What if all of our problems came down to the core feeling that we werenโt enough? This is what we explore in this episode. Our ego is here to keep us safe and protected from the world around us. But when we speak to it in a loving way, it knows we are safe without itโs walls. In this episode, I sit down with author and meditation teacher Panache to dive deep into topics such as samadhi, ego vs true self and inner peace. We also discuss the topic of cultural appropriation and his views as a Brahmin (youโll be surprised by his answer!) This is a loving, soothing episode that will fill your heart with joy. Happy listening!
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TRANSCRIPTION
Episode 307: You Are Enough with Panache Desai
By Sahara Rose
[0:11]
Namaste. Itโs Sahara Rose and welcome back to The Highest Self Podcast, a place where we discuss what makes you, your soul’s highest evolvement.
[0:19]
I am so grateful to have you all here!
If itโs your first time listening โ Welcome! My name is Sahara Rose, I am a best-selling author, host of this Podcast and an ancient soul in a modern body.
[0:30]
And every single week on this Podcast we are bringing you incredible authors and Thought Leaders to share their unique perspectives, and expertises, and offerings, especially in the field of Spirituality. And I am super-excited to introduce you to todayโs guest โ Panache Desai.
[0:51]
He is such an incredible Vedic Thought Leader and Author. He has a book called โYou Are Enoughโ as well as โDiscovering Your Soulโs Signatureโ which coincidentally enough, a couple of years ago I was in a used bookstore and I picked up โDiscovering Your Soulโs Signatureโ and here I am, a couple years later having a mutual friend with Panache and being like โWait! I know your name from somewhere! It was on that book that I was reading!โ
[1:16]
So, he is someone who is so wise especially when it comes to living in a soul-centered place, that place that is deeper between all Right and Wrong, and Good and Evil, and all of the Duality that our world has, and really connecting to that infinite part of your soulโs โ Samadhi โ the most inner, most point of peace, which heโll share in this episode.
So we speak a lot about that; how to connect to this peaceful energy that is in all of us in these really chaotic times where the world feels very overwhelming; where there are a lot of battles happening online; a lot of friendships being destroyed; and people feeling like theyโre completely on defense as well as completely confused. And it is an emotionally difficult time for many of us, but it doesnโt have to be, and that is how we could tune into that quiet whisper of our soul and connect to that deeper part of us that is unaffected by the world; the noise of the world around us, and rather persists within. And not just in this lifetime, but across all lifetimes.
[2:25]
So, in this episode we speak a lot into that, as well as a topic that is huge in our society today, which is Cultural Appropriation. I know many of you are interested and confused, and overwhelmed on this topic. And we spoke about it with Tatyana Rae from a Shamanic perspective about a month ago on the Podcast (Racial Issues From A Shamanic Perspective) so I definitely recommend listening to that too if this is a conversation that you are very interested in diving deeper into.
But I asked her about what she thinks about people doing shamanic practices, plant medicines, studying Shamanism (if they donโt come from that lineage) and she shares answer on this episode which, essentially, is the same of what Panache says, and it really comes down to respect and also us not knowing what someoneโs past life is and how many of us have had past lives in these different ancient civilizations. And the reason why they are so interesting to us today in this lifetime is because we have had past lives there.
[3:26]
So, he speaks more about this and how this was actually a personal issue for him as a Brahman (which is essentially a priest in the casts in India) and coming to seeing in America all of these people saying that theyโre yoga teachers; this; that; and not really knowing about the Vedic side of things; and how we can all actually get to appreciate this culture and do things like practice Bhakti which is the Kirtan, devotional chanting, and working with Goddess archetypes etc., even if itโs origin, human, bodysuit in this lifetime, but connect to that deeper soul part of us that resonates, but also pay honor to the traditions and learn about it from the living people that still practice it today.
So, we talk all about this, and he also actually, guided me, that you will be able to hear it, and practice this in yourself, of a practice that you can do to create a bit of awareness between who is your Ego and who is that deeper soul self.
So, he shares about how to give your Ego its own definition, its own texture, its own color, and then from that you can see what is coming from my Ego, what fears are arising because Iโm identifying with my Ego, and what is coming from my inner most self. So, youโll hear him guide me through this practice and you can do it alongside us in this episode. And he is someone who is just so beautifully filled with wisdom, and youโll be able to just feel that gracious, wise energy, old soul energy that he carries. And Iโm so honored to have him on the Podcast to share with us all.
[5:01]
So, without further ado, letโs welcome Panache to The Highest Self Podcast.
_________________________________________________________________________
[5:05] Advertisement
And before we get started, I have an announcement for you.
Are you ready to reconnect with your Joy – That vibration of living in alignment with your Heart, where you are fueled with passion to fulfill your Dharma, your Soulโs Purpose?
Well if so, I invite you to join us in Rose Gold Goddesses because this month we are diving deep into the Energy of Lemuria โ the Ancient Civilization based off of living a life of alignment of your true Joy.
In this 2 hour Workshop we dive deep into what the Lemurian frequency is all about; connecting with the Mermaid and Dolphin Energy; why we need Community more than ever; and plenty of practices, rituals, journal prompts and so much more so you can finally make 2020 the year that you feel vibrant, radiant and full of passion to actually create what you were meant to do here on this Planet and live your Truth.
Well, if this is resonating with you then come join us in Rose Gold Goddesses, youโre going to love this Lemuria Circle and the eleven other Circles we have done. You have access to all of them as soon as you join us in Rose Gold Goddesses. On top of that, youโll be able to do my Healing and Embodiment Through Dance Workshop (this is a 3.5hour workshop with spoken and actually follow along dance prompts you can do to connect to the Healing Energy of dance to embody yourself, to release trauma, and step into your most embodied authentic embodied version.
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This is all available for you in Rose Gold Goddesses, my membership community, and I am soul excited to invite you inside.
You can find more information at rosegoldgoddesses.com โ the link is in the show notes and I canโt wait to meet you.
[7:12] End of Advertisement
_________________________________________________________________________
[7:15] Interview
[7:15] Sahara:
Welcome Panache to The Highest Self Podcast, itโs so great to have you here.
[7:19] Panache:
Itโs great to be with you too, thanks for having me.
[7:21] Sahara:
So the first question Iโd love to ask you is what makes you your highest self?
[7:26] Panache:
I was born connected to my higher self. We are all connected to our highest selves, itโs just that weโre programmed and conditioned out of that conscious remembrance. And so, in terms of evolving, we are naturally remembering and returning to who we naturally are.
[7:41] Sahara:
Very beautiful! So simple!
So, you have written incredible books on helping people rediscover their highest selves; their soulโs signatures; realizing that theyโre enough. And this moment in time, 2020, is really, I donโt want to say the test, but itโs definitely bringing up a lot of our shadows that weโve swept under the surface.
So, I would love to hear your take on what is really happening for the Collective in 2020 and how itโs affecting us spiritually?
[8:09] Panache:
As Iโve experienced that, I fell like weโre, once again, being asked to embrace the totality of who we are and to give up the need to fix, heal, change and improve. And instead, embrace the totality of who we are โ the parts of us that weโve been conditioned to reject or in some way bypass. And so, as weโre in this precious pause, itโs our opportunity to begin to turn and face ourselves with the kindness, with empathy and with love. And to turning in and facing ourselves in that way, weโre going to discover that all of these things that we have been trying to avoid; or trying to be better than; or aspects of ourselves that in turn will be revealed as the Light.
And so, for me, this has been a magnificent gift because any time thereโs any kind of calamity or challenge, I immediately go into service.
You know, for me, my life really isnโt about me anymore, meaning that, on a personal level, Iโve accomplished everything that Iโve needed to on a personal level for many lifetimes. So, now itโs about how may I be of service? What are people going through? How can we be available? And so itโs been an amazing gift to show up every day to be myself and to remind everybody that Peace is always an option, that we can remain calm in the midst of whatโs unfolding. And that connection to that calm is going to allow us to consciously make choices on behalf of ourselves, our families, our businesses and our collective expression in the world.
[9:25] Sahara:
I so resonate with that. I was actually just thinking that not too long ago I was like I really feel that Iโve experienced enough. Even if the rest of my life is in quarantine, it doesnโt really matter because thereโs still so much to experience inwards. I remember I was like before โI need to travel; and my bucket list of things to do and see.โ And while thatโs great, and a part of me definitely does miss that too, itโs this broader travel; this broader exploration that happens really from stillness, and I feel like weโre really being asked to sit in this global Sadhana, but for a lot of people so much resistance is coming up and I think a lot of people have lived from their planners like โWhatโs happening in September? Whatโs happening for Christmas? Whatโs happening for that?โ And that is gone and dealing with uncertainty is super challenging.
So, how do you suggest, for people dealing with uncertainty, who may have been very type A in gripping onto schedules in the past?
[10:17] Panache:
Well I feel like Spirituality sets you up to deal with uncertainty of life because weโre constantly dealing with an unknown. And so, the more we are embracing the unknown, the more weโre embracing the greater possibility thatโs awarded to us at every moment, the more we are able to let go of what we believe that life should look like. And the more able to embrace it in the way that it is.
So, the more weโre at peace with whatโs unfolding; what weโre feeling; what weโre thinking; what weโre experiencing; the more weโre in harmony, the more weโre existing from this place of conscious connection. And so at one point, itโs like we have to let go of all of these things that weโve been programmed to believe in that are going to make us happy, and finally find the perfection where we are; find the happiness where we are. And if weโre unable to do that, letโs say weโre quarantining with a lover, or a husband, or wife, weโre realizing that weโre not in harmony with anymore, than have the courage to love yourself enough to not waste your time and make the choice that you need to make on behalf of yourself.
Many of us right now are facing economic uncertainty of being laid off; of going through a complete revision in what weโre doing in the world โ well the blessing is, this is your opportunity to redefine what human means to you, and what contribution and service means to you. And the more youโre able to redefine that for yourself in a way thatโs aligned with your heart, the more youโre setting yourself up to flourish and thrive.
And I believe, and this is just my belief, that youโll come out of this stronger as a result of it. That the only things that are falling away are the things that were inauthentic to us in the first place, that the more naturally we return to who we are, live to what Iโve come to call our soulโs signature, and live in alignment with that place, the more we begin to access this state of flow. And we realize that all along, the only thing that was happening was we were always in this state of flow, that we were only ever experiencing what weโre meant to experience, that weโre going through what we were meant to go through to bring us to this moment. And so, for everyone right now, especially the control freaks out there (I love you guys), but what you are trying to control is whatโs inside of you. Youโre afraid of feeling whatโs inside of you, youโre just making it about other people, but it isnโt about other people. Other people are just mirrors and reflections of us. And theyโre either reflecting back to us, who we are at unconscious level that at reflecting back to us at who we are at a conscious level. But either way, this is our opportunity now to look in the mirror and to love what we see, to be okay with what we see, to experience what we see, and to recognize that if there is any judgment around anything thatโs happening in the world right now, there is something in you that wants to be loved; thereโs something in you that wants to be embraced; thereโs something in you that wants to be held. So the people that are going to come out of this stronger, wiser, more abundant, creative and dynamic, are the ones that are willing to be personally responsible and accountable for their experience during this time of Covid.
[12:56] Sahara:
So well said and so many things Iโm like โWhoop, whoop, whoop!โ
Okay, so, right now I feel like a lot of people feel like itโs not fair โItโs not fair; this isnโt fair. I got laid off; thatโs not fair! Whatโs happening is not fair!โ And you know, from being Indian too, and Karma, and past lives, and all these other things that interact with our world, thatโs a really hard pill for people to swallow โ to create your own reality is a really hard pill to swallow. And a lot of people right now are questioning these Spiritual Truths of โ โSo I was a bad person that I created this; I did a bad job in my past life?โ
So can we find a balance with understanding Karma and past lives with facing the hardships of today?
[13:39] Panache:
Well the first thing is โ who said that life was meant to be fair? And then all of a sudden if weโre living with this expectation of life being fair, then we have to experience the polarity of that which is unfair. And what happens is, when we create these boxes, and literally, when we talk about the matrix of mayo of the illusion โ what are we talking about? We are talking about all of these boxes of identification that weโve placed infinite consciousness inside of, right? So, all of a sudden, if we have this framework of life is meant to be fair, then weโre a victim, because any moment where life isnโt showing up in harmony or alignment with that belief that you yourself have come up with or reinforced the through suggestion of another, at that point youโre a victim.
But how about if we begin to realize that in every moment we are living out in absolute perfection, and it is a perfection that is unfolding for us.
[14:30] Panache:
You know, I say this a lot Sahara, at some point, we have to be enough for ourselves. Once we get that weโre enough for ourselves, all of these notions of โlife is unfair; life is working against meโ and victimhood begin to fold away. And so, those of you right now that are struggling; for those of you that are having a hard time, just recognize that you are lovingly being ushered back to this place of harmony and connection within, where there is no notion of fair or unfair โ life is just unfolding and you are making of it whatever you have been programmed and conditioned to make of it.
What Iโve discovered is, the more that we have the courage to live outside of the box and peel away all of these layers of identification, the more we uncover the essential self; the more we abide in this state of infinite peace; the more we live as pure love in the world and weโre a contribution, right?! And so, again, itโs all in our ability to perceive. Meet where you are with empathy and compassion, and recognize that through your living your life, you are bringing everything into harmony and balance.
Life isnโt about always feeling good, itโs about feeling and experiencing the totality of being human.
You see, again, the reason why we have such a hard time is because weโve been conditioned and programmed as this hierarchy of this human experience and emotion. Well, how do we actually know? Weโre basing that on the โsay soโ of another person. How about we just live this thing of being called a human, and create a container that is so huge and so vast that it includes every nuance of our humanity equally. Because when weโre able to meet every moment equally, we are free, at that point we are free โ we are existing as pure being, pure awareness and pure potential, and exuding out from us a love that is so palpable that it will literally draw every dream that you have in your heart toward you.
And so, this is again the opportunity that we have! As it relates to Karma โ well, what is that? Thatโs really just identification; itโs personalization.
One of my favorite kind of models for this, or descriptions for this is the following: Youโre just basically floating down a river on a rainbow colored unicorn floaty, just observing the scenery. Now, if you choose to identify with some aspects of that journey, or you choose to identify with some particular experience that youโre having and hold on to it as the Truth, then thatโs the beginning of suffering. But really, when we begin to flow with life and be in harmony with life, and no longer resist any aspect of life, which means weโre willing to no longer make life wrong or the problem, we begin to recognize the inherent perfection that every mistake and Yogi discovered in deep states of revelation.
[17:05] Sahara:
So beautifully said! Thank you for that analogy.
And I think whatโs showing up for a lot of people right now are (because theyโre spending so much time at home alone) is thoughts of the past; thoughts of things that could have gone differently โ an ex, an old job, an old way of being โ and you know, the modern psychology system of the West is like โGo into that and think about it and find another realization of it and think about it more, and another realization.โ
So, how much do you think itโs โGo into the past and keep digging into it from a new lensโ and how much is it just accepting where you are and letting that be?
[17:40] Panache:
Well the entire psychological framework is an incomplete model and doesnโt allow for transformation. At some point we have to recognize that transformation happens at a level of energy vibration and frequency. Thatโs why in Ancient India, when we were chanting Sanskrit – What is Sanskrit? Sanskrit is a vibrational language. Why are we chanting that? Because it literally elevates our frequency and our vibration, and attunes us to a higher resonance where weโre able to see and perceive Reality in a more dynamic way. So, unless thereโs a change in your energy, thereโs no change in your life thatโs happened.
Whatโs happened in the Western Transformation Paradigm is the adaptation โ weโre adapting; weโre analyzing; itโs PDF presentations; and itโs stats, and figures and numbers; so theyโre talking about transforming, and theyโre talking about strategies, and goals, and outcomes, however, theyโve missed the fact that unless thereโs a shift in the energy, a shift in the state of being, thereโs no shift in your life. And so, this is where our cultural heritage comes into play because every practice was born out of meditation, Hatha yoga was born spontaneously out of meditation. Ayurveda, all of this Wisdom that came through, came through from a state of deep absorption with the self, and this is where every practice comes form.
And so at some point we have to recognize that what weโve been doing at the level of the mind isnโt working โ weโre just adapting; at some point we have to recognize that who we are and how we transform happens at a much deeper level.
So there is a very clear model for this โ the essential self of the soul exists at the level of subtle energy (so itโs just at the center, the very core); the layer around that is the emotional layer; the layer around that is mind; then the layer around that is the body. That model naturally points out that transformation cannot happen at the level of the mind, it has to happen within the level of emotion. When we talk about Samskaras and we talk about imprints โ what are we really talking about? Itโs those deep emotional impressions that we didnโt have the capacity to resolve at that point in our life.
So I have no use for the past because for me everything that I have to feel is in my body (the body is to store house of the unconscious). So when I give my attention to my body in the moment, I am resolving everything that I was unable to resolve at some point in my journey, freeing up all of that room inside of me on a physical level and a cognitive level, and Iโm able to express more of my dynamic potential in this world in an uninhibited and limitless way.
[20:07] Sahara:
So, letโs say a thought comes up about your past. Instead of going into it and indulging it, you would just get into a meditation or chanting, or something else to just shift your energy right now?
[20:17] Panache:
Well I see, all I would do is just simply observe the fact that Iโm thinking. I think that a lot of ancient teachings are getting lost in the translation because there is no longer a cultural link to those teachings. So weโre dealing with the translation and weโre not dealing with an actual experiential lineage of Truth thatโs been conveyed.
So the mind isnโt the enemy; we donโt have to exist in opposition to the mind. In fact, all we have, ever need to do, is observe whatโs happening at the level of the mind because when we have the courage to observe whatโs happening at the level of the mind, we realize โWait a minute, Iโm not the Thought, Iโm the one whoโs aware of the Thought.โ So we have a mind but weโre not our mind; we have a body but weโre not our bodies; we have feelings but weโre not our feelings โ Who are we really? Infinite consciousness and bliss (Satcitananda) and when we remember our essential nature, all of a sudden weโre freed from the prison of the mind; we donโt have to do anything with the mind anymore.
Even meditation has become about stopping and thinking. And The New Thought Movement is about replacing a thought that doesnโt feel good with the thought that does, but it doesnโt work, right? At some point we have to realize that who we are is awareness; who we are is being; who we are is infinite consciousness and bliss. Weโre having the experience of the mind, but weโre not the mind; weโre having the experience of a body, but weโre not the body; weโre experiencing feelings, but weโre not the feelings, we are the one who is experiencing; weโre the one who is experiencing.
[21:39] Sahara:
So beautifully said! And you speak about Samadhi in your book. How would you describe that?
[21:45] Panache:
Samadhi for me is abiding in perpetual peace. The whole notion of yoga is beyond going to yoga classes and sweating on your neighbor, itโs about coming peaceful. And the word โYogaโ in itself is about union. So when we have a unified relationship with ourselves, we are in Samadhi, meaning that when we can accept and embrace the totality of who we are at the level of our humanity, our divinity is revealed. And we realize that this enlightenment that weโve been chasing was always in existence, itโs just that we couldnโt fully see it, perceive it, experience it because we were still filtering life through these distortions that we were living through these filters of pain that we were living through which are the very things that we have to turn and face in order for transformation to occur.
[22:28] Sahara:
So beautifully said! And I think what it brings up for a lot of people is this path of least resistance vs. path of most resistance. Because sometimes the things that you have to do to get to the path of least resistance are the things that youโre most resistant to.
Letโs say youโre quarantined with someone that you dislike; moving out; finding the new job โ these are the things that you probably have the highest amount of resistance to but it will eventually lead you to that flow. So, a lot of people can create that story of โWell, Iโm just going to accept! Iโm going to accept this is the marriage that Iโm in. Iโm just going to accept that this is the job that Iโm in and find the best in it, and see that in a spiritual lens as well.โ
So when do we oppose and take action against the current? And when do we just find acceptance and surrender to the moment that weโre in?
[23:10] Panache:
So, every single person is a mirror, and every single person is reflecting back to us who we are. So in Oneness, life is as you are; so everything that you canโt stand about your partner is something that you have yet to embrace about yourself. Everything that you have in aversion to is an aspect of yourself that you have yet to embrace and bring into love.
And so, the purpose of a relationship is for you to have one consistent mirror that you can see your own conscious in. And the more you can embrace the totality of your own conscious, the more you begin to embrace it, the more you begin to realize what the entire function of your entire reality is about.
You see, we have this notion of having one singular teacher and one singular form. But what Iโve discovered is that everybody is my teacher, everybody is my Guru, everybody is facilitating their transformation out of their perceived darkness into the light of truth. And what is that? That is the journey out of the unconscious into the conscious. And every single thing in our lives is an opportunity to move more into that state of being conscious and being aware.
So, if youโre into dynamic right now where youโre struggling in your relationship, begin to take a look at what parts of yourself youโre rejecting; what parts of yourself youโre denying, because itโs not an accident that your brought that person into your life in the first place. And what happens, and you and I both know, this is that in the event that you leave that relationship prematurely, you end up just dating the same person in a different body. So we have to go through what we have to go through what we have to go through. How you know when youโre ready to leave? Is when youโve packed your bags and youโre outside the front door. Until then, look in the mirror, pay attention, love what you see, and if you canโt love what you see at least be okay and accept what you see. And then eventually something will shift, either the mirror smashes, meaning that that person no longer needs to act out our unconscious, or that person just bounces out of our life; and then we bring into our experience somebody who is more aligned with who we are; somebody who is in harmony with who we are, because we have identified our own misalignment, and that identification and that return to harmony leads us to the experience, conscious creation and conscious expression of love in its purest form.
[25:20] Sahara:
So I think a lot of people struggle with never feeling like they can find themselves ready; never feeling like finding themselves at the door because every time they even try to move that way their excuse comes, and this could be relationship, job, anything. So itโs a lot of self-convincing, itโs a lot of self-motivating โOkay, todayโs the dayโ and then something goes back.
So how do you think, if you never catch yourself just spontaneously doing it, how can you get yourself to take that action even though you feel extremely resistant to it?
[25:49] Panache:
I think that everybody has to let themselves off the hook and recognize that theyโre doing the best that they can, and that in time everything will be returned to harmony. I think that we have to get over the whole need for transformation in the first place. Because the need for transformation in the first place is being used right now to negate who we are and to disqualify us from the love that we already are. At some point we just have to meet ourselves with compassion and realize that instead of getting jacked up and trying to will something to happen, instead of that because that doesnโt work, thatโs a very patriarchal way of dealing with things, itโs like โOkay, Iโm going to be in opposition to whatโs happening and Iโm just going to power through itโ Well okay, until youโre there the next day and nothingโs changed. So, instead of constantly setting yourself up for yet more invalidation and yet more rejection and abandonment of self, how about we just meet ourselves with love for being where we are; start to have empathy and compassion where we are; start to find a place of peace within ourselves where we are; and the experience that weโre having.
Iโve realized that the more Iโm able to find a place of peace and harmony inside of myself in the midst of whatever Iโm going through, my reality and my world around me begins to evolve as required, I donโt have to do anything. So itโs more like the more I take care of whatโs inside of me, the more whatโs outside of me takes care of itself. You see! And so, please donโt be so hard on yourself, give up the notion of fixing, healing, changing and improving โ start embracing and loving who you are. People ask me all the time โHow do I love myself?โ By turning and facing your shadow and giving it a hug. By turning and facing every aspect of yourself that youโve discarded; that your parents couldnโt embrace; that society embrace; getting beyond all of these false metrics around happiness and all of these things that weโre meant to strive for, and just finally realizing at some point that we have to be good for ourselves. In that moment when we end our war with ourselves and end our resistance to being who we are, which is by the way, the only way you can ever be, is the moment when the greater possibility arises.
Until then, welcome everything thatโs showing up. Be in alignment with it. Be in harmony with it. Meet it with a place of neutrality and peace. Be honest about whatโs going on because itโs exactly the medicine that you need right now in order to free yourself of everything.
[28:04] Sahara:
So beautifully said! Thank you for that! And 100%, I see a lot of people, and myself, itโs all, before it was all about personal development, like โIโm a person to develop. I must grow, I must get better.โ Thereโs so many conferences and books that can in a way really feed your ego in this quest, and then you feel like โWell if Iโm not doing the cold showers; the this; the that; all of the list that I have to do to personally grow, then Iโm going to fall behind.โ So, then I think, then you eventually realize that youโre not even that mind that you keep trying to master, and youโre something so much greater.
