Hello, friends of wellness and fellow beings on this journey called life. Through my path, I’ve spent decades guiding others through meditation, yoga, and holistic living. But today, I share something profoundly personal. My goal is to share something profound yet simple, and I feel compelled to do so.
If this resonates with even a few souls, perhaps it can guide some toward deeper fulfillment. There are times in my life where I have left or traveled outside my body. Recently, I had a near-death experience that touched the core of my being. I don’t wish this on anyone unless they’re truly ready; it’s a raw confrontation with existence itself.
The details of how I arrived there aren’t important. What matters is that I found myself hovering, looking down at my own body. Existing in both the physical realm and a transitional zone—a twilight space that I believe varies for each person, shaped by their own experiences and perception. On the Earth side, no one could hear or see me; I was invisible, untethered. As I absorbed this surreal detachment, a radiant ball of light, with indescribable symbols appeared above me. It wasn’t just energy; it was sentient, infinitely vast, deeply knowing, and timeless. In its presence, everything I’d built in life felt like nothing in comparison.
My years of disciplined meditation, professional accolades, material possessions, titles, my PhD, and even fleeting conquests—all worthless against the infinite expanse. The light communicated directly: “You are in a half-century bag of bones, a monkey-thing on a faraway planet. Compared to the infinite, all those things you identify with are nothing.”
It stripped away layers of who I thought I was, revealing that every thought, action, and achievement was filtered through the lens of my own ego. The only elements with true value? What I was, what we all are before birth into this world —the eternal spark—and the genuine connections I’d forged in life. Love, relationships, shared moments: these endured. Intelligence, education, experiences? Mere illusions, as Lao Tzu called it, a “straw dog”.
Seeing everything I was, thought and knew as a shadow I created was and is a gift. Eventually, I accepted that I’d lived well. In that ethereal field, reminiscent of the Elysian Fields from ancient lore, I thought it might be my end. I sat (or perhaps laid) in surrender, ready to pass. That’s when the Being spoke again. But I wasn’t prepared—emotionally or spiritually—to fully trust and merge into that light. Hesitation pulled me back, and I slowly reinhabited my body, returning to this world.
This encounter reshaped me. It underscored that true wellness isn’t in accolades or practices alone, but in letting go of almost everything we think we are. Instead, nurture authentic bonds and connections. Aside from a few experiences, they are the only things you are taking with you.
Keep in mind you can choose the nature of your connections. Do you want to hurt others, to exert your power, to cause beings harm, or do you want a life of love and compassion? In either case, you will face the effects of your thoughts, words, and actions before you fully cross over to the other side. I leave you with that choice and hope that you choose wisely – choose lovingly.
Feel free to share this story, comment, and connect.
Breathe. Drop in. 
Sending love.
Heal. Align. Thrive.
—Dr. Sattva
1YogaWellness.com
