I just returned from a month long intensive retreat at the Oneness University in India. It was definitely intense and also incredibly beautiful, as 500 spiritual warriors from every corner of the globe, came together to do the deep inner work of awakening.

One thing that they focus on there, is about really helping us create a deep and personal bond with our Divine, or Sacred Higher Self. This is the aspect of God that can come to us in any human form and live inside our hearts as our Inner Friend or Beloved. At Oneness they say that this relationship is crucial to us awakening, as it pulls us through all the ego mind stuff that would normally hinder us from reaching higher states of consciousness.

At Oneness they say that each of us has a unique and personal connection with the Divine, and it is important to come to know what that relationship is so that we can relate intimately with our Divine, like having a special friend that we can call up anytime, an inner Beloved that is available just to us day or night. This might seem like a strange concept to those of us who don’t have any relationship with the Divine, or who see God as some Omnipresent entity way beyond us, or even perhaps as a harsh and judgmental God. But in India it is a very natural thing, and they have literally thousands of Gods because they know that we all relate to God in a different way, because we are all so different! To create and come to know our personal Divine intimately is a whole new thing. If we only knew how our Divine longs to be known by us and to work with us in creating an inner love affair, we would never again experience the loneliness and longing for a partner out there to fulfill us. The relationship with our inner Lover is so rich and satisfying and the great thing is that we can create it in whatever form works for us. There is no “One size fits all”, The Divine can come to us in whatever form we best relate to. It can be Jesus, Mother Mary, Buddha, or a Shaman, a special friend, a Mother or a Father figure, or any other Wise Being that best represents the Divine for us. What is important is that we relate to it, and can have it relate personally to us. It can help us with our relationships, and worldly affairs and of course with our spiritual life. It is important that we begin to talk to our Divine in order to cultivate this relationship.

Tell your Divine all your hopes and fears, all your doubts and resistances, all your disbelief, anger, resentment, whatever is in your mind and heart. What is important is that you are honest and authentic, and that you do not try to lie or pretend with the one Being that knows you better than anyone else. The best way to begin cultivating a relationship with your Divine is by bring true and honest with your self and It. From here a real intimacy can begin to develop. After a time you may notice your Divine begins to talk back to you…then you have a two way conversation and it gets richer and richer. It is a never ending love affair!