Category: personal

This is an image of a coffee plant in an article on Energy Works In Mysterious Ways by Haripriya Suraj, Reiki Master
energy medicine, law of attraction, personal

Energy Works In Mysterious Ways

Haripriya Suraj

I love the mysterious ways in which energy works.

In the years 2006-2007, I often traveled past a hospital in Bangalore.

Every time I passed by the hospital, my attention was drawn to that space and I found myself looking at it until I passed the entire stretch it occupied. I felt a sense of peace when I saw it.

When I met Suraj in 2007, he told me he worked for that hospital and had been there since 2006.

Coincidence?

Not sure.

I believe we have ways of picking up on certain vibes, without knowing immediately what they may mean.

Similarly, exactly a week before I met Suraj, I was walking out of home, while he was entering an office space adjacent to my home for some work.

And how do I know this?

When I met him the following week, he offered to drop me back home. And when he saw where I lived, he told me he had been right next door exactly a week back. And when we traced this even further back in time, we realised that the time I walked out and he walked in was almost the same!

I loved a buzzing neighbourhood in our city and often dreamt of living there someday. At the same time, I also loved coffee plantations and the solitude of nature. Post our marriage, circumstances got us to move into this neighbourhood I always dreamt of living in. And a year after living in an apartment, we were offered accommodation at the residential campus of the hospital located in the same neighbourhood.

And guess what?

This campus, despite being bang in the middle of the city, was Paradise On Earth. It was lush green and had varieties of exotic trees and birds. Things began to feel even more magical when I discovered that the house we were allotted also had a coffee plant in its backyard! The doctor who had stayed there prior to us hailed from a plantation family. So, he planted the coffee, apart from several other beautiful plants and trees, including an orange tree!

I can create a long list of such sweetly mysterious experiences that I have had.

However, I will stop at this.

Sure, it may all just be a string of coincidences. Even assuming it is nothing more than coincidence, I think it still is pretty amazing!

I personally believe we attract whatever matches our vibe and our deepest desires, and that if we look close enough, we will see an invisible thread of energy running between us and everything that is in our life.

This image shows a clock amidst trees in a blog post on Valentine's Day by Haripriya Suraj
personal, when spirit meets science

Blast From The Past : Life Lessons On Valentine’s Day

Haripriya Suraj

This Valentine’s Day felt different!

Suraj and I celebrated by going for a walk in the neighbourhood we resided in when we were newly married.

We lived in a simple yet cosy apartment back then.

When we stopped by our old home, we had some sweet reminiscences. We followed that up with some ‘compare and contrast’ to where we stand today.

And here’s what came up-

  1. We had all the time in the world back then! Our work was our primary responsibility. Once I got back from school (where I taught) and he from hospital, we had plenty of time to chat, go on long walks, play board games and do anything we wanted to. Now, with two kids and several responsibilities, uninterrupted time feels like a luxury! We have to seek support from family in order to get quality time together. And while being parents is very rewarding, we agreed we must also continue to be present for each other, like we were in the beginning of our relationship.
  2. In our first home, we enjoyed sipping tea in our tiny balcony that had magnificent trees forming a canopy over it. We continue to enjoy spending time in our current balcony. and have several plants for company.However, we do miss the presence of trees. I personally feel being out in nature is healing to body, mind and spirit and must be made priority. We agreed it would be good to visit our local botanical garden at least once a month and connect to trees. Count yourself lucky if you live in the vicinity of trees!
  3. During our early days, the inside stories of the medical world were new to me and felt much like a thriller movie! Apart from cancer surgery, Suraj also tended to general surgical cases back then and was frequently on call. This meant he had to rush to hospital in the middle of the night in case a patient requiring emergency surgery showed up. Every time his phone rang in the night, I would awaken too and begin to wonder what kind of a case had presented in the Emergency Room! Was it appendicitis? Intestinal obstruction? Trauma? (These were the most common emergencies that showed up). How was the patient? Would he or she become alright? I felt concerned about his patients although I didn’t see or know them. I still ask about how his patients are doing (now they are primarily cancer patients). But after all these years, I know what to expect and everything feels routine. Remembering my wide-eyed, open-eared younger self, brought some of that childlike wonder and innocence back into my being! The next morning, I found myself wondering what would unfold in hospital during the course of the day and how all the patients in the wards were doing! I told myself I must initiate deeper conversations with Suraj about his professional life! Taking interest in what our spouse does can help them feel good and strengthen the relationship.

I believe revisiting the past can be helpful in some ways. We may grow wiser as we age, However, our younger selves also had many strengths and lived through some happy moments. Integrating the good from our past (strengths as well as memories) into our current life and personality can bring more enrichment.

Having relived some good moments, we ended the evening sipping iced tea at a mall that was one of our favourite hangouts from 2007 to 2017.

In 2017, we moved to a different neighbourhood. Life here is very different and I will probably reflect on it in a later post.

It was a Valentine’s Day well spent.

I trust this article will inspire you to honour your unique journey, revisit your past, review your life and unearth some beautiful jewels to bring into your present!

This image shows Haripriya Suraj & Suraj Manjunath, the authors of When Spirit Meets Science
personal, when spirit meets science

Happy Birthday, Dear Soulmate!

Haripriya Suraj

When I looked into your eyes for the first time, I felt like you were so very familiar…

As I looked deeper, I sensed safety, warmth, gentleness, depth, strength, and stability.

You are a perfect embodiment of the Divine Masculine.

When we got talking, I realized I must have known you for eternity…

For never in my life have I spoken at such length to someone I barely knew.

And I know I haven’t stopped talking since that beautiful evening we met…

Thank you for being so patient with my rambling stories!

Thank you for loving and accepting me for who I am.

On this special day, I would like to take a moment to celebrate who you are –

Highly intelligent, in every sense of the world

Super-Skilled Surgeon

Wizard of Science & Finance

Devoted Son, Committed Husband, and Doting Father

Witty, Loving, Kind

Human Being with Elevated Consciousness

And my Soul Mentor in Unconditional Love…

Thank you for being a part of my journey.

Love you always! Happy birthday!

Haripriya

This image describes books that heal in a post by Haripriya Suraj on law of attraction in Whne Spirit Meets Science
law of attraction, personal

Empowering Books: Notes From The Universe

Haripriya Suraj

Year 2007 – I was in a dark place. Life had presented me with multiple challenges through the years and I was exhausted. I was struggling to find –

  1. A sense of stability
  2. True and fulfilling love
  3. Peace of mind
  4. Freedom from fear and fear based conditioning
  5. Healing of old traumas

I explored several self-help tools and techniques to support myself – handwriting analysis, gemology, meditation, dance therapy, and law of attraction studies. I benefitted in different ways from each of them and am grateful for the role they played in helping me create a refreshing new life.

November 2007 – I trained in Reiki. Reiki practice helped me clean up residual clutter from my life. And I also found a book that turned my life around.

I was casually strolling through a bookstore with no intention of buying a book, when one particular book caught my attention – ‘Notes From The Universe’ by Mike Dooley!

I felt an instant connection to this book and sat down to read it. I found myself staring open-mouthed at the content within this book. Each word I read helped me feel alive. Every word rang true deep within my heart. I knew I hadn’t found this book by chance. I was super thrilled. I purchased a copy of this book and raced home to read the remainder of it over a soothing cup of tea!

The law of attraction exercises I had been practicing until this point had certainly put me on the path of ‘conscious manifestation.’ However, ‘Notes From The Universe’ helped me take the law of attraction to a whole new level. It helped me develop a personal connection with the Universe. Every time I read the book, I felt like I was actually conversing and laughing along with the Universe. I had loads of fun manifesting the life I dreamt of!

My days were filled with more joy than ever before. I practiced creative visualization for a few minutes each day. And I did take baby steps towards my dreams as constantly recommended by dear old Universe in the book.

And lo and behold! In less than a month’s time, my life’s circumstances shifted almost miraculously and brought in everything I needed, desired, and more.

Now, does this mean I have had no problems in life since then?

Not at all!

I am human too and have my fair share of troubles to deal with.

However, the difference now is that I try to view and address life’s ‘problems’ from the standpoint of the Universe and its metaphysical laws, while also taking necessary practical steps to resolve them. This approach brings more ease into my journey.

I believe the Universe is indeed a magical place, ever willing to reveal its magic to each one of us. All we need to do is open our eyes, minds, and hearts to this magic and allow it to carry us along.

this image shows a happy family in an article in tv shows that heal by Haripriya Suraj on When Spirit Meets Science
entertainment that heals, personal

Movies & TV Shows That Heal: Modern Family

Haripriya Suraj

While a lot of content on television can throw sensitive people off balance, there is also some great high vibrational content that has the potential to bring joy, laughter, and healing to our lives!

Being a sensitive person, I have never been a big fan of television. Covid forced us to remain indoors for so long. During the extended lockdowns, my husband Suraj inspired me to drop my bias against television and introduced me to some great content. As a result, I have begun to enjoy some daily ‘productive’ TV time!

I have to acknowledge that each movie or show we have watched so far has brought healing in some form – to myself, my marriage, my relationship with my children, my role as a healer, and my existence as a human being.

In this post, I would like to reflect on a television series called ‘Modern Family.’ We have been watching it on Disney Hotstar. It has a total of eleven seasons and we just completed watching nine seasons.

This show tracks the journey of three families who are related.

One is what we would label a ‘conventional family’- with a father, mother, and three children. The parents get married and bear children at the ‘perfect age’ (by worldly standards).

The second one is a non-conventional family – with same-sex parents and one child.

The third family is also somewhat non-conventional. There is a huge age gap between husband and wife, and they are from different cultures. The wife has a young son from a previous marriage. The husband has two adult children from his previous marriage (they are part of the first two families). This couple has another baby together and the husband becomes a father again at 60 plus years of age!

The show traces the journey of these three families, as separate entities as well as a combined unit. Each family has its own set of strengths as well as challenges. Each character has managed to touch upon the depths of what it means to be human.

Joy, laughter, togetherness, playfulness

Sadness, fear, envy, anger, competition

Frustration, helplessness

Love, romance, sexuality

Almost all emotions and aspects of life have been captured with a dash of humour and lightness. Like everyone else, the families experience the routine ups and downs of life. But no matter what unfolds between them or around them, one element always remains intact – love.

Core Learnings From This Series

  1. Life is easier when we don’t take it too seriously
  2. All of us are broken in some ways and that’s OK!
  3. It is safe to feel and express (appropriately) different emotions
  4. Everyone is operating on different timelines and comparison between people is futile. Depending on our life’s circumstances, we may reach certain milestones early in life and others late.
  5. Love is the essence of life. As long as there is love, there is hope. Without love, the world would be ‘dead.’

Considering that this show has its roots in western culture, some aspects of it may not appeal to the sensibilities of an eastern audience.

Initially, I could not relate to certain parts of the show either. However, I put culture aside and decided to take only the value the show offered on a human level. And it does offer huge value!

Kudos to the team that created this series and to all the actors who have put up a brilliant performance. Thanks to each of you, my evenings are filled with lightness and laughter!

healing pregnancy loss in a blog post by Haripriya Suraj in When Spirit Meets Science
energy medicine, modern medicine, personal, pregnancy loss, when spirit meets science

Reaching Out To Babies In Heaven

Haripriya Suraj

The loss of a pregnancy, no matter how early or late it occurs, can be a devastating blow to the mother and father. This post is dedicated to all women and men who have lost their children to complications in pregnancy or birth, or even later in life.

You are not alone. Your pain is valid. Pregnancy loss may be a relatively common occurrence but that doesn’t make it any less painful. Acknowledging your pain is the first step to healing it.

When you get a positive pregnancy test, you assume a little human being will land in your arms at the end of nine months. Rarely do you imagine that something could go horribly wrong midway and that the baby won’t make it.

Our first child, baby angel Siri, left this planet even before she could take birth. I developed life-threatening pre-eclampsia during the latter part of pregnancy. This condition halted the growth of the baby and put my own life at risk too.

Thanks to advances in medicine and timely intervention, doctors managed to save my life. However, we had to let the baby go.

I grieved the loss of Siri for years. I experienced episodes of anger, blame, inadequacy, frustration, and helplessness.

On the physical level, I couldn’t understand (and still don’t) why a young and perfectly healthy woman like myself had to develop a random life-threatening condition. On the soul level though, I believe there was a higher reason for this incident.

To some extent, I am able to intuitively decipher the reason behind this seemingly unfortunate incident but I have not found all the pieces of the puzzle yet. It feels like there are way too many pieces and I am waiting for all of them to fit together and reveal the complete picture to me.

I trust I will find my answer one day when I am fully ready to know, understand and accept it.

It took me several years to come to some acceptance of Siri’s loss. By the Grace of the Divine, we are now blessed with two beautiful children and I love them with all my heart.

Along with my two incarnated angels, I will always love and honour Siri as one of our offspring. I didn’t get to hold her in my arms. But that doesn’t change the fact that she was our first baby.

When I give Siri her rightful place within the family, I find that my love for my other two children multiplies.

Siri may not be here in physical form but I often sense her presence on the energetic level. I cannot offer a logical explanation for this because energy doesn’t always work in logical ways. Many experiences in life have to be taken on trust. I prefer to enjoy such moments for what they offer, minus the analysis.

On this anniversary of her transitioning to the higher planes, I felt inspired to pen down a heartfelt note-

Dearest Baby Angel Siri,

The time we spent together was brief. I wish things had been different. I wish I could have held you and nurtured you.

Our separation seems to have been part of a higher plan. My mind doesn’t understand it but my soul knows there is more to this separation than just pain and misery. I trust that when the time is right, the ‘human me’ will manage to retrieve the answers to my burning questions from the ‘soul me.’

I choose to clear all subconscious and unconscious energy distortions behind this occurrence with the beautiful words of Ho’oponopono-

I am sorry

Please forgive me

I love you

Thank you

I trust these words will transform all pain – hidden and otherwise – and bring healing to you, me, and all involved.

I will always love you from the bottom of my heart. I pray that you are free and happy, wherever you are.

And we will meet again, somewhere across time and space…

This time in the best of circumstances, in accordance with divine will and in perfect divine timing.

This is my promise to you, little one…

Love

Mama

Mindful eating in a blog by Haripriya Suraj in When Spirit Meets Science
energy medicine, modern medicine, personal, reiki, science, when spirit meets science

Life Lessons in Mindful-Scientific Eating

Haripriya Suraj

Thanks to Reiki, I took to the practice of ‘mindful eating’ quite effortlessly and practiced it for years. Reiki helped me tune in to my body completely, knowing exactly how much I ought to feed it and when to stop.

Of late though, the responsibilities of parenting a young child have thrown me off track. I have not been practicing mindful eating and my body has been acting up. I have been trying to schedule my meals around my little one’s nap times so I can enjoy eating in silence. This need to enjoy solitude at any cost has taken a toll on my body. I have had episodes of acid reflux and have needed to pop antacids to soothe my tummy.

My husband Suraj, who has been observing my lifestyle for a while now, brought my attention to the fact that my eating habits have become less than ideal – both from the scientific as well as energetic perspective.

Some points that came forth from the discussion include –

Eating Small and Frequent Meals – I had gotten into the habit of allowing myself to go hungry until my baby slept. The hidden unconscious agenda behind this was that I could relish huge meals at one go (without needing to attend to anything else). I was helped to understand that this strategy isn’t working in my favour and that smaller, more frequent meals are best for the tummy. Eating up to 80% of the stomach’s capacity at a given meal time and leaving some room was recommended to me.

Relaxed and Mindful Eating – As I reflected on Suraj’s observations and suggestions, I also realized I had been eating in a state of hurry and worry. I was constantly anxious to finish eating before my little one could wake up. Add to this the fact that I was gulping down large meals, anyone looking would think I was deprived of food! From an energetic perspective, anxiety isn’t the best energy to put into your body while you nourish it with food.

I am so grateful these insights were brought into my awareness.

I recently resumed the practice of ‘mindful-scientific’ eating. Since I was very mindful, I noticed initially that every time I got ready to eat, my hands tensed up in preparation to grab and my tongue salivated at the mere sight of food on the plate. I realized I must have been approaching meal times in this unconscious manner for the last year or so.

When I became aware of the way my system was responding to food, I took a deep breath and told myself that I have all the food I need. I told myself I will be alright even if my little one wakes up in the middle of my meal. I stopped eating when my stomach was 80% full and ended the meal with a word of gratitude. My tummy feels light now and so does my mind.

Very often, we are unable to see our own blind spots. It is OK for others around us – family and friends- to show us the light!

divine feminine, divine masculine, haripriya suraj, suraj manjunath, when spirit meets science
energy medicine, personal, when spirit meets science

A Letter From The Divine Feminine To The Divine Masculine

Haripriya Suraj

The Feminine and Masculine Energies are an integral part of life. When they are in sync, life comes into greater balance.

In New Age circles, we refer to these energies as the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine.

The Divine Masculine is symbolic of action, rationality, precision, thinking, providing, planning and strategising.

The Divine Feminine is symbolic of being, intuiting, creating, feeling, nurturing, and flowing with life.

Both of these energies exist within us and all around us. It is perfectly normal for us to be more inclined towards one of these energies. However, it is also good to embrace the opposite energy when required. This way we tap into different strengths and come into greater wholeness within ourselves.

I have always been more inclined to the Divine Feminine. I had very little connection to the Divine Masculine until I met my partner Suraj.

He introduced the Divine Masculine component to me, simply by being who he was.

Initially, it seemed like we were polar opposites and I often wondered how we ended up together! But today, I see that these polar energies are not really opposing but complementary in nature. The Masculine and Feminine bring different strengths and each of them is needed in different scenarios.

Our journey began in December 2007, when we met for the first time, and has been ongoing. I am grateful for all the growth that has been made possible through the years.

On this note, the Divine Feminine in me feels inspired to write a note to acknowledge the Divine Masculine in in my own self, in Suraj and in all the men and women around me who embody it-

Dear Divine Masculine,

Thank you for coming to meet me exactly where I am, as an equal.

Thank you for revealing your strengths to me and for helping me find them within my own self.

Thank you for teaching me how to engage in fruitful thinking and analysis.

Thank you for being a provider, for planning life with care and precision, and for showing me how to do the same.

Thank you for encouraging me to play a nurturer’s role fully, while not hesitating to take on the same role yourself when required.

Thank you for showing me how to banish irrational fear and thought through the power of rationality.

Thank you for being my mirror and for triggering me in different ways so I could grow in areas that felt most uncomfortable to me.

Thank you for holding space for me when hormones wreak havoc in my physical body and I sink into depths of darkness.

Thank you for supporting my creative power and creations and for cheering me on to become better and better.

Thank you for loving and accepting me as I am, – dreamy, feely, and flowy…

Together, let us blend our strengths.

Together, let us explore the depths of unconditional love.

This is an image of Infant Jesus in a blog post by Haripriya Suraj on spiritual growth in her blog When Spirit Meets Science
personal, Spirit

Light Of Baby Jesus

Haripriya Suraj

The Infant Jesus Shrine in Bangalore has been one of my favourite places to visit right from the time that I was fifteen. Thursdays are considered sacred. People from different religions and walks of life visit the shrine every Thursday to light candles and pray.

Candles of varied colours are available to purchase. I have always felt drawn to the yellow ones and pick them without fail!

Over the years, my relationship with this beautiful space has evolved in different ways.

As a teenager, my primary focus was on coping with studies and exams. I mostly went to the shrine to summon divine support for academic accomplishment.

Thereafter, I asked for help with relationship challenges.

In 2007, I bumped into my soul partner Suraj and felt an instant connection with him. On the same day, I visited the shrine and spent time in meditation. I asked to be shown if my gut feeling about Suraj was accurate and requested divine grace to help this relationship go forward if it was for the highest good.

Some years later, I found myself there again, praying for strength to cope with pregnancy loss.

I have to admit that being in that space has helped me find immense strength to overcome different challenges in life. I am so very grateful for this.

Over the last few years though, there has been a shift.

I continue to visit the shrine to this day but find that I have nothing to ask for.

All I want to do now is meditate with yellow candles and bask in the lovely peaceful energy that engulfs the space,

All I want do is connect with the Christ Light of Baby Jesus.

To me, this Light represents joy, innocence, warmth, love and peace, and some other things that I cannot explain logically but feel within me when I meditate there.

When I look back on life, I feel grateful I was supported through my ups and downs, and that even the most challenging moments brought forth some wonderful lessons and gifts.

Since 2007, Reiki and other spiritual practices have helped me build inner strength. I now feel so deeply connected to the Force of Life that I don’t feel the need anymore to ask the Divine for anything.

I trust that when I am in the flow of life, living in accordance with my soul’s purpose and doing all I can to become better each day, everything I need (and not necessarily want) shall come to me.

When I meditate with my yellow candles before Infant Jesus today, I feel an inexplicable sense of peace, contentment and gratitude, to the point that I find myself in tears at times.

I am not sure if my connection with the shrine will evolve further over the years. But no matter what, this gem of a place will always hold a special place in my heart!

This image shows Reiki in a bblog post on Reiki by Haripriya Suraj in the blog When Spirit Meets Science
energy medicine, personal, reiki, Spirit, when spirit meets science

The Many Gifts Of Reiki

Haripriya Suraj

I placed my palms on my body and felt them warming up in a way that I had never experienced before.

The warmth transformed into intense heat at times and tingling at other times.

I looked at my hands with a sense of wonder! What had just happened?

Was it magic at work?

Or a miracle?

Or was it something ‘normal’ that felt miraculous because it was new?

I would say it was a bit of all!

November 2007 – A significant time period when I began my Reiki training ; significant because my life since then has been built on this foundation of Reiki practice.

Apart from warm healing hands that bring peace and comfort each day, some other gifts that Reiki brought into my life include-

1. Love and reverence for my physical body and inspiration to take good care of it

2. Deep rest and relaxation

3. Heightened awareness of unhelpful thoughts and mental patterns

4. Ability to let go of or transform aspects of life that weren’t working so new people and opportunities could come in

5. Profound spiritual growth and strength

I am so grateful for all the gifts Reiki practice brings.

To me, Reiki is pure love.

After all these years, I am accustomed to the sensation of my hands warming up. I do miss the ‘wowness’ of how it felt in the beginning!

While that ‘wow’ was like the euphoria brought on by love at first sight, my relationship with Reiki today is like a solid partnership of love that is built with someone over years. And that is so beautiful as well.

What do you love about Reiki?