[28:39] Panache:
I was watching this movie โTronโ last weekend, and it was the new one, and basically thereโs a moment where Flen, who is the creator of this programmable universe has this revelation and he realizes finally that everything was always perfect. He didnโt need to go on this quest for perfection, and he created this entity called Clue that was trying to bring about perfection. So all weโre doing, all the Ego is doing is invalidating the Perfection that God already created, or that you have created for yourself to experience.
At some point we have to evolve of the notion of something being wrong and start to align with whatโs happening; recognizing whatโs happening is furthering our momentum; furthering our movement; furthering the expansion of our growth into who we are. So, the whole notion of working on yourself is actually the notion of working on the created self that doesnโt need to be worked on in the first place, it just needs to be embraced. And that point, once itโs embraced, youโre freed of this false notion of the created self, and then youโre able to express completely as that love that you are in every moment.
[29:45] Sahara:
So, I have to be honest because I remember when I was going through this and hearing things like that, I was like โWell, I canโt accept myself now because Iโm not where I want to be! If I accept myself like this then how am I going to become the author that I want to be; the this that I want to be? So I canโt because if I accept myself like this Iโll fall behind!โ
What do you say to people who are still feeling like this?
[30:07] Panache:
Itโs funny, Muktananda had a great quote, he would always say to people โWhere are you going?โ Even when you get to those perceived milestones or youโre trying to get to those carrots that are being dangled in front of you โ guess what? Youโre still going to be yourself! Youโre still going to have the feelings that youโre feeling now. And actually what youโre going to do is get there and itโs going to feel even worse because youโre going to realize that that success or that fame or that financial platform is going to taste like ashes in your mouth – youโre chasing impertinence. You can never find the Truth in the illusion. At some point you have to realize that the Truth is inside of you; you have to turn your attention to that Truth. And then everything else will emerge from that.
For myself, I was born into a spiritual family, this is my calling; this isnโt a career, this isnโt something that Iโm doing โ this is something thatโs a natural extension of who I am at the level of my being. And when everything comes from that place of authenticity and that place of connection, thereโs nothing to strive for, thereโs nothing to reach for because every great thing thatโs happened to me has happened to me as a result of my willingness to be myself; to be as I have been designed to be and to express the fullness of that in every moment.
So weโve created all these false metrics and milestones that actually lead to misery and compound our experience of suffering โ at some point we have to realize that that is not success. That success is Peace, and that when you realize the value of Peace, you wonโt compromise that Peace for a billion dollars because you have attained what everyone else is trying to get to โ you have finally come home to yourself.
[31:39] Sahara:
So beautifully said! And yes, I think itโs wherever you go, there you are, and you just find yourself there again and again, and then we set another milestone and another milestone, and once I get there Iโll accept myself, and then there; and there. And once Coronavirus is over and I can go back to normal, then Iโll be happy. And itโs this ever-continuing spiral and I think that sometimes you donโt realize it until you reach that thing that you wanted. I think that thereโs a Jim Carrey quote โI hope that everyone gets all the money and fame they want to realize that it ainโt shit.โ But itโs hard because when youโre outside it, youโre like โOh sure, Iโm pretty sure itโs going to change everything for meโ but then you ignore all of these people who are repeating that same sentiment.
[32:23] Panache:
Exactly! And you and I both know this firsthand, that the part of you that it means something to is the part of you that actually, once you even get there, canโt be within anyway. Because what are we doing really? Weโre trying to cover up some insecurity; weโre trying to prove something about ourselves; weโre trying to prove that weโre loveable or that in some way weโre okay, and this is all some inner game that weโve externalized.
So how we save time is by telling everybody the truth, this is why I love what we have in this conversation, because for all intents and purposes, weโre successful; weโve done it; weโve received the endorsements, weโve got the books out โ weโve done it, we are living peopleโs dreams and yet at the same time, what weโre saying to people is โHey, wait a minute, donโt forget yourself along the way. Donโt forget who you are along the way because if youโre doing it with the exception of yourself, at some point youโre going to have to pay the price. You know, Iโve had the pleasure of meeting some of the most successful people in the world, and in nearly in every single instances thereโs a trail of carnage in their wake โ they didnโt tend to their relationships; they didnโt tend to their health; they didnโt tend to their family life; they didnโt tend to all of the things that were placed in front of them that were put there for them to love. And so, they have to spend all of that money and all of that time making up for all of the attention that they didnโt give everything along the way. If your success comes at the cost of yourself, itโs not success; youโve sold yourself out for something material.
[33:48] Sahara:
Uh! Yeas! So much yes to that!
So I want to talk about the Ego, itโs something you write about in โDiscovering Your Soulโs Signatureโ itโs one of your daily practices which I so resonated with because we give the Ego such a bad rep. You know, weโre like โSlaughter that Ego; the Ego sucks!โ And you write about how the Ego is almost like our Protector, itโs our defense mechanism, and you also talk about giving a color, and a texture and a sound to the Ego.
So how can we get to know who this voice of the Ego is and make friends with it?
[34:20] Panache:
Well, first of all, I love my Ego. My Ego kept me safe and protected to a point where I could mature enough to begin to deal with everything that was inside of me.
So the role of the Ego is to protect and defend the hopeless and powerless parts of you. When does the Ego arise? The Ego arises in the presence of something where we donโt feel safe. So the first thing that we have to do is address what is at the root chakra โ which is our safety. What Iโve experienced is that once safety is restored in the human being; once weโve addressed whatever the trauma is, or some scaring that that person has inside of them and weโve integrated it, at that point the body returns to a state of safety, theyโre out of fight or flight. And at that point, naturally, their Ego becomes transparent instead of being this protective power and force, it once again becomes a servant of a soul.
So what is the Ego? The Ego allows us to express individually. Infinite consciousness is expressing itself uniquely through you in this moment thanks to your Ego. The reason why weโve created it to be a problem is because we have this reductionist model of transformation in the Western world โGet rid of it; Kill it; Get rid of it; Itโs bad; itโs wrong; Get rid of it; Get rid of it; Get rid of it!โ Well guess what? People have been trying to get rid of their Ego since the 1960s and it hasnโt worked, weโve still got an Ego. So how about we begin to embrace it; How about we give it a form; How about we give it a color and a texture, and instead of it being an amorphous thing, itโs something that we can work with; itโs something that we can converse with; itโs something that we can engage with and embrace every day; something that we can thank every day, because your Ego needs to do what itโs doing as long as you are not living in the totality of the authenticity that you were born to live. Thatโs the truth! Once you get to a place of courage within yourself, to face what you have to face; to feel what you have to feel; your Ego can let go of its need to protect you because it knows that youโve got yourself.
So how do we do that? Close your eyes everyone and just take some breaths. And just allow yourself for a few moments to give your Ego a form. Just give it a form, just see it as a form, it can be a human form, it can be another dimensional form, it can be a piece of sacred geometry, it can be a shape โ give it a form. And give it a color and a texture. As soon as we give something, thatโs amorphous, a form, we can then work with it and engage with it. So all I want you to do is give this form a hug because thatโs all that it wants. Every aspect of you that feels rejected and abandoned all it wants is your attention and your love. Just embrace it, and as youโre embracing it just get present to what youโre feeling inside of you; get present to what youโre experiencing. This beautiful Ego that keeps you safe, that protects you, that defends you, that allows you to express infinite consciousness uniquely, befriending it; welcoming; accepting it. Good, so seeing as youโre a designated Ego embracer, how are you feeling?
[37:50] Sahara:
So I saw this emerald green marble wall that was hard and shiny, and it was beautiful, and it almost reminded me of the Gates in Rajasthan, and it was this barrier of protection and so I was hugging the marble slab, feeling its coldness. Because often times in this dualistic world that weโre in right now, especially on social media, I catch this, I call her โPam the Bodyguardโ, this bodyguard energy in me that I was calling Pam, but no, thatโs actually my Ego, thatโs that same wall thatโs like โOkay, Iโm going to protect Sahara; whoever is trying to come in and hold her space for her.โ So I was grateful for that, grateful for that gate of protection, and you know weโre in this world that we canโt be completely open-hearted with all people all the time because there is stillโฆ..okay, okay..
[38:44] Panache:
Yes we can, so hereโs the next step okay. So what is that wall protecting? Who or what is that wall protecting? So close your eyes again. So weโre going to take a look and weโre going to see who or what that wall is protecting? See if you can get in touch with whatโs behind the wall.
