A lot of people who are struggling with trauma and addiction feel disconnected, unworthy, and undeserving of spiritual connection, grace, freedom, bliss, and peace. 

We can get so lost in our trauma to the point that our feelings of unworthiness begin to permeate everything about us. Therefore, it’s very important to find grace. Otherwise, we can get lost in our wounds. 

According to Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, author of the book Hollywood to Himalayas: A Journey of Healing and Transformation, it’s critical to bridge spirituality and humanity at this time when too many people are in the throes of human struggle, including addiction.

“You’re not your body any more than you are your car,” Sadvhi says. “Your car is a vehicle that takes you places. Your body is a vehicle. It’s what the soul is using on this particular leg of the karmic journey but you’re not the body.”

On The Addicted Mind Podcast, Sadhvi shares some insights in the hope of bringing people into the natural state of freedom, peace, and joy. Ultimately, she hopes to free people from suffering, pain, and addiction.

On Shame and Addiction

Addiction doesn’t come out of a vacuum nor does it just fall from the sky. It arises from pain, anger, grudges, and challenges. There’s so much shame around every bit of addiction that the people who are struggling feel disconnected, unworthy, and undeserving of spiritual connection, grace, freedom, bliss, and peace. 

We can get so lost in our trauma to the point that our feelings of unworthiness begin to permeate everything about us. Therefore, it’s very important to find grace. Otherwise, we can get lost in our wounds. 

On Forgiveness

Forgiveness is not something we do because what someone else did was okay. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you’re condoning what they did. 

Forgiveness is declaring that, regardless of what someone has done to you and regardless of their anger, ignorance, fear, confusion, and patterns, you still deserve to be free. It’s your birthright. Just because someone abused, abandoned, betrayed, cheated, or harmed you, you’re not going to sacrifice your freedom on the altar of their ignorance, pain, or confusion.

On Letting Go of Pain (Or the Identification with Pain)

What to do comes naturally once you experience who you are. However, the dilemma for so many of us is that we don’t know who we are and so we don’t know what to do. Once you realize you’re not a limited being and that you’re actually one with the universe and the universe is perfect, then all of that pain, anger, shame, and guilt will disappear. 

The most extraordinary lesson to learn is that your freedom is your highest goal. The question is always this: is this pain, anger, or grudge worth your freedom? We have to work on practicing to keep the mind on track. Otherwise, our thoughts will run the show. 

If you want to learn more about attaining freedom from addiction, check out Episode 148: Bridging the Gap Between Spirituality and Humanity with Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati.