Janani -The Divine Butterfly!
“ The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough”
— Rabindranath Tagore
April 25, 2016
Today marked the beginning of the most intense and profound experience in my life. Like her name, she became the origin of everything for me. My emotions began to erupt like an ocean with strong currents that pulled me to depths I could have never imagined in my life. Rather a gradual transformation journey towards becoming a better human being!
I discovered Janani first in my daily meditation dreams on this day and every day and then met her in person soon. And again in my yesterday’s meditations too! Is it Serendipity at work?
The first time I met her in person is something I can never forget. It was Dec 19, 2016. Despite my strong muscle pull in my leg on the previous night, I showed up. When she spoke, I could sense so much childlike joy and happiness in her!
I felt a very strong connection with her. We spoke as if we knew each other for many lifetimes. And it felt as if we were just catching up from where we left! I thought something about her eyes indicated that I had met her someplace. May be some other life time?
Over the next few months, we got very close and I could share literally anything and everything in my life with her. And we would have animated conversations on any subject. For the first time I felt, this relationship is something very special; had never felt so close to anyone like this before in my life. I thought I never have a best friend in life until she came along in my life.
A couple of months passed by. One day I realized that the Goddess Janani I have been visualizing in my daily meditation and my dear friend Janani on Earth are indeed one and the same. Because a number of events that happened in my meditation dreams were playing out in my real life with my dear friend. After a long time, I rediscovered my playful side of my personality. Because for a long time I have been a workaholic and did not have balance in my life and she helped me bring out that side of me beautifully. I found her to be such a happy soul and this obviously had a positive impact on me.
I also learned that my friend Janani’s life is similar to that of a Butterfly. I could draw many parallels to the Butterfly and her.
We all know that the average life expectancy of people is 80 years. And a butterfly lives a maximum of one year. Don’t you think that the butterfly has lived that one year moment by moment so beautifully? We all know that living in the ‘NOW’ is the key to happiness.
Like the butterfly, she goes through multiple transformations every now and then and emerges more beautiful and divine.
Just as the butterfly flies from one flower to another and gives joy and happiness to the flower, nature, and the people around it, she gives happiness to anyone and everyone in her daily life. It is absolutely fascinating to watch her interact with people. Right from a little child to an 8o-year-old adult, she can strike an instant rapport and make them smile and laugh instantly. I have not seen someone like that before!
The average butterfly is small and beautiful and so is she.
As the butterfly is selfless and giving, I have found Janani to be selfless and giving.
Just as the butterfly’s dance is so beautiful and graceful, it is a beauty to watch her dance [though I have not been fortunate enough yet to watch her dance, I do know that she is an amazing dancer!]
As the butterfly’s dance indicates the need for movement, to reach its next phase of being, she has chosen a profession to help people transform themselves beautifully. And her emphasis on physical movement through various techniques to change our emotional state is amazing.
I believe the butterfly is considered in certain cultures as a symbol of the Soul. My friend truly connects at the Soul level with me and many others.
Butterflies teach us to do things byte-sized and over a period of time, our accomplishments are bigger. Janani strongly believes in this concept and practices it every day.
The Butterflies believe in the natural flow. The classic case is metamorphosis. When the time is right they emerge beautifully. Similarly, I have found that Janani will always insist on ideas or creations to flow naturally and emerge at an appropriate time. Not to force upon it. I used to find it tough to fathom, but now I get her.
Being fragile, the butterflies have to develop the ability to float upon a breeze and fly. It calls for higher intelligence. Being an amazing believer in the power of the mind, she creates new neural pathways every now and then by tricking the brain to overcome her challenges and achieve her goals.
The butterflies are dancing constantly while they flitter among the flowers. It teaches us to not take seriously our lives. Janani is truly a living example of how to not take ourselves so seriously. This is the greatest quality I have found in her ever since the day I met her. Absolutely beautiful and divine.
Butterflies teach that change can occur gently and joyfully as one wishes. Janani is a firm believer and practitioner that change has to occur from a space of effortlessness, joy, and gentleness. I have experienced this through her coaching sessions and practice it consistently.
When I look back on my relationship with Janani, I am reminded of these beautiful words by Spiritual Teacher Ram Dass:
“When you go out into the woods, and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree.
The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying ‘You are too this, or I’m too this.’ That judgment mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are.”
― Ram Dass
Janani … you have really taught me to accept people as they are, to be more compassionate, more kind, love everyone unconditionally and ‘Live in the Now’. Thank you!
And I love visualizing you in many Avatars. Sometimes a Butterfly. Sometimes a Goddess. Sometimes an Angel.
Note: Janani is a fictitious name to protect the identity of the real person.
References: Dance like the Butterfly, Trish Phillips.