[39:06] Sahara:
So for me, I feel like it is my creativity and my play, and this softer, sparkier inner child of mine.
[39:17] Panache:
Beautiful, so what weโre going to do is embrace her. The reason why we donโt feel safe putting ourselves out there all the time is because we havenโt fully embraced this part of ourselves. So duality only exists as long as we have aspects of ourselves that havenโt been integrated.
Once we integrate all of these aspects of ourselves (the Ego, the inner child) all of these different aspects of ourselves that weโve rejected and weโve abandoned โ Duality collapses in on itself; every mirror smashes; everything becomes Light and the Truth of our Reality is revealed.
So, just sit with her for a few moments. Sit with her, and just embrace her. Does it require vulnerability to be out in the world? Of course it does. Are people going to have an opinion about you? Of course they are. But the only reason why it matters is because this sweet, beautiful, innocent part of you needs to be fully embraced for who she is. She needs to be held for who she is. Once sheโs embraced and held for who she is, you wonโt need the wall and the opinions of others wonโt matter anymore.
So as youโre being with her, how do you feel, what are you present to, whatโs opening up for you?
[40:55] Sahara:
I feel a lot of sweetness, just like the sweet, hard, agh, my own child that I see and my mind tells me โOh youโve embraced her but it still has a story around donโt get into confrontations, avoid confrontationsโ and I feel like that is where the Ego comes in because I know for me, itโs like that feeling of approval, of making people happy, and then when I donโt make people happy it makes me feel defensive in that way. So I think that this Ego is there for protecting the little girl from not making someone happy and then them trying to hurt her or attack her or something.
[41:45] Panache:
So, letโs just embrace her. And this is what weโre doing, weโre now restoring safety. So the Shakti, the divine feminine infinite power goes to sleep inside of us in the sacrum in the very moment we donโt feel safe anymore. From that point forth all of our Prana (life force energy) goes into surviving. And this is how people get stuck in states of survival, and no matter how successful they become, theyโre stuck in states of survival, and typically thereโs something that breaks down inside of them.
How we end survival is by embracing this aspect of us; by lovingly embracing this aspect of us. It immediately takes us out fight or flight, and it takes us out of the need of Ego. Because again, we realize that the reason why people are judging us is because we have a fear of being judged in the first place. The reason why people are attacking us is because we have a fear of being attacked in the first place, you see. So if thereโs nothing to defend then thereโs nothing to protect. And the opinions of others and the energy of others doesnโt matter because itโs all self-generated. Everything is beginning and ending inside of us.
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[43:03] Advertisement:
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[45:16] End of Advertisement:
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[45:17] Interview
[45:18] Sahara:
So would you say by shifting that that issue would stop arising, or your triggering of that issue would stop arising?
[45:25] Panache:
Both. This is how powerful you are. I used to do programs and guaranteed somebody would come and say โOh, what does he know, heโs only 20 something; I donโt believe you, bla, bla,blaโ but they were only showing up outside of me because I had something inside of me that I hadnโt embraced. One day I got curious, Iโm like โPanache, why is it that somebody always has a moment of Turrets in one of your workshops? Well they need to challenge you!โ And I sad โOh, wait a minute! Because I hadnโt fully yet embraced who I am completely, so Iโm needing this outside of me because thereโs something inside of me that I have yet to love.โ The very moment I resolved the inside of me, I donโt need it outside of me anymore. Now I donโt need someone to act out that role for me to show me who I am and to show me who Iโm not.
So this is how we liberate ourselves and this is how we navigate this world of social media because guess what? โ Itโs your energy! Social media is the manifestation of your own conscious; itโs humanityโs collective unconscious. So the more we are unplugged from the collective unconscious, the more we become immune to not just social media, but we boost our immunity and we also boost our immunity to everything in life because we realize nothing is in opposition to us.
[46:40] Sahara:
One hundred percent! And I think what a lot of us are experiencing that adds to this Egoโs need, especially in social media, is this Cancel Culture that weโre in right now. That if you say one wrong thing or something is misconstrued โ game over, youโre done! And there are so many people who feel a sense of righteousness to defend what they believe is morally correct so then theyโll team together and then you see it happen to other people and youโre like โOh my Godโ and it makes you second guess.
And I have clients of mine who have 100 followers and theyโre like โI canโt even post on social media because I keep second guessing everything of what if itโs wrong?
So how can we go about this feeling comfortable to speak openly and share our Truth while also navigating this time that weโre in of political correctness and making sure everything is not offensive to any type of person?
[47:30] Panache:
If itโs heart-based and authentic itโs never offensive to anybody. So if somebody has an issue with it itโs only because youโre posting something thatโs inauthentic to you.
So for example, Love โ nobodyโs going to cancel love! Nobodyโs going to cancel caring, and kindness, and empathy, and compassion; nobodyโs going to cancel unity and harmony โ those things canโt be canceled, right? But the thing is that people have now got a heightened inauthenticity meter because their news feeds are just inundated over and over again with pictures and images, and posts that arenโt congruent with that personโs energy. So, social media is accelerating the integration of unconscious aspects of ourselves by immediately giving us feedback. Whereas before, we would only get feedback from our immediate circle; now weโre getting feedback from people that we donโt even know, but what weโre forgetting is, these people are aspects of ourselves too. So as soon as you get feedback, take a look at whatโs going on inside of you. And again, this is the difference, when your whole expression is an extension of who you are, you can never be cancelled. Itโs only when your expression isnโt an extension of who you are, and youโre trying to be like who the popular person is right now thatโs trending or taking other peopleโs memes and regurgitating them, and doing all that viral video stuff โ if youโre trying to gun a following, then youโre open and youโre susceptible. But when you realize you are enough and that you have enough in terms of the people that come to see you and you give up this notion of 10x-ing and scaling and becoming more โ because more isnโt more (you and I know it) that more isnโt more; more isnโt better. Iโd rather have one person in front of me that genuinely has the capacity to receive what I have to share than a million people. So more isnโt more, right? And weโre seeing this; weโre seeing this in music โ people have these huge followings on social media, theyโre all cloud chasing; theyโre all doing all these different things, but really, are these people really there for me at the end of the day? No! So again, donโt look to the illusion for the Truth and donโt look to the platform of social media for the validation of your worth, and the validation of your inherent goodness in who you are. Itโs easy, itโs very simple โ post good things that resonate with you; post uplifting things; post things that are in harmony with who you are and youโll never be cancelled.
And also, hereโs the other thing too, canceling is just another way of bypassing. I feel like we need to see everybodyโs unconscious right now. I feel like itโs time for everyone to reveal their shadow and to put it on display. The only way weโre going to bring this into resolution is by letting it come up and letting it come out. If weโre canceling people, weโre not allowing the full expression of their shadow to be revealed, and what we need right now is to full expression if everyone shadow to be revealed so that we can see it; we can see it for what it is, we can embrace it and we can move on from it. Otherwise weโre just going to have to repeat these patterns over and over and over again.
Like for example, America didnโt just become racist, right? Hello! Iโm Indian! America didnโt just become that way. I was born in England, England didnโt just become racist, itโs not all of a sudden because of whatโs happening right now โ the protests because of George Floyd the people have become racist. Whatโs happening is, all of this ignorance is being brought into the light if conscious awareness because itโs just ignorance, itโs ignorance. So we have to allow it to come up, but in that same way we have to allow everything to come up. If we keep canceling everything, weโre not going to get the full spectrum of the unconscious that we need to experience in order to be free.
[51:15] Sahara:
A hundred percent, and we donโt allow space for that person to grow. We assume that what they said in one moment in time is them forever, and then thatโs negating how much weโre grown as humans too, so thereโs that.
And itโs interesting because you said you canโt ever cancel love, and you canโt ever cancel unity, but there is this movement of trying. Iโm sure youโre aware, especially of all the racial and political tensions happening, that if you say something like โWeโre all One right now, letโs all come together.โ Is that what people want to hear right now? People really want to be heard in their differences or struggles, or political issues etc. that thereโs this feeling of if you talk about everything is love, itโs spiritual bypass. So, whatโs your take on that?
