Rebirth

By Shama Kaur
Kundalini Yoga Teacher 
& Wellness Mentor

Amidst the unsettling backdrop of the abhorrent genocide in Gaza and its ripple effect across the West Bank, Lebanon, Iraq and Sinai, a sense of trepidation and unease envelops me.

The coming of the new year demands a collective rebirth… to gaze into the future with resilience Yet, the coming of the new year demands a collective rebirth — a chance to step forward with renewed perspectives, to gaze into the future with resilience. It compels us not to su cumb to despair, but instead, to rise in our shared responsibility, illuminating the path of truth within our individual lives, families, homes, communities and the environments we inhabit.

In this article, I will draw on spiritual teachings from both the yogic tradition and numerology to help you navigate 2024 with wisdom, grace and peaceful understanding.

The cycle of life

Wisdom from the East, found in Chinese medicine, yoga and Buddhist teachings, sees life as an ongoing cycle — birth, life, death and rebirth.

Think of it like the changing seasons. In spring, seeds sprout (birth), grow into plants (life), bear fruit (death) and drop seeds to restart the cycle (rebirth).

Yogic teachings draw parallels with our breath — a continuous cycle of inhaling, exhaling and the pause in between. 

Breath is the essence of life, infinitely renewing with each inhale. No matter how deep you breathe, it never gets depleted. Yet, when your life journey concludes, the last breath marks the soul’s departure.

The cycle of reincarnation

The cycle of reincarnation is another example of this ongoing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. It means that when someone dies, their spirit is set free and takes on a new life.

It’s like a continuous journey where the spirit keeps experiencing different lives.

In Islamic and Christian traditions, there’s the idea of an afterlife. In Islam, it’s believed that the soul moves on to a different realm and in Christianity, there’s the concept of heaven.

Death and rebirth

The wisdom of the times reminds us that when someone dies, their physical body may be gone, but their spirit lives on in a new way.

For example, the stories we share and the memories we hold keep their spirit alive in our hearts. Their influence also sticks around, guiding others in positive ways.

There is no doubt that the spirit of the Palestinian people is creating a permanent imprint, marking the hearts of so many humans all around the world.

A mark that will never be forgotten. Consider the story of Khaled, who lovingly referred to his daughter as “the soul of my soul”.  With a heartfelt smile, he bid farewell to her body, fully aware in his heart that the soul endures eternally — for it is immortal.

Nonetheless, the pain that we feel when we lose loved ones, especially in situations like a genocide, is really hard. To move from the sadness of death to the hope of rebirth, helps us see that the spirit of those who’ve left us is still very much alive. It’s like they’re starting a new chapter in the big story of existence.

Like a garden, once withered in winter, is reborn with vibrant blooms in spring

The numerology of 2024

The year 2024 adds up (2+0+2+4) to the number 8 which, when turned on its side, represents infinity and relates to all that is reborn. Like a garden withered in winter, is reborn with vibrant blooms in spring; a sunrise marks the rebirth of a new day, offering fresh opportunities; a caterpillar undergoes metamorphosis, emerging as a reborn butterfly and the changing seasons continually bring forth the rebirth of nature’s beauty.

Something that is infinite, is timeless and deathless.

It is not bound, restricted or limited to any shape or form. But as humans, we are subjected to the forces of time and our bodies and lives do have a time limit. But can you consider for a moment that time outlives everything?

In time, all things, people included, die but their spirit goes on living beyond time and beyond death.

It is eternal and therefore also undying. Can you imagine how your 2024 would change if you adopted this perspective to navigate your life?

In the face of the inconceivably inhumane genocide of the Palestinian people, your own commitment to your spirit will inspire your resilience.

Rather than feeling hopeless, search from the unwavering strength of your spirit which has a duty here to outlive the inhumanity and to spread its light into the world at all times and at all costs.

As you witness the countless videos of the ongoing slaughter of the Palestinian people, you recognise the eternal nature of their spirit, mirroring the infinite nature of your own spirit. Instead of dwelling on the bodies perishing, focus on the everlasting connection you share with their spirit.

No one can take that away from you. This brings a deeper and more meaningful bond that goes beyond the material world, beyond time and space.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine