WORDS: ANIMA MUNDI
PHOTOS: FROM PRIVATE ARCHIVE
Rupda, has a long history of producing a broad range of workshops, events and gatherings worldwide since 1983. She has lived in Europe, India, USA and Australia and is the founder of, Divine Meetings. She has assisted in many workshops and trainings with Turiya Hanover over the years. Rupda has also been with the Path of Love since 2000. Her passion is bringing people together to connect with themselves and with others authentically.
She also studied Hypnosis Mastery with Stephan Gilligan. Life Mastery with Tony Robbins. 13 years of Enneagram & Essence Trainings with Turiya Hanover. Is an NLP Practitioner and studied under John Grinder. NVC with Dorset Campbell-Ross. Obtains a Working with People™ Training certificate, is a certified Holistic Counsellor with S.I.A.F. and a certified Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner from Peter Levine’s SE Institute of Trauma Healing
WHEN WAS THE MOMENT WHEN YOU FELT AWAKEN TO LOVE?
That’s quite a question. Hmm. I believe the first moment was in the 70’s when I was a child and my mother took me to a Tibetan Buddhist commune in Scotland, called, Samye Ling. There, I found myself in the company of Tibetan monks, many of whom didn’t speak any English, but this made for a profound experience because without words, much more was exchanged in the silence. I felt their presence. I felt their compassion. I felt their love. This was a different experience than ‘mothers love’; this was in many ways, a magical and mystical experience, especially for a young child. I couldn’t identify, or name what it was, but I knew I was drawn to them. They held a particular way of being that I had never seen before and I remember feeling so much love and gentleness from them; for a child from London it was an awakening experience. Aside from my mothers love, this was my first experience of feeling unconditional love and acceptance. A gift I have treasured ever since.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO ARRIVE TO THIS POINT OF AWAKENING?
I don’t feel I have arrived to a point of awakening. I feel like Life keeps teaching us many lessons along the way and we are continuously learning. So, the best I can say is that I’m bringing more and more awareness to what separates me from this awakening.
WHAT DID YOU FIND AT THE END OF THE ROAD AND AS CONCLUSION OF YOUR (RE) SEARCH?
I have by no means reached a place at the end of the road. I feel that this life experience is a continued journey and for some of us, maybe many of us, will go on discovering until our last breath. One of the jewels that I have found along the way, is compassion with ourselves. Being gentle with ourselves. We are so hard on ourselves and that voice inside sometimes feels so loud and can be so crippling to our joy and happiness. When we are compassionate with ourselves, we are then kinder to ourselves even when we make mistakes. This has been a precious learning. It’s a simple one. Though, not enough people apply it to their daily lives, but when remembered, it can transform your day.
WHEN YOU CAME TO THE END OF ROAD, WAS THE RESULT SOMETHING YOU EXPECTED OR SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY SURPRISING FOR YOU?
My personal experience so far has been one of opening doors. In my workshops, I always use the metaphor of an “internal-house”. The house represents the individual and each rooms in the house represents a feeling, or state of being. So, for example, we have a room for frustration, a room for stress, a room for anxiety, as well as, a room for joy, a room for happiness, and so on. Some of us know these rooms very well. Some people live in the room of anxiety, or the room of depression, but their door is closed off to their other rooms, such as the room for joy and even the room for love. This is just a metaphor to explain how people live with themselves. Some people are scared to open doors inside because their scared to feel too much, and yet, once we get familiar with ourselves and how we feel inside, we start to open up more and more to those we love. So, I am opening up more and more doors in myself, and learning to be more comfortable with myself. Each room presents a new challenge, such as the room of vulnerability, where many people don’t want to go, but as I have discovered, it’s not that bad and much healing can be done if I’m willing to embrace each part of myself.
DO YOU THINK THAT THIS WAY OF AWAKENING OF LOVE IS FOR EVERYBODY?
The Awakening of Love workshop is not for everyone. I always say, it’s only for people who really want to make a genuine shift in their lives. Who are really read to reevaluate their lives and how they ended up where they are today and how much they are ready for something to change because they’re frustrated, or unhappy. Then, I say to those people, you’re ready for the Awakening of Love.
CAN YOU TELL US IF THIS THERAPY IS WELL KNOWN IN THE WORLD?
Each facilitator of an Awakening of Love will bring different skill sets to how they work with people. My primary approach is in Somatic Experiencing™, NLP, NVC and Hypnosis. Though, my life experience having been with a mystical & philosophical teacher, named, Osho, for 38 years was my biggest influence. His teachings and meditations have shaped who I am today and how I work with people.
THE TOPIC FOR THIS ISSUE OF RYL E-MAGAZINE IS “THE COSMOS IN YOUR HEART”. WHAT IS THE COSMOS FOR YOU? DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE A COSMOS IN YOUR HEART?
Yes, why not, after all we are all made of stars!
The cosmos is spacious and has a big capacity to hold a lot and so does the heart. When we begin to open our hearts again, just like when we were little children, wide-eyed with wonderment, our hearts grow big and spacious and we are able to hold a lot… a lot of joy, happiness, gratitude and compassion.
