It’s Time…. Healing the Heart, Releasing the Hurt
By Dr. Kathleen A. Shea
Conventional wisdom is that “time heals.” BK Sister Shivani debunked that idea, saying that “Time doesn’t heal; it just covers things up as the wound festers.” Sister Shivani tackled serious topics of hurt, grief, and deep emotional wounds at the final stop on her USA tour. She left no stone unturned as she interacted with a crowd of over 3,000 people at Nova Southeastern University on September 21, 2024, International Peace Day.
Sister Shivani is renowned in India for her practical spiritual wisdom. Her first visit to South Florida brought people from across the USA as well as Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The Brahma Kumaris in Florida organized the free program as a community service, collaborating with Desh-Videsh Media and other individuals and groups to host the program. Veronica McHugh, Director of the Brahma Kumaris operations in Florida, observed that many people were contacting the Miami Brahma Kumaris Center with stories of how Sister Shivani changed their lives. What makes people say that she changes lives?
Anyone in the hall with Sister Shivani felt the power of her presence. Musical performances by award-winning violinist Arie Urban and a song by Jamila Smith created an atmosphere of silence that preceded Sister Shivani taking the stage. A gentle woman with a disarming smile and divine manners, Sister Shivani spoke for two hours using stories, examples, and challenges to the audience to dispel the notion that “situations create my life.” Instead, Sister Shivani began with a meditation centering people in their own pure, flawless spirits. She asked, “How do I feel, how do I think, what is the emotional experience when a scene of my life is not my way?” She reminded everyone that we can make a choice when things are not the way I want, or expect, them to be.
A malfunction with the microphone became a real-life example that situations happen that are not as we would like. “Life is not what is happening to me. The energy of how I think about the situation is recorded in me. Then emotions are created in response to what I record in myself.” She asked participants to repeat an equation “Situations do not create the hurt…when I create the hurt (with my thoughts), it complicates the situation.”
Physical and emotional “wounds left unhealed become pain and this becomes a way of living …and then we say we want happiness.” Sister Shivani says that when we create thoughts around the pain, it will never get better. We create repeated thoughts around both physical and emotional pain. She reminded everyone that “situations don’t create our thoughts; thoughts create the situation. Now become the master of your mind and use the power of the mind to heal the situation. And then our happiness will stay intact.”
The most stunning part of the evening was the way in which the crowd left the hall. Guided by Sister Shivani, over three thousand people exited the arena in complete silence within five minutes. Each person received a sweet from volunteers stationed at the exits and promised to drive home in silence for at least 20 minutes. Sister Shivani left everyone feeling uplifted and committed to creating the perfect life each one wants. How is it that she is credited with transforming lives? She joyfully shows us the way to become masters of our own lives, using the power of silence and the practical application of spiritual principles.
Sister Shivani challenged everyone in the hall to take the “next step” in creating our thoughts and our world by taking the Raja Yoga Foundation Course. These courses are offered free of charge by the Brahma Kumaris, and all are welcome. Students who have taken the course report many benefits, including better relationships, increased productivity at work and improved ability to cope with life’s inevitable challenges.
Headquartered in Mt. Abu, India, the Brahma Kumaris have local centers and large retreat facilities throughout the world. Visit https://www.brahmakumaris.org/ online to learn more about the organization, experience meditation, and connect with a Center near you.
The next step is in your hands!
About the Author
Kathleen A. Shea, Ph.D. is a seasoned educator, researcher, small business owner and meditator. She held teaching, administrative, and research positions at several universities and operated her own consulting firm for forty years. She is an experienced grant writer and program evaluator and served in leadership roles with community and professional organizations. Since retiring in 2024, she continues to explore novel approaches to changing social environments and the importance of lifelong learning as a spiritual practice.