[51:56] Panache:
So itโs giving people the space that they need to feel what they feel and to honor their feelings and their experience. But what theyโre experiencing in their experience doesnโt have to become yours if itโs not true for you. So when everything happened with George Floyd it brought a lot of emotion up for me because I remember being called names; I remember growing up in a country where I wasnโt welcomed and I was made to feel like thereโs something wrong with me because of the color of my skin. My father used to have to go and march against the National Front in the Neo-Naziโs in the streets so that I could have the freedom that I had in London without getting stabbed or kicked in the head by people with steel toe capped shoes. So I understand what that pain is. But you know what? Once I had allowed myself to experience that pain, at that point it was immediately about how do we unify.
What people have forgotten is that Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, got their Playbook from Mahatma Gandhi โ this is what people have forgotten and itโs what people need to be reminded about. And they based their efforts to liberate people on the principles of a Hemsa. And what is a Hemsa, a Hemsa is non-violent protesting, itโs non-violent. Itโs not being in opposition to whatโs happening, but itโs remaining peaceful in the midst of whatโs happening to highlight the behavior. This is how Gandhi liberated India from the British, by highlighting the cruelty of the British. So what are we doing? Weโre undoing the wound of Colonialism! Slavery is a product of Colonialism. Everything that we went through in India was a product of Colonialism. Everything that weโre going through in Africa is a product of Colonialism. And what was Colonialism based in? Divide and conquer! So, if weโre dividing and conquering in the name of bringing people together, then weโre just creating yet more of that energy.
So itโs not about Bypassing; itโs not about being ignorant to whatโs happening, itโs not about not letting whatโs happening affect you and impact you โ of course itโs about that! Thatโs why itโs happening, to impact you! You know, thereโs not a person alive that didnโt watch that video, regardless of their race and know that what was happening was wrong. Everybody who saw that video knew that what was happening was wrong! And this is why we have the transformation thatโs happening today, but what we canโt do is allow our emotions to be co-opted by other peopleโs agendas. We canโt allow our voices to be hijacked for other peopleโs outcomes and goals that arenโt necessarily aligned with unity. So as long as we remember that unity is the intention; that love is the intention, which weโre operating, at that point what Iโve discovered in my own experience is itโs landing. I personally havenโt been canceled; Iโve been embraced, universally, by everybody โ why? Because for me itโs about โListen, letโs deal with what we have inside of us; letโs address what we have inside of usโ, because if we can address what we have inside of us, then guess what? – Now only can we resolve this four and hundred and one year-old wound, but we can resolve every wound that weโre experienced as a result of Colonialism. And actually, maybe, end the experience of separation โ thatโs the opportunity that we have; thatโs the version of life that Iโm living. Whoโs with me? Letโs go! Right?
[55:08] Sahara:
Beautifully say! Yes! Yes to all of that!
So another topic that people are really talking about right now is Cultural Appropriation and feeling like โIs it okay for me to study Vedic texts and do these things if Iโm not Indian; or take Ayahuasca and go the Shamonic journey if Iโm not indigenous to South America?โ
What is your take on this?
[55:29] Panache:
I used to have a huge problem with this. But as an Indian, who am I to determine who is Indian? Iโve realized that there are two categories of human beings. There are Indians and Indians from past lives.
[55:50] Sahara:
Yes, so good!
[55:52] Panache:
So who am I to determine who is Indian and who isnโt, right? Because via our own definition of Sanata Darma and the recognition, that really because Hinduism isnโt a religion, itโs Eternal Truth, and I grew up with pictures of everybody in my house. So for me, everybody is Indian. There are Indians that are consciously Indian, and Indians who just have amnesia, but nonetheless theyโre still Indian, right? So all of these things that are happening, I used to have a problem with them because I used to feel like in some way they werenโt being honored and respected, but you know what? That was my own problem. That was something that I had to deal with inside of myself because some part of me didnโt feel honored and respected so I made it about the cultural appropriation of my heritage. You see how it works? See how sneaky we are? But once we realize that what we have a problem with outside of us is an opportunity for us to resolve whatโs inside of us, all of a sudden it doesnโt become about anything outside of us anymore, it becomes about us loving and embracing the parts of us that didnโt feel honored or didnโt feel respected, you see.
So, Iโm now at a point where โListen, the more people in the world do Yoga, do Pranayama, Breath-Work, whatever they want to call it, study Ayurveda, and get in touch with our cultural heritage, the better. Why? Because it is the cultural heritage that we all belong to at some point in our journey and in our evolution; somebodyโs life intersected with something related to India. Why? – Because itโs the Motherland of Spirituality. Every major spiritual practice either comes from India or is an offshoot from India. So at some point every single person is going to incorporate some Indian practice into their daily regimen and routine โ why? Because itโs connected to a lineage and it works.
[57:40] Sahara:
I, 100% agree. And Iโm seeing a very big movement right now of people saying these New Age practices are white-washed Hinduism. And they made fun of us before but now they want our spirituality; and a lot of anger with that. And again, it makes sense and itโs justified, but I also think of Ram Dass and all of these incredible Yogic Spiritual Teachers who are white. And would yoga even be where it is, not only here but in India, if it wasnโt for a lot of the white teachers who upheld it?
[58:11] Panache:
Hereโs the irony of this right? So, Ram Dass brought every major Indian Guru to the US, most people donโt know this, but Swami Muktananda, Maharishi, all of these Gurus that came here, came here because of Ram Dass. So it somebody in the 60s getting on a plane and then flying to India to meet all of these Himalayan Masters (Nimkurlibaba) to be exposed to them, to bring that here.
So, again, who are we to question how God works? Just be grateful for the fact that God is working and that our Dharma is spreading; that our teachings are spreading; that out Light and our Love is spreading, and that eventually, people will mature into it. And the reason why I believe thereโs this greater movement toward our cultural heritage is because we have this inclusive version of God. For example, we donโt have a version of God that has anger management issues. Youโre not starting at a deficit with God; youโre starting from a place of devotion and love, and inclusivity. So the reason why Hinduism (which isnโt a religion, itโs a way of life โ Sanatan Dharma) has spread all over the world in the way that it has, is because itโs an Eternal Truth. And what people are resonating with, regardless of their religious inclination, is the essence of that Eternal Truth that lives inside of them. So, as far as Iโm concerned, everybodyโs Indian.
And I fell like no matter what youโre sharing and how youโre going about sharing it, Iโm okay with it. My request is, to please, at least acknowledge the lineage, thatโs it. Just acknowledge the Source; acknowledge the Source. And the Source is simple – itโs typically a naked Indian man or lady sitting under a tree, somewhere in India, under the Himalayas, who finally had to put clothes on because enough Westerners came to see them. But just acknowledge the Source.
For example, present moment awareness didnโt start with Eckhart Tolle; [Sigitamarage- 1:00:00 inaudible], everyday used to give the same talk, and people would come every day and it was all about the present moment. Ramana Maharshi was all about non-dualism. So you have to just acknowledge the Source, just acknowledge the Source. And the Shamanic thing too โ Iโve met so many Shamans who arenโt from Columbia, who are so devoted to the tradition and the path; theyโre more devoted than most Colombians. Itโs the same thing with our Yoga, Breath-Work, and all these different things. When you look at how devoted people are to our tradition โ theyโre more devoted than we are. Now, for example, in India, theyโre busy watching all of these Western TV shows and trying to become like Americans and English people, and theyโre all of sudden trying to live up to this materialistic ideals that they have completely lost sight of their spirituality. But here, theyโre coming back to it. Why? Because theyโve had enough of the materialism to know that it doesnโt work. Theyโve had enough of the materialism that they know that you canโt success your way out of suffering. So, to my brothers and sisters, who are we to determine who is Indian? If itโs Sanata Dharma and we believe in reincarnation, then how do we know that this person isnโt Indian? How do we know? How do we know that that soul hasnโt had an Indian incarnation and how do we know that that soul isnโt resonating with these teachings because of their incarnation? How do we know? We donโt know!
So as far as Iโm concerned, everyoneโs either Indian, consciously, meaning they have melanin and theyโre brown, and theyโre Indian; or theyโre Indian with amnesia. One way or another, if you like Yoga, youโre into Ayurveda, and youโre into Pranayama and Breath-Work โ youโre Indian, thatโs it!
[1:01:39] Sahara:
We were all in the Indus river valley at one point.
