Spiritual counseling? "What is that?" a recent newsletter reader inquired. "I did not know you even did that." Well, indeed I do. The complete answer is fully explained in my LA Times Bestselling book, "Sacred Healing." However, here is a shorter version.

Spiritual Counseling is based upon the power and presence of subtle energy that emanates from the soul. A conscious individual, one who has realized a level of soul awareness, has a spiritual presence that is tangible and facilitates healing and transformation. This spiritual energy can speed up changes in the body, mind, and emotions and help to awaken others to the experience of the soul.

Many individuals reside in their minds and emotions. This is the terrain for traditional psychology and medicine. The mind effects emotions and the body. Changes in the mind, body and emotions generally take time. Changes from an energetic level transcend time and can happen much more quickly. Spiritual Counseling works on the subtle energy, which directly organizes and impacts mind, body and emotions. This more subtle reality is available to those who have a very sensitive nervous system or have engaged in various spiritual practices that have awakened a heightened awareness.

Those individuals who only reside in their minds and have no direct access to deeper realms of consciousness are blind to these subtle realities. Moreover, since they only know the workings of mind, totally discount any spiritual power and presence because the "mind" cannot prove it. It is like talking to a blind person about light. They do not see it, so it must not exist. However, one can feel light if one can get out of the limitations of the mind.

In Sankhya Yoga Philosophy there are actually two types of mind states: buddhi and manas. Buddhi is the state of discriminative intellect that is associated with the soul. Manas is the mind state that results when the life force energy is identified with the body and senses. Manas has less intuitive power and discriminative wisdom. The manas mind state resides within the limitations and delusion of physical material reality. The buddhi intellect opens to a greater expanse of consciousness and awareness.

Spiritual Counseling is ideal for those who want to gain wisdom, peace, joy and an ability to access spiritual power for self- healing. It is especially designed for those individuals who have awakened to a bigger perspective and want to be fully understood. Traditional Western healing approaches are clueless about the subtle realms and often discount people's experience of this more transcendent reality. Needless to say, this is not typically helpful for those individuals.

Spiritual Counseling is an act of Grace because it is not done from the ego. The individual is not "doing" the work, but the work is "flowing" through the healer. Intuition does not come from the mind but from the soul. The preparation of the practitioner is to deepen one's relationship with God and to learn how to get out of the way so something can happen. Energy is shared and directed through the conscious use of the will, in alignment with the soul.

In a conscious state, energy follows thought. What one imagines can become reality. In this healing process, images and visual imagery serve to touch memories, emotional states and biological functions.

This type of work often promotes faster change because the energy transcends the physical. The life force energy, in the subtle realm of the aura or astral body, is like a blueprint: change the blueprint and the structure changes.

So, in response to the question, "Do you offer this type of work?" Yes I do. If you would like to explore healing on a more profound level that understands and honors your soul, give me a call. I am happy to speak with you.

For those of you who may not know my personal history, this state of being opened to me in the late 1970's when I was working with terminally ill children. Since then, I have been practicing Kriya Yoga Meditation and studying the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda as a means to deepen my awareness and move beyond the limitations of physical/material reality.

Please note that I am off to India for the month of October to continue my personal work of spiritual development. If we do not speak before I depart, I will be available in November.

Eternal Blessings, Ron Mann, Ph.D.