided truth. All the others are wrong, belong to the wrong crowd, the wrong tribe, and the wrong race, gender, or religion. There is a disconnect with soul authenticity.

Yet, innately we are spiritual beings living in a human form.

In a famous 1959 BBC interview, Carl Gustav Jung was asked whether he believed in God. The pioneering psychiatrist and psychoanalyst responded: “I don’t need to believe, I know.”

At the time the remark caused some controversy because Jung did not subscribe to a particular religion or doctrine but viewed spirituality as a fundamental aspect of human nature that could be explored through personal experience.

In a similar vein, the great scientist Albert Einstein was skeptical of organized religion and the concept of a personal God, but had great respect nevertheless for the ethical teachings of especially Buddhism and Judaism.

In Ideas and Opinions Einstein stated, “In their struggle for the ethical good, teachers of religion must have the stature to give up the doctrine of a personal God, that is, give up that source of fear and hope which in the past placed such vast power in the hands of priests.”

The human mind is too small to grasp the universe

According to Einstein, the universe is vastly complex and the concept of “God”, as explained by religion, far too simplistic.

“The human mind, no matter how highly trained, cannot grasp the universe. We are in the position of a little child, entering a huge library whose walls are covered to the ceiling with books in many different tongues. The child knows that someone must have written those books. It does not know who or how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written.

“The child notes a definite plan in the arrangement of the books, a mysterious order, which it does not comprehend, but only dimly suspects. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of the human mind, even the greatest and most cultured, toward God. We see a universe marvelously arranged, obeying certain laws, but we understand the laws only dimly. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that sways the constellations.”

Einstein was convinced that everything was determined by forces over which we have no control, all of creation from the insect, to the human being and the stars dancing “to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.”

Religion has for eons imposed it’s view of God and creation on humanity, most often using it as an instrument of control and manipulation. Those who did not conform to conventional doctrine and dogma were at times and still today in some countries are brutally persecuted.

A unifying force permeating creation

Many of the Mystic teachers tend to avoid using the term “God” because of the many misunderstandings this has caused.

Instead of a judgmental deity, they rather speak of a unifying force that permeates all of creation. Rather than believing in dogma or theology imposed externally by a religion they believe that “God” can be experienced through contemplative practices such as meditation, prayer, and mindfulness practices such as deep encounters with nature, art, and music.

Einstein’s hope was that the “religion” of the future would be “a cosmic religion” liberated from dogma and theology.

“Everything is energy and that is all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.”

The parallels between the thinking of physicists such as Einstein and the Mystics of the early Middle Ages is profound.

The 13th-century Mystic Meister Eckart believed that God was beyond all form and creation and that the ultimate goal of the spiritual path was to transcend the limitations of the physical world and attain union with the divine. God was present in all things, and everything in creation was a reflection of the divine, the physical world an expression of the spiritual realm.

To put it simply creation is constantly changing form in an endless cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. Our purpose in life is to grow and evolve into ever higher consciousness.

The spiritual teacher and author Richard Rohr emphasizes the importance of recognizing the divine in all people, regardless of their background or beliefs. He believes that love and compassion are the most important aspects of spirituality and that they should be expressed through service to others and a commitment to social justice.

The Irish, poet, philosopher, and priest John O’Donohue describes the beautiful complexity of growth in consciousness within the human soul:

“It is helpful to visualize the mind as a tower of windows. Sadly, many people remain trapped at the one window, looking out every day at the same scene in the same way. Real growth is experienced when we draw back from that one window, turn, and walk around the inner tower of the soul and see all the different windows that await your gaze. Through these different windows, you can see new vistas of possibility, presence, and creativity. Complacency, habit, and blindness often prevent you from feeling your life.”

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

One more thing...If you have found this article interesting you might want to subscribe with the “follow” button above or recommend my FREE weekly Blog to friends and family. My books can be ordered at all places that sell good books in both paperback and kindle.

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by | February 21, 2023 · 2:20 pm

Realigning with the heavenly ladder

The sages of old teach that every individual latently can achieve the heights of mental and spiritual capacity but that most people impose limitations upon themselves that prevent them from living their full potential.

Last week I visited the northwestern German town of Münster, famous for the Peace of Westphalia treaty of 1648 ending the 30-year war. It closed a terrible chapter in European history of warfare between not only nations but between Protestants and Catholics, claiming the lives of about eight million people.

The artist Billi Tanner aptly chose the Lamberti Church in the center of the city to install a golden-lit “heavenly ladder” extending from within the church to the spire on the exterior.

She says about her work: “During these times the heavenly ladder (from Jacob‘s dream in Genesis 28,12) stands primarily for the three divine values hope, faith, and love. If all people were to live by that wouldn‘t that be wonderful? “ The biblical story tells us that while fleeing from his brother Esau, Jacob saw in a dream Jacob a ladder, or staircase, reaching into heaven with angels going up and down it.

The heavenly ladder has become a powerful symbol connecting the heavenly realm with our earth-bound purpose. It can be interpreted as the step-by-step ascent to spiritual growth in becoming who you were meant to become from the day you were born but also as a symbol of the descent from heaven of angels who guide us on this path.

A firm base as a precondition to higher experience

The steps on the ladder are passages of initiation as we progress and grow through life. Alignment with both heaven and earth, our mental and physical capabilities is essential. If you learn to understand yourself you can basically accomplish everything.

A ladder not rooted to earth will fall, meaning that you need first and foremost to have a firm foundation as a precondition to higher experience. The Jewish Mystics were very aware of this, teaching their scholars to master a basic trade to earn a living. Work was seen as an important tool of training for higher consciousness. Taking a proper attitude to whatever we are practicing as a craft was seen as decisive in training inner traits such as clarity of thought, reliability, and self-discipline. Earning a livelihood was seen as central to finding a divine purpose.

