The life pulse

By Nathalie Khalaf,
Holistic Counsellor

“The life pulse consists of three cosmic principles: expansion, contraction and stasis. These principles exist everywhere, in the entire universe. We notice it on a Divine Cosmic Level, on a soul level, on a physical level and psychological level.”

Something to experience

It had been a while that things didn’t seem the same to me. I noticed a drastic change about a year ago and have since known deep in my gut that it was something I had to simply “go through” something I had to experience no matter how disturbing, uncomfortable and hopeless it seemed.

I knew that it was something nobody else would have an answer nor a solution to. I also knew that nothing was going to make it “hurry up or disappear” until it was time for things to change on their own.

Nothing to change

Of course, and through despair, I did reach out to a few peers as I found myself gasping for any insight which would help me breathe easier through my despair. They all pointed out to the same insight; there was nothing to change, but that it was simply a phase I had to “breathe through” and wait until change occurred.

A wake-up call

All this now reminds me of the “Pulse of life” work during my five years of Holistic Studies. We are all good at going through those phases of activity in our lives, when our time and days are filled with “the doing in life” and we don’t give ourselves the time to stop and think about where we are headed or what we are doing — so, life does that on our behalf.

We may suddenly be faced with that “down time” when things just stop, and we must stop with them. Many people panic because our sense of self is, unfortunately, very much attached to what we do and we forget to be. I’ve had one of those experiences lately and with that inner voice — that inner knowing, came a realisation that things had to stop for them to change before I could move forward and upward in my life.

The loss of self

Of course it feels uncomfortable. We may feel lost, despair, hopeless and we may go through a phase of feeling depression. We may feel a complete loss of self; who am I if not what I do? Why do I exist? What is the purpose of it all? This is the “Pulse of life”, simply carrying on and carrying us along. Perhaps the easiest example I can use to explain the “Pulse of life” is when it takes place on the physical level, which is through the pulsation of our hearts, the blood stream and our lungs as a few examples.

A moment of nothingness Expanding means letting the life force flow out into the world, but for that to happen, its opposite must also exist, and that is when contraction takes place. We expand and take oxygen in, then we contract and let carbon dioxide out.

Then there is that moment of complete nothingness.

Stasis is peace, quiet, a mini death so to speak, as our body absorbs, learns, understands, accepts and simulates what has just happened. And that can be translated onto the larger “Pulse of life” on a psychological and spiritual level.

Acceptance

Our spiritual life pulse could be our expansion when we send our energy, love and teachings out into the world.

Then an equal force and time of contracting needs to take place for us to go within, deeper each time, as we gather what we take in from the outside world, our learnings and experiences. Then comes that moment of stasis or complete stillness when everything is taken in, assimilated, accepted and understood. And the cycle starts again, and life goes out further and further each time.

The beauty of life

As I read about the “Pulse of life” repeatedly, I receive a deeper understanding of what it means and what is happening in my life at each stage. There is nothing I can do about it but accept and surrender. Once I do accept and surrender, I feel the larger wisdom of life manifesting in its perfection, in everything around me and in each moment.

This realisation has taken place in my own personal life on many occasions. It humbles me and teaches me every time to kneel down and accept the beauty of life on a deeper level. Once we let go of our illusion of control, things unfold and manifest the way they should.

Everything moves again, expands and blossoms and so do we.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine