Consecrate Your Life
by Ariela Sarai
Consecration
In his book, Private Lessons, author Harry Palmer provides this especially relevant passage: “Profanation is the action of destroying the sacred quality of something. …Some people specialize in it. They do it to their relationships, and they even do it to their own lives. The opposite of profanation is consecration. Consecration means to make something sacred, to infuse it with the power of the extraordinary, to treat it with reverence and respect. Consecration is a re-connection with divine wonder….”
When I first learned about consecration, it seemed like a really big topic; something that only religious institutions and leaders do. In studying the Avatar materials, I realized that it is actually very relevant to my daily life, and also vital to my happiness and well-being.
Profanation
Profanation is the opposite of consecration. To me, profaning is when we make something ordinary instead of appreciating the mystery and the grace of that person or moment. We may also be profaning our relationships and lives without even realizing that this is what we are doing. Here are some of the many ways we profane our lives:
-Overriding our well-being as we try to accomplish certain goals
-Repeating habits that are self-destructive
-Repeating habits that are self-destructive
-Putting off what is most important to us
-Pretending
-Rushing
-Taking things for granted
-Judging and criticizing
-Controlling others
-Justifying not being present with, or kind to, or interested in, the people around us
The amazing thing is that once we start profaning, it can become automatic and starts to have a ripple effect. We end up minimizing the value of our purpose, our gifts, and our connections. Reaching our goals can seem more important than the present moment, and we end up stressed, unhappy, and disconnected.
Reconnect and Consecrate
On the other hand, consecration opens our hearts and helps us remember who we are and why we are here. There can be some resistance to making the switch from a habit of profaning to having more reverence. In the moment, it can feel like being interrupted or even forced. We may, in addition, even feel like these things are a waste of time! But once we let go of that attachment to the profaning behavior, we see things differently. We can then operate from a different level, where we are aware that connection, presence and the recognition of a higher purpose add to our joy and success, rather than take away from it.
“Extraordinary people consecrate their work, their relationships and their own lives… The common elements are love, reverence and respect…” –Harry Palmer, Private Lessons
Here are some of the ways that we can consecrate our own lives:
– Creating meaningful rituals
– Praying, meditating, practicing tai-chi, yoga and other forms of sacred movement
– Having compassion
– Deciding to be present
– Experiencing gratitude
– Doing acts of kindness
– Being honest with ourselves and others
– Having acceptance
– Choosing to be helpful to others
– Feeling enjoyment
Through the years of teaching The Avatar Course, I have observed that the main thing that keeps us from consecrating our lives is being stuck in our minds. This is when we mainly see through our stories and judgments, and when achieving our goals becomes more important than the journey.
In conclusion, we can start by having an intention to live more reverently. Then we can take one step at a time to become more present in our hearts and cherish our lives and each other.
About the Author
Ariela Sarai has been a Licensed Avatar® Master for 17 years. She teaches The Avatar Course full time around the USA. She offers a free session for anyone interested in exploring the Avatar tools. To learn more or sign up for her blog or free session visit www.powerofavatar.com
