The Green Guru: On Authentic Spirituality and Why I Keep Mine Secret

A story about sitting with anger, spiritual bypassing, and finding your soul sister through Oprah Magazine

Brett's Wisdom: An Invitation to Sit with Your Demons

"Sit with your anger, Lana. Invite it into your space (like Rumi says), let it linger, don't fight it, don't rationalize with it or judge it. It will eventually, quietly pack up and leave." - Brett

Sitting with your anger—teeter-totter style—or whatever the hell emotions you've been wrestling with (just look at my vocab; they don't inspire healing) ain't a walk in the park. But it needs to be done if you want to swiftly sail through the next stage of your life.

The Real Talk About Emotional Work

A big part of this torturous endeavour is that unlike therapy, where you get to pick who to blame for all your misfortunes, the name of the game here is "own it." Full responsibility is the MO. It's also a slow process that requires much self-introspection and reflection.

Having said that, this is not the Instagram gurus' type of motivational talk. There's no beating your ego with a stick—it's gentle, non-judgemental, and conscientious. Yeah, yeah... and painful.

Why I'm Not Here to Preach to the Struggling

See, life can suck. Contrary to the very privileged mantras of people who have no real problems in their lives, the majority of humans struggle and suffer for real. For example, the biggest predictor of chronic disease and early death isn't "not enough saunas or organic produce," but poverty, full stop.

So it's not all in your head, or about "not showing up" (to the gym—eye roll), or whatever the trend is. How dare I preach to people who have very little control over their lives?

What I'm referring to here is the life of the soul—your innermost intimate existence. (Nope, not the weird stuff you do behind closed doors... jeez.)

The Inner Game: Why Your Soul Matters More Than Your Circumstances

Here's what we know: if things are kinda sorted inside, you can be happy, fulfilled, and kicking ass no matter who/what/where you are. But if your innards are like dungeons and dragons, even if the whole world were at your fingertips, you'll still be found spread-eagle on the bathroom floor sniffing laundry detergent.

No need to prove my point—just check the delightful news about the rich and famous.

Nothing makes a human happier and more at peace than living their true authentic self and

treading the path set for them. 

And let me astonish you here: your truthful self, your path, may be further from your current reality than Pepsi becoming the new superfood anytime soon.

My Secret Spiritual Life (And Why I Keep It That Way)

I'm no infant in the world of healing and spirituality. I've been dipping my toes—sometimes diving headfirst—into those deep waters for ages. I just don't like the culture of it. Something about those new age tribes/cults/groups (nothing against them) makes my skin crawl, so I keep a lid on this secret life of mine and share it with less than a handful of people.

One of those people is Zehra (not her real name), aka my soul sister.

How I Met My Soul Sister Through Oprah Magazine

Zehra is American, a pretty well-known writer whose essays have appeared in The New York Times, CNN, The Sunday Times (London), and elsewhere. This woman kicks ass as a mom, athlete (runner), and healer—a true superwoman if there ever was one.

I first got introduced to Zehra way back when I came across something she wrote for Oprah Magazine. When I finished reading her article, my sentiments were: WOW, a woman after my own heart. I was hooked ever since.

The Email That Changed Everything

Fast forward a few months. One not-too-thrilling day (I was up to my ears in studying), I check my email and BOOM—her name in my inbox. I never wrote her or commented on an article she wrote, so you can see my amazement.

Zehra introduced herself; a mutual friend (whom I didn't know was mutual) suggested she write me. The story: she was on this spiritual retreat with none other than a student of mine (told ya I had many lives). The leader of that group was a world-renowned scholar that I literally adore and idolize to this day—and whom Zehra was on a first-name basis with.

So my student told Zehra: "If you want to meet the female equivalent of this scholar dude, you gotta meet my mentor, LANA."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was that.

A Decade of Soul Connection

We've been intimate friends for almost 10 years, and our connection seems to evolve and strengthen as time goes by.

Last month, I collaborated with Zehra on a beautiful project, one that's so close to my heart. She was commissioned to write a few chapters for a book that will be published by a prestigious college in California; my job was as a consultant. I loved every part of it—the brainstorming, the weaving of story and characters, the research—all of it. And I am grateful (it's addicting).

Now Zehra and I have been talking about our next project, something so serious that it may alter the course of our lives. (Had to sprinkle some drama here—I mean, we are writers.) We make a good team. Besides, she has her hands in the publishing world, and I have mine in the world of action and risk-taking.

The Perception Project (Coming Soon)

I wanted to talk about perception and all that I've been toying with lately—it's been a major subject of research, study, and discussion with Zehra for more than a month now. But we kinda don't always get what we want.

So later, alligator...

If you're interested in authentic spiritual work (not the Instagram kind), here's a place to start: Thomas Hübl

To be continued...

Have you ever found your soul sister through a random magazine article? Or do you also keep your spiritual life under wraps? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments.