What's in a Spiritual Name and How Do I Get One?
You may or may not know that earlier this year after the Feb 2017 dolphin retreat, the dolphins followed me everywhere on the mainland, showing up in unexpected places like the supermarket (i.e. a large inflatable dolphin smiling at me). I knew they were calling me - there was no doubt about that!
Not long after returning to the mainland, my new spiritual name, Makara, was birthed. It has many meanings but for me it signifies 1/2 dolphin and 1/2 ET. Since then I've wholeheartedly adopted the name, incorporating it in everything I do from my dolphin retreats to emails to social media accounts to my brand name ("Makara Inner Awakening") and beyond. "Makara" is everywhere now! Later on in the summer, someone pointed out to me that Makara was actually mentioned in a book called "The Yoga of Jesus" written by Yogananda (see photos).
Just the other day, I received an email from someone I hadn't seen or connected with in a long time and he wrote: "Makara is also a Sanskrit word for a point just above the third eye. When the kundalini pierces the last cap and reaches makara, it becomes stable and no longer drifts up and down. It's also likely to "turn the lights on" by opening the third eye. From there, awakening is a short distance to bindu and the crown. For some people like myself, makara is a very distinctive experience. :-)" What's significant about his comments is that I've been concentrating on opening my third eye this year! Coincidence? I think not. So grateful for my spiritual name - it feels fitting and so very right!
Not long after I posted about my spiritual name, someone wrote to me and asked "How Do I Get My Spiritual Name?" I wrote back and told her: "Your spiritual name usually comes about naturally - either your guides give it to you through your heart or someone, a friend, who is closely connected to you on a spiritual level somehow finds a name that fits you to a T - you try it out and find that it works. Or it can come about through a spiritual guru whom teachings you like/follow. It doesn't have to come exclusively from a "spiritual guru" though. It just needs to feel good, fit you like a "T" and matches the work or dharma you are doing. I could probably give you your spiritual name if it happened naturally - the key is it cannot be forced. Who knows, if you come to the dolphin retreat, the dolphins could give it to you! There are numerous ways to bring about the birth of your spiritual name. And what's interesting is it doesn't have to be "exotic sounding" either! There's a woman who lives here at my retreat center in Oregon whose spiritual name is plainly "Miriam." It was given to her by her spiritual guru whom she was taking care of (she was his nurse). Her real name is actually Bethel. Isn't that interesting? My suggestion is that you make an intention to receive a spiritual name, let it go and allow it to happen naturally. It could be a "funny sounding name" or it could be plain as Miriam. Be open to what comes to you!