I one hundred percent agree, and I think itโs also, there are different stages. So maybe someoneโs first stage of even becoming aware of this is an Eckhart Tolle book, or they just heard a Ganesha Puja at their Yoga Studio or something, and then want more, and then they want more, and eventually theyโll make their way up through the lineage. But I think a lot of people right now are afraid, theyโre afraid of even sharing it or doing it because theyโre kind of tip-toeing around it; and then thereโs this huge movement of โWell, if Iโm Irish, should I only do Celtic practices; or should I do Italian mystic practices?โ And I feel like thatโs almost going back in time of โYou can only do the things from where youโre fromโ because historically, weโve always had a melting pot of cultures and borders shifting throughout the history of time. So who are we to say that the borders right now are the boarders of how theyโre always going to be?
[1:02:30] Panache:
I once had somebody come to see me who is a very famous Kirtan singer. And they came to see me because theyโre not Indian; and a very famous Indian Guru had an objection to the fact that they were chanting the Gayatri Mantra, and Iโm a Brahman. So when I had my Jenoi, I was given the Gayatri Mantra as my Mantra, because if youโre a Brahman thatโs your mantra.
So I wrote this person a note saying โPanache Desai, hereby approves my use of the Gayatri Mantra.โ Do you know that this person is more devoted to the Gayatri Mantra, and our chanting, and our Kirtan, than most Indian people ever are? Have you seen your average Indian Masi or grandmother at a Temple, what are they praying for? โPlease bring my son a beautiful daughter-in-law; make sure sheโs a computer scientist.โ I mean, itโs like โCome on guys, letโs get over ourselves!โ I feel like the beauty of the world is in the many different hues, and the many different colors, and the many different textures. And what we have to is recognize that no one thing works for everyone. I feel like the modern version of Spirituality is people taking what they resonate with and creating their own personal relationship with God through whatever medium they wish to find that relationship, through whatever form. Why? – Because God is infinite. And God is taking whatever form God needs to take for you. So at some point weโve got it, and I get it; I get it that people are upset; I get that people feel like theyโre not respecting it; I get that. But at some point we have to recognize that the reason why we feel disrespected, culturally, is because we have a wound of disrespect of inside of us that we have yet to embrace.
And again, I used to be that person that used to have a hard time with it โ how is this person on TV doing yoga postures? I mean, they donโt even look authentic to this person โ I used to be that person. But now Iโm โOkay, whatever man. Hey, yogaโs on Prime Time. Congratulations, Mazel Tov! Go for it, have at it!โ It doesnโt matter, right? It doesnโt matter. So, again, any problem that you have with the world is a problem that you have with yourself; any judgment that you have with another is some pain point inside of you that you havenโt embraced. And I believe that our tradition belongs to everybody. I believe that our tradition belongs to everyone. If youโre human, guess what? It belongs to you. There you go!
[1:04:50] Sahara:
I, one hundred percent agree and thatโs why itโs the language of the Gods, itโs not even the language of humans. And as you spoke of, itโs a language of vibration. So, again, I think itโs a lot of times we feel like traditions are being lost, and I think there are certain people who are traditionalists and thatโs really their Dharma of this lifetime of like โThis is how itโs always beenโ and to keep that moving forward.
And there are other people who are more visionaries; trail blazers; creating new things, new pathways; and often times these two schools of thoughts butt heads but theyโre both really needed.
[1:05:22] Panache:
Of course! Everything is needed, otherwise it wouldnโt exist. Every expression is required of those who wouldnโt have it in the world. And this is what weโre doing โ weโre constantly invalidating perfection thatโs unfolding in the moment because weโre thinking in some way, shape or form to our limited lens of perception that it could be or should be in some other way โ and the truth is, it isnโt going to be, itโs exactly the way that it needs to be.
I think the reason why people have a hard time with most of this stuff is because they feel like theyโre being left out or theyโre missing out on something, you know. And the truth is โ youโre not! It doesnโt matter! Whatโs meant for you will come to you; what youโre meant to share, youโll share; the book youโre meant to write, youโll write โ it doesnโt matter. People either resonate with it or they wonโt, but none of that is a determinant of your value. Who you are inherently is a valued; your loved; youโre a divine being โ now letโs get on with loving, and being compassionate, and being empathic. And letโs get on with being responsible and accountable for what we have to deal with inside of ourselves. I feel like our attention is best spent there rather than worrying about who is using a Mantra; whoโs doing Yoga; whoโs doing Ayurveda; whoโs doing Jordis Astrology; whoโs doing all of these things? Because you know what? It doesnโt matter; itโs all the Divine Play of Consciousness and itโs all a reflection of you. Let it go; Swaha the whole thing! Just Om Shanti the whole thing; just let it go!
[1:06:48] Sahara:
So beautifully said! And for people who are a bit confused of what is Hinduism vs. Vedic Wisdom? Could you explain that briefly because a lot of people right now especially in the TikTok world are like โThis is Hinduismโ but weโre not also aware of the Ancient Vedic lineage that far surpasses this modern-day, even, ideology of what Hinduism is.
[1:07:09] Panache:
Well, first of all, there is no such thing as Hinduism. The reason why Hinduism came into being is because [Huami Wekenander- 1:07:15 inaudible] went to a meeting of world religions, and they introduced him as the gentleman from Hindustan. So they called him a Hindu. But really, itโs not a religion. What it is an ancient technology that facilitates the elevation of our consciousness.
What are the Vedas? The Vedas are a constant source of revelation that provide us the information that we need as human beings to navigate the modern world.
So for example, Ayurveda, comes from the Vedas. All of these teachings, and chants, and sloaks, and all these different things come from the Vedas. Itโs like a record. Itโs like an eternal tablet that updates itself. Itโs constantly updating itself, because why? – Because weโre writing the Vedas now.
So when we look at Hinduism as a religion then what happens is, weโre limiting it. But when we look at it as a way of life and as a way of shifting our consciousness, then weโre seeing it for what it really is. Which is a set of tools and technologies that liberate oneself from bondage. And what is bondage? โ Misidentification. Iโm my possessions, Iโm my relationship; Iโm my children; I am my things; I am my thoughts; I am my feelings. So, really what we have is an ancient technology thatโs a vibrational technology โ itโs based in energy, vibration and frequency.
So Hinduism is not really a religion. And actually, I would say that people identify more with Sanatan Dharma than they ever do with being called a Hindu because Sanatan Dharma is Eternal Truth. And in the root Veda itself says that Saints and Sages are speaking the same Truth in different ways. So what does that mean? Jesus was a Hindu then. If weโre going to say Hinduism, then that means Jesus was a Hindu. That means that Buddha was a Hindu; it means that Gruaname was a Hindu; it means that every single being in the world is a manifestation of that Eternal Truth, and weโre all expressing Eternal Truth in different ways, because God is infinite.
You know, in my book โDiscovering Your Soulsโ Signatureโ I said, if God is infinite, then everybodyโs right for them. Nobodyโs wrong, everybodyโs having their own personal relationship with God in their own unique way. But the interesting thing is that their relationship with God is determined by their relationship with themselves. So if they have a conditional relationship with themselves, they believe in a conditional God; if they a devotional relationship with themselves, they have a devotional relationship with God โ but ultimately we all end up in the same place โ itโs an infinite ocean of love and light. And the feeling associated with this infinite ocean is a love beyond description. It cannot articulate to you in words the love that is there โ this is who you are, and this is where we can find the commonality. This is the Truth; this is the Truth that is being expressed through Sanatan Dharma, through the Vedas, and through all of our Ancient texts and all of our Ancient Scriptures. And not just ours, but every ancient scriptures from all over the world is pointing to the same Truth. God is Love; You are God; that means that you are Love. Thatโs it!
[1:10:24] Sahara:
Beautifully said, and if we see it from that lens, thereโs no point of all these wars, religious of Hindu Muslims, Sikh, this, that โ itโs all the same โ God is Love.
