Seeking Spiritual Awakening and Enlightenment
All my life, I struggled to find the love and acceptance that I thought would bring me peace. I tried so hard to do good and right. I thought “if only this” then everything would be all right. I had a relatively privileged upbringing, a good career and many friends, but I never felt comfortable in my own skin.
At the age of 27 I packed it all in and headed overseas with the desire to find out who I was, without all the labels and expectations of my current life. I ended up in a holiday resort community where people were seeking awakening and enlightenment. The stories of love and freedom inspired me and I began to be exposed to the teachings of various awakened, enlightenment teachers including Nisargardatta Maharaj, Ramana Maharshi, Byron Katie, Ekchart Tolle, Papaji, and Gangaji. I struggled to truly grasp what they were pointing to however, and found myself deepening into frustration and depression.
I eventually returned to New Zealand and my family to get emotional support through the rollercoaster ride I had thrown myself onto. I knew that I had to find an authentic spiritual teacher who could clarify the teaching for me and lead me to this place of love and freedom that eluded me and that I so desperately desired.
Finding Elysha
That year, I came across Elysha’s website and ordered his books and meditation CD’s. Whilst I avoided doing the meditations, I read the book Uncover Your Heart in Motion with relish. For the first time, I felt I could see what was being pointed to and that I could be drawn into the heart.
I was planning a trip and included visiting Elysha in my schedule. Upon meeting Elysha I was immediately attracted to his teaching through the clarity and passion that he shared. I knew I had found somebody who could draw me into my true nature and help me find the love and freedom I was after. I abandoned all my plans to travel and instead settled down with him and his partner Julie Sarah Powell.
The next few months I experienced highs and lows as I struggled to interpret and practice his simple teaching. I had moments of deep insight and freedom, coupled with doubt, frustration, and mental pain. However, through this I trusted that it was my own inability to see that had created the blocks, rather than any lacking in the teaching.
True Nature Centre Community
Eventually the offer arose to move somewhere where all the people in the group could live together in a community to sit and practice full-time. We made the move to a small town called Patea (in the north island of New Zealand) and began an intensification of practice. The move of living together brought much joy and support as we all tried our best to live the heart, as we understood it. Along with this there were naturally also many times of difficulty and discomfort as the individual personalities played themselves out. Without the glue of Elysha and the practice he taught, we probably would have all run a mile.
Over time, through our continued efforts to live our true nature, things changed. Without having to focus effort on changing individual aspects of behaviour, we could see the “rough edges” falling away in ourselves and others. Everyone became gentler with themselves and each other. More consideration arose in our daily interactions and a peace arose in our households. Little by little the chunks of armour began to fall away.
Throughout this time, with sitting full-time and implementing the practice of focusing attention on our true nature, I would find moments of peace and love arising naturally in me. I found that I could let go more and more of life’s niggles and find contentment with the way things are.
Enlightenment Explosion
Contrary to what people think about enlightenment, there has been no “explosion” of enlightenment. However, there has been a gentle deepening in my understanding of my true nature. The ability to realign my attention to this has freed me from many of the binds of the personality, even whilst they are arising.
Elysha’s dedication and commitment to freeing each and every one of us up from our own binds has been one of life’s great blessings for all of us. He never wavered from his message, giving us the background from whence to begin our own individual journey to truth.
No more evident of the power of Elysha’s simple message was witnessing his partner Julie not only awake to her true nature, but transcend all of the binds of the mind and personality, which culminated in the ultimate falling away of her ‘self’, to no-self.
At this point, Julie’s clarity surpassed Elysha’s and she took on the teaching role. However, the message was essentially the same with only a few simplifications in the method: To find the love and freedom that is yours naturally, you have to focus and align your attention to your true nature. Nothing else is needed or required. The only thing that is ever in the way of you living your true nature is your lack of attention and willingness to let go and realign to your true nature.
Such a Clear Message
Through the clarity, power, and simplicity of their message, it is inevitable that you will remember your true nature, as I and the others around me have. What has become most apparent is that this truth is always here and available to me, and all it takes is the switch of my focus of attention from the mind to my true nature. The only thing that ever holds me stuck in anything is my own unwillingness to let it go. I have discovered that I am ultimately responsible for everything in my life. There is not a single thing that anyone can do to me that I have not already done to myself.
Knowing your own responsibility for life is truly finding freedom. With this comes the freedom to fall deeply into your true nature at any time, and the freedom to indulge in and suffer the creation of your own making via your mind (of course, until you have had enough and you snap out of it). The deep contentment I have found surpasses any individual aspect of arising experience that I think may bring me pleasure.
On reflection I can see how far my participation and enjoyment of life as it is, has come. I no longer dig endless holes of self hate, doubt, and depression for myself. Life has become more and more an expression of love and joy, arising naturally from my heart.
The Greatest Blessing of All
All that has changed is the greatest blessing that anyone could have bestowed on me, and yet, thanks to the loving power of Elysha and Julie, I have done it all myself. Elysha and Julie clearly and succinctly point the way. Once they have pointed, it is totally up to you to put what they teach into practice. There is no magic in the practice, which is a simple focusing of attention, and yet it appears as if changes have occurred magically.
I wholeheartedly thank Elysha and Julie for their commitment to pointing to your true nature. Without this clarity, and a practice of something that you can do immediately, all the lovely words about enlightenment are worthless.
I can only recommend with the highest urgency, that if you are serious about freeing up and finding your true nature, that you expose yourself to their teaching. You are not going to get anything from it; they cannot bestow what is your responsibility to find and align to. However, their pointing is the clearest lead you will ever get to finding your true nature. And the practice they give to implement this into your daily life is the simplest and easiest instruction you will ever receive. And now it is up to you.
I encourage you to purchase one or more of their products, or attend a retreat. You will not find clearer instruction or greater support if you are willing and open to it.
Elysha and Julie, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
