Connecting to the Knowing Within: An Interview with Sonal Kalra
Sunrise in Naital, India
We asked WITHIN teacher Sonal Kalra to share how she began meditating, and what she’s learned during her years of practice. Here’s what she told us.
Q: How did you get started with meditation?
A: I was introduced to meditation by my family guru at the age of 9 years, while growing up in India, through mantra meditation that I was initiated into. Along with the mantra, I was also given a mala (strand of beads). The mala helped me in my meditation. Over the years, my meditation journey has been enriched by many teachers and meditation approaches/lineages/teachings. I feel that every meditation approach has value in connecting to the insight within, depending on the resonance one feels with it.
Q: What led you to begin teaching meditation?
A: When I started leading corporate training workshops on skills like stress management, leadership development, time management, teamwork, communication skills, project management, induction programs etc., a teacher whose opinion I respected a lot advised me to add a spiritual element in the training workshops. Spirituality to me means connecting with oneself.
I decided to add meditation, an easy and effective way to connect and align with oneself. As I did so, I saw for myself that the workshops became fuller and richer. It was like there was a different place from where the participants were showing up in the workshop. They were more present, more alive, more connected to the clarity within, which benefited the workshop learnings so much more.
The workshops were a win-win situation for each one of us, including the organization. Everyone gained from this place of strength through meditation.
My own meditation practice had shown me the benefits of meditation. After coming to know the value others got from it in the training workshops, I decided to make it part of my offerings - the training programs, my life coaching process as well as offer meditation sessions.
Q: What would you suggest to someone who is just getting started with meditation?
A: I would suggest being kind and gentle with oneself. One beautiful aspect about meditation is that it is never hurried or rushed. I find meditation extremely self-empowering as it honors the unique and beautiful journey that each practitioner has and as per one’s unique and beautiful path of least resistance enables the connection to the insight within, the clarity within. This happens at each stage of one’s journey, whether one is beginning meditation or at an intermediate stage or advanced.
There is always more to allow, more to grow into, more beyond where one is. The journey is eternal and therefore, when the journey is eternal, the suggestion is to kind and gentle with oneself, as there is always going to be more.
The only effort I would suggest in this journey would be in the beginning. It’s just like learning a new skill or a new computer program, or learning to fly a kite. In the beginning, it may seem like an effort but once the kite catches the draft of the wind, it can fly easily on its own. The easier it gets, the easier it gets.
As you begin meditation, the effort that I would suggest would to take out some time every day for it. You could start with small steps. Initially, you could meditate for five to ten minutes every day and increase the duration of the session, as per your desire and readiness. Every time you meditate, it is a step forward in your meditation journey.
Consistency in your meditation practice has tremendous value, but as you begin your meditation journey and find that you have not meditated on a particular day, the suggestion is to be kind and gentle with yourself. You can always get back to meditation the next day. You never miss the bus. It’s your own unique and beautiful journey.
In addition to the meditation session, I have found including a few 1 – 2 minute mindful pauses of centering oneself by simply being quiet and focusing on the breath, and then widening your focus to where are from this place of calm awareness can help in resetting and renewing oneself during the day. Writing a list of appreciation/ gratitude journal everyday can also help in laying the foundation for one’s meditation practice.
One may also like to consider a teacher who could give more clarity about a particular technique that one feels a resonance with and wants to learn. The teacher can help with answers to one’s questions with regard to meditation, the technique that one is learning, problems and distractions while meditating and how to overcome them, etc. As one continues one’s practice consistently, one starts connecting to the internal meditation teacher, the insight within, the guidance within, the clarity within.
Q: What has been your favorite experience while on your meditation journey? Can you describe it?
A: Every experience on my meditation journey has been of value as each time I have meditated, I have allowed more and more connection to the insight within, as per my path of least resistance. If I had to choose one, I would say it is the first time I was introduced to meditation. I was initiated into meditation by my family guru at the age of 9 years. I felt very honored to be initiated into meditation. It felt very special to me. In the initiation, I was given a mantra as well as a mala (strand of beads). The mala had 108 beads and a guru bead. I was also given instructions on how to meditate. Babaji, as we called our guru, was loved for his unconditional love, compassion, tenderness, encouragement and total acceptance of all who came to meet him.
