Healing Journeys with Suzie Daggett
Many people start on a spiritual journey by attempting to understand the inner workings of their soul. Through soulwork discovery, they are looking for ways to overcome life’s problems or suffering. There are so many paths, that sometimes you need a person steeped in ways to counsel or assist during an awakening. Bob Mackura is such a Soulworker. He has transitioned from life in the seminary, life in the corporate world, life as the leader of a spiritual retreat, to a teacher, coach and mentor to those ready to understand and feel the love of the soul. His book, Ego, Soul & Beyond, is a handbook giving the reader tools to understand the dynamics around the soul.
When and why did you start wondering about the nature of man and spiritual essence?
While I cannot remember a time when spirituality was not part of my life, my real quest crystallized during the five years I spent in a seminary over 30 years ago. Until I discovered my soul, I always felt there was something missing.
Can you explain your thoughts on what the soul is, and does it live in the physical body?
Our soul, at its very basic level, is both the life force that sustains us, and a pathway to a world beyond common reality. It is much more than the temporary human form it associates within a given lifetime.
It is only in the recent history of human evolution that we are able to understand our soul in a tangible way. Through soulwork, one learns to recognize how the soul manifests through the intellect, heart, and belly centers. You can learn to know the difference in your own body and in others.
Why do people seek you out for spiritual direction? What benefits do they receive from your counsel?
Years ago I was surprised how people would seek me out for beyond-the-ordinary inquiries into their life. They would come with a strong desire to find out what was behind the events in their life - both the challenging and the inspiring. They had tried many different approaches to find the underlying cause of their questions with minimal success. It took more than one teacher gently admonishing me to embrace my soul and its’ chosen work before I began to realize I was like a beacon with a special ability to guide people into extra-ordinary states of growth and awareness. Since that time, I primarily assist two groups of people: First, there are many who are searching for more meaning in their lives along with a way of working through life’s questions that will work in the 21st century. Traditional methods and belief systems have left them wanting more. They see the results of this in their own lives and in the world. With the tool’s I offer, they are able to understand and live their lives from a fundamentally different perspective. Soulwork brings the inner guidance they were born with to the surface and provides them with the tools to both see the bigger picture and embrace their role in it.
Second, there comes a time on our spiritual journey when we are ready to move to a new level of awareness. This is a very ripe and juicy time when we are ready to let go and really examine what we may have been missing. I call this being “on the cusp”. Every major spiritual, psychological, and philosophical tradition recognizes there are stages we all must pass through as our consciousness awakens, but most of us are not interested until it is our turn.
You work with the pseudo-soul – what is it and why does it like to control our lives?
I found it necessary to come up with a term that did not have all the visceral and intellectual baggage that is typical of many spiritual and psychological traditions. Simply put, the pseudo-soul is that part of our consciousness that usurps control over our soul at a very young age. In order for a baby’s soul to survive in the world, it develops an ego to be the interface with its new surroundings. The ego’s original and authentic role is that of a noble servant protecting and catering to the needs of the soul. As time goes by, the ego sees how the child has survived (no matter what the circumstances) and begins to take credit. This self-importance grows until it quietly assumes control over our consciousness while true knowledge of the soul with all its potential slips away. It creates a false identity that makes choices based on what it has come to believe the soul would want. This is where the terms “The Great Fall” or “Great Betrayal” originate. Soulwork gives us the tools and insights to reverse this lifelong momentum putting our soul back in charge of our life with the ego once again becoming the faithful servant. We are free of fear and confusion while learning to celebrate life in a new way.
What do you get out of your practice?
There are two aspects of soulwork that touch me deeply. First, is being a witness to souls reemerging after a lifetime of being hidden – like watching a flower bloom. Second, I have become convinced that it is only through helping others move through the stages of spiritual awakening that lasting world harmony will come.
Learn more about Bob at www.soulworkers.com, by attending a free Wednesday night class, or by calling him at 530-798-9190 for a free consultation.
Healing Journeys is a column written by Suzie Daggett for the Grass Valley Union newspaper. Suzie interviews a variety of health practitioners most Fridays in the Wellness section. Click here to read past articles. Enter "Suzie Daggett" in the search box to get listing of all articles. |