While the base of the ladder was firmly grounded the pinnacle of the ladder stretched all the way to heaven and paradise. But action is necessary by taking each step up the rung. Symbolically all that you experience in life is a school for the elevation of consciousness and the precondition to taking the next step. You have to go through a new period of apprenticeship each time.

The ascent up the ladder is ultimately an ascent to another dimension as we walk through the path of life. We are called upon to climb the celestial ladder with growing awareness, and not to be pulled downward by the forces of distraction. What we are experiencing on an individual level is also experienced by humanity on a collective level. During these times of renewed talk of war and confrontation between nations, we should never lose our capacity for faith, hope, and love.

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

One more thing...If you have found this article interesting you might want to subscribe with the “follow” button above or recommend my FREE weekly Blog to friends and family. My books can be ordered at all places that sell good books in both paperback and kindle.

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by | January 10, 2023 · 12:41 pm

The power of self-love

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.”

Richard P. Feynman

The need for self-love as the precondition to giving love is a key to many spiritual teachings. At the heart of much self-destructive behavior, and the addiction problems we see in the world today are the rejection and contempt of self.

You cannot love and accept yourself without unconditionally accepting the shadows within. You have to learn to accept that you are an incomplete human being.


The hypocrisy that often underlies institutionalized religion stems from the notion that those who don’t believe and behave the same way that we do are in some way inferior and lesser human beings. When you are in denial of your own inadequacies and weaknesses you will see them more pronounced in others.

The beginning of forgiveness


The beginning of forgiveness begins with the forgiving of self. The seeds of inadequacy and lack of self-esteem are planted early in life by social norms or misguided parental pressure.


Failure and missteps are part of the human condition. As the sages and Mystics teach us: They are the stepping stones to self-awareness and self-love. By learning to forgive yourself you can accept and learn to forgive others.

The scriptures teach us that “If you forgive others their sins, they are indeed forgiven. If you withhold forgiveness from one another, they are held bound.” (John 20:23).

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The more addicted we become to a preferred self-image the more judgemental we become. But it is precisely the relationship difficulties, conflict situations, failures, and disappointments of life that mirror the shadow aspects within. These are the aspects in need of acceptance or transformation that help elevate you to a higher vibrational energy, your inner power, and strength.

Surrendering to life


Surrendering to life is complete surrender to that which is greater than any image of self and the essence of what is the vulnerability of body, mind, and soul. It is what Paula D’Arcy describes as “God comes to us disguised as our life.”


As the spiritual teacher, priest, and author Richard Rohr explains: “Surrender is not giving up, as we tend to think, nearly as much as it is a giving to the moment, the event, the person, and the situation.”

Life happens. You cannot change what has happened in the past. Taking a different perspective can transmute feelings of pain and guilt. A personal mantra of forgiveness could be:

“I release at this moment the attachment to the pain and the melancholy sadness to that which was and is no more. I love and accept myself the way I am. I love and accept my true soul nature. I am in loving care and kindness to myself and others.“

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

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by | May 30, 2022 · 4:45 pm

Improve your life with this daily habit

What the ancient spiritual teachers and sages knew all along is being confirmed by modern research. Meditation and mindfulness training has a major positive impact on brain health in helping to lower stress hormones and reducing fear and anxiety.

Tragic events in the external world are magnified by mass media which in turn amplifies a general atmosphere of fear and anxiety. We can easily have the feeling that we are losing control. Whole societies and nations can fall into fear and flight mode.

In contrast, a calm mind remains focused, putting events into realistic perspective. It is solution orientated rather than being tugged into all directions by the emotions of fear, hate, and anxiety.

Harvard researcher Gaelle Desbordes has performed functional magnetic resonance imaging scans on persons before and after an eight-week course in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

Desbordes’ interest in the topic stems from her personal experience when she began meditating in seeking respite from stress. Her experience convinced her that something real was happening and prompted her to study the subject more closely, in the hope of shedding enough light to underpin therapy that might help others.

Other researchers, including Sara Lazar, in 2012 used MRI to show that the brains of subjects thickened after an eight-week meditation course.

Especially those meditation techniques incorporating breathing, prayer and the humming of mantras measurably reduce stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.

I interviewed for my Podcast Kara Goodwin, who has made the transition from the stressful corporate IT world, into becoming a meditation teacher. She says that we cannot hope to find solutions to the problems in the external world if we don’t do the work within at the same time.

You can check out her work and courses at http://www.karagoodwin.com

Buddhist teacher Thich Nath Hanh said: “Meditation is not evasion. It is serene encounter with reality.”

And, according to Amit Ray: “Suffering is due to our disconnection with the inner soul. Meditation is establishing that connection.”

Every person obviously has different needs and expectations from practicing meditation. Mostly people starting off with the practice give-up in frustration because their expectations are too high.

We can do the traditional sitting meditation, slow movement meditation in yoga and qi gong or deep walking in nature. However, the big changes don’t come overnight, It’s the small little steps practiced as a daily habit that have the compound effect that brings the change long-term.

Jim Rohn once said: “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.”

Check out also the following Podcasts on the power of meditation:

Kara Goodwin: Healing the inner and outer world

Cassandra Bodzak: Designing your life with meditation

Breathing into health and wellbeing

Power meditating into your day with this guided meditation

Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker

One more thing...If you have found this article interesting you might want to subscribe or recommend my FREE weekly Blog to friends and family. My books can be ordered at all places that sell good books in both paperback and kindle.

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