Over time, I learned a lot from all that Babaji shared, but the most important all-encompassing learning was through his vibe, his presence.
Babaji’s entire being was filled with unconditional love, and everyone who came to meet him basked in that peaceful loving presence. It was like being in an ocean of unconditional love.
He treated everyone with equality, and yet at the same time, had formed bonds with each person as per the person’s uniqueness which helped in each individual’s evolution and connection to the clarity within, as per one’s unique path of least resistance. Though he was well-versed in the scriptures, he didn’t teach them all the time. In fact, a lot of times, he would be silent and people would still come to meet him because even in his silence, we could all feel the loving, peaceful, kind, compassionate, tender vibe he exuded. One felt one’s consciousness, one’s essence being touched through his vibe. It was connecting with him at the level of beingness. The flow was very subtle and yet hearts felt the vibrations.
Though I learnt many more meditation techniques including mindfulness meditation over the years, the time spent with Babaji in getting introduced to and learning meditation will always be special.
Q: What is your favorite way to incorporate mindfulness into your day?
A: There are many ways in which I incorporate mindfulness into my day, but the one which has laid the foundation for all the deliberate/conscious ways I feel inspired to in order to nurture mindfulness in my life as well as for all the spontaneous/automatic/unplanned ways in which mindfulness effortlessly weaves itself into my day is my twice-a-day meditation.
It’s more of a practice than a technique as such, but since it played an important role in the evolution of my meditation practice and of my journey, I would like to mention it here – the practice of self-enquiry or asking “who am I?”, both during my meditation as well as during the day. The impulse for the practice of self-enquiry (also called by some the WHO AM I method) evolved on its own as my meditation practice deepened and helped in further deepening of my meditation practice, which led to and continues to lead to increased effortless mindfulness, predominantly and consistently.
Q: What do you love about teaching at WITHIN, specifically?
A: I deeply appreciate the warm, welcoming and accepting space which WITHIN provides for everyone to connect with the unique and magnificent beings they are, through meditation.
I love the moments which allow me to connect with everyone in the class, whether it be in the shared time and space during meditation or in the interactions in class.
I also love when someone says that they are looking forward to coming back to attend the next class, as that is an indicator of the connection they allowed during the meditation to the clarity within, to their essence, to who they are.
Q: What are you reading now that's inspiring you?
A: I am reading Dancing Light by Tao Porchon-Lynch. It’s extremely inspiring to read about Tao’s life and see her positive spirit shine through. She had experiences which were uplifting as well as experiences which were challenging, including some where she risked her life. Through it all, it’s so admirable to see how she kept herself connected to the knowing within which was the backbone, the foundation of her spirit, her strength, her positive energy in life. Through the adventures and opportunities, her life is an inspiring example of how we all have the access to the knowing, the clarity, the insight within and can connect to it whenever we want to.
Q: Who has influenced you on your spiritual journey?
A: I would like to express my deep appreciation for all the teachers and approaches/traditions/ philosophies that facilitated the connection to the clarity within at various points in my journey - my guru who initiated me into meditation, western psychology through my undergraduate and postgraduate education, Theravada Buddhism, Bhante Gunaratna, Pema Chodron, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzburg, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Advaita Vedanta, Ramana Maharishi, Swami Vivekananda, Paramahansa Yogananda, Deepak Chopra, Brahma Kumaris, Louise Hay, Abraham-Hicks, Dr Joe Dispensa, Dr Bruce Lipton among others.
I also extremely thankful to each and every person in my journey, as either they have helped me allow more joy and peace or helped inspire a desire within me for more joy and peace - all leading to my growth and expansion. My growth, expansion and evolution continue.
As Abraham-Hicks say - “even for people who feel ecstasy on a rather regular basis, there is more.” For each one of us, the journey is eternal and with meditation and mindfulness, I have had a great time connecting to the insights within and am looking forward to continue connecting more and more to the knowing, the clarity within, to aligning with the essence within, to who we truly are.
You can join Sonal for an online meditation class at WITHIN this week - sign up here!