[1:10:34] Panache:
You know, India was the only country in the world where every major religion lived together as brothers and sisters in Peace. Before the British you used to have the Muslim neighbors, and you used to have Farsi neighbors and Sufi neighbors; and you used to have Jewish neighbors and Christian neighbors, and Catholic neighbors, in every religion, Sikh neighbors, Jain neighbors; everyone in India lived together in harmony and peace, until that wedge of religion was used to divide an entire nation of people. Why? – Because a tiny island can only colonize a huge country through division. So at some point we have to pull out this thorn of division that we donโt even know why we have it anymore; that people unforce you โ why are we not supposed to like someone of a different religion (somebody told me)? It doesnโt even make sense to me; it doesnโt even make sense to me! Because we have friends from every religion; weโre connected to everybody, so, at some point we have to unplug from this division thatโs been woven into us; thatโs been programmed into us, and begin to realize โ guess what? โ Weโre one global family; weโre one rainbow colored tribe; weโre all expressing divinity uniquely โ and the very moment we begin to get that, when we begin to move from that place in Unisom, weโre going to begin to see innovation and creativity come together in a way that we have not been able to see and perceive because weโve been too busy trying to prove that somebodyโs version of Reality is better than other personโs version of Reality. Instead of just getting it โHey, weโre all in this together, as Ramdha so beautifully and elegantly said, โWeโre all just walking each other home.โ
[1:12:12] Sahara:
And I think that weโre starting to see almost this fading away of religion in the way that it was and religion becoming more of a cultural thing, than this radical belief system because this younger generation is seeing right through that and I think thereโs always going to be a sense of โIโm Jewish because of my Jewish descent, or Hindu because of honoring thatโ But I know so many people, maybe a lot of people listening right now is like โWell, I love the Goddesses and I love the Yoga, am I a Hindu now?โ And then wanting to cling on and now have this new title, and I think what youโre speaking into is just moving past any sort of label and just being One with God, Goddess, Source, Universe.
[1:12:50] Panache:
Exactly! Because God does not fit in the box.
[1:12:55] Sahara:
I think we just, especially in our Western society, lack this initiation, these cultural components. We feel so sanitized, so weโre like โI want to be a Buddhist because it comes with all these cool cultural things and rituals; or I want to be a Hindu; or I want to be this or I want to be that.โ
So what do you to someone who is really yearning for something more? Should they try to โconvertโ to a religion?
[1:13:20] Sahara:
Be whatever you want to be, but understand that you are the self experiencing yourself as a Buddhist; you are the self experiencing yourself as a Christian; you are the self experiencing yourself as a Muslim; you are the self experiencing yourself as a Hindu; you are the self experiencing yourself as a Sikh; you are the self experiencing yourself as a Jain; you are the self experiencing yourself through a myriad of different forms. But when you truly have that moment of revelation, you realize that we are all a part of the same self.
Be what you want to be, believe what you want to believe โ as long as it directs you toward Peace – go for it! If for some reason it doesnโt direct you toward Peace, then realize that thereโs maybe something else thatโs available to you, thatโs more resonant with you and thatโs more in harmony with you.
But at the end of the day, again, every soul is on its own perfect journey, and every soul will pick up whatever it needs to pick up to return to harmony and balance. If we stop judging other people and stop focusing on other peopleโs choices and their decisions, and we stay true to what weโre going through, weโll realize that everything is unfolding perfectly; everything is unfolding in harmony and we donโt need to be in opposition to any of it.
[1:14:40] Sahara:
Yes, and I think it comes down to trusting your perfection as you began with of you donโt need anything else, you donโt need to go on this quest of learning and becoming something else to finally become spiritual. And I think that thatโs even what a lot of this cultural appropriation even comes from of โOh, now if I get these tattoos and these dreadlocks and these piercings, then Iโll look spiritual, be spiritual etc.โ and itโs just dropping everything. Sometimes, I donโt even want to say the most spiritual people because thereโs no hierarchy in it, but you can be spiritual in any context.
[1:15:14] Panache:
Absolutely, because you are a manifestation of God. Once you realize that you are a unique manifestation of God, everything becomes spiritual, because how you see yourself is how you see and perceive the world.
You see, I think whatโs been missing, if I can say that something is missing, and I canโt even say that because really, thereโs nothing missing, but just really in the context to just give people an example.
Thereโs been a lack of acceptance of oneself in the world, so because we donโt accept and embrace who we are, and because weโre constantly living in this notion that something is missing, but looking outside of ourselves for something different than what we have. But hereโs what people need to remember. The same infinite being that made you is right now animating all of life and is continuing to unfold infinity further and further out into infinity. So how could you have been made by mistake? How can any part of you be a mistake? We are the religion we are; we are the spirituality we are; we pick up the spirituality that resonates with us and is all a part of our journey home โ everything is a part of our journey home. And in the end, we came from Love; weโre here to remember that weโre Love; and weโre going to go back to Love. Thatโs all it is.
So I am all for everyone doing everything. As long as youโre in harmony with your heart; as long as youโre in harmony with yourself and it brings you peace, and it gives you a sense of connection to who you are at the deepest level, then why not pursue them? To me, itโs almost like pursuing that is more important than pursuing fame, money, success and everything else. I would much rather, move toward that which brings me peace because that is sustainable; thatโs real. Because that peace is who we really are.
[1:17:10] Sahara:
So beautifully said, thank you so much for all of your wise words, your affirmations, I think we could all feel and resonate this to be true, so thank you for that beautiful reminder.
And where can listeners connect with you further and grab your books and do your meditations?
[1:17:28] Panache:
So the best place is probably to go to the website which is panachedesai.com and please join me for my daily call to calm meditations, 9:00am Eastern everyday โ everybodyโs welcome. And itโs just your opportunity, during this time of uncertainty, to connect with the Peace that is your natural state of being. So come and join me there.
[1:17:55] Sahara:
Thank you so much for sharing with us.
[1:17:57] Panache:
Thank you for just so beautifully expressing all that youโre expressing. Iโm very grateful for you. And Iโm grateful for all the ways in which youโre showing up.
And the next time anyone has any issue with you being in the way that you are, you point them in my direction and Iโll helpfully write you a note. In the same way that I had to write this beautiful Kirtan person a note to sing the Gayatri Mantra, Iโm happy to write everyone a note. Because you know what? – The only thing that matters is the degree to which weโre expressing out Love, and our Joy, and our Peace โ express that and set the world free!
[1:18:36] Sahara:
Thank you so much. And we all get to give that permission slip to ourselves. Write ourselves that note. We get to be who we want to be. No more hiding. So thank you.
[1:18:46] End of Interview
[1:18:47] Sahara:
How beautiful was that conversation with Panache Desai! He is someone who is so filled with gems of wisdom and I think it is so important at this time to reconnect to that larger part of you, the part of you that knows your soulโs self because the world outside of us is always going to be chaotic and if we lose touch with our true divine nature then we lose touch with our Dharma.
So be sure to check out his book โYou Are Enoughโ and dive deeper into his work.
Donโt forget that this month we are tapping into the frequency of Lemuria, the Ancient Civilization based off of living by the Heart; connecting to Earth; connecting to Community; honoring that Mermaid, Dolphin, playful, inquisitive, deep and curious energy that exists in all of us and reconnecting to our Goddess selves in Rose Gold Goddesses.
You can get the Lemuria Circle on its own or join Rose Gold Goddesses and also have access to my Healing and Embodiment Through Dance Course; my Awaken Your Powers Master Class with Shaman Durek, and so much more.
Did I mention that there is a community of over 2000 Spiritual Soul Sisters who you get to connect with? Yeah! Come join us! Community is more needed than ever because you need your sisters who, when things get rough, when itโs very easy to jump ship on your Dharma and your soul self, those girls are going to remind you to stay anchored and lead by example as well. So, come join us, join that community โ the Sat Song in Rose Gold Goddesses, the link is rosegoldgoddesses.com it is in the show notes, and Iโm soul excited to meet you inside.
If you loved this episode, I would love to send you a free gift which is the first half of my unreleased book โEat Right for Your Mind Body Typeโ. This is a different book than โEat Feel Freshโ. My first book ever which is not released anywhere, and I am gifting it exclusively to those who leave a review of my podcast in the iTunes store. So all youโve got to do is head over to iTunes where youโre maybe listening to this podcast and leave a review, take a screenshot that youโve left it and email it over to me at [email protected] and I will send you back the first half of my unreleased book โEat Right for Your Mind Body Typeโ, which goes all into Ayurveda, Doshas, Plant-Based Nutrition, Body Types – all of the things in a really fun and engaging way. So this is my gift to you for free for supporting the podcast. Every single review I personally read. It really helps the podcast be listened to by more people so we can raise the vibration of the planet together, and I am soul grateful to have you on this journey.
Thank you so much for listening and Iโll see you on the next episode. Namaste.
Episode 307: You Are Enough with Panache Desai
By Sahara Rose
