BENGALURU: If you’re looking to kickstart your spiritual awakening, author and spiritual consultant Sumaa Tekur’s debut book The Inner Light: A Beginner’s Guide to Spirituality and Finding Peace, might be for you. A former journalist, Tekur quit her position as a lead editor at an MNC to take up the spiritual path in 2017. Since then, she has opened her own spiritual consultancy and has now debuted as an author. Tekur believes the primary message of her book is that spirituality can be approached from a pragmatic standpoint and can easily be integrated into daily life.
“The idea behind the book was to demystify the perceptions of spirituality. Some preconceived notions might make us think the path to spirituality can only be attained through complete and blind devotion to a guru. But this is simply not the case,” says Tekur.
Tekur developed an interest in her spiritual journey during her formative years. The idea to write a book on it came after she met various individuals through her spiritual consultancy, Golden Swan Healing, which she started in 2017.
“Through my consultancy, I met various types of people who were at different stages of their spiritual journey. Some were new to the process, but then there were others who had gone as far as joining cults. These experiences made me realise that there is a need for a neutral voice in the market. One that is not affiliated to any spiritual organisation,” says Tekur.
While the path to a spiritual life might seem daunting at first, Tekur believes people can start their journey through simple steps. “I can give you three tips to start your spiritual journey. The first is to maintain consistency. Secondly, don’t compare your journey with anyone else’s. Your exploration will be unique to others. And finally, stay practical.
We live in a material world where we have to survive. So, maintaining a balance between our material and spiritual life is a must,” shares Tekur.
Aside from meditation and self-exploration, Tekur believes the process of writing can be hugely spiritual. “Writing can be extremely meditative, especially reflective writing. If you’re writing down your thoughts, you’re forced to process your feelings and that can be a very spiritual exercise. The yogic practice also encourages us to write as it helps you stay in touch with your emotions,” says Tekur, who also teaches yoga.
Getting into spirituality can be helpful in the current internet-savvy world. Since the advent of social media, one might feel like one could never catch a break. Spirituality can help slow things down and allow us to take a breather.
“The key thing is that social media is not a villain. If we’re aware of the time we spend on it and take primary responsibility for our lives, things will soon look better. After that, we can also reach out for professional help if needed,” adds Tekur.
Tekur feels she is still in the process of healing with her spiritual journey and believes it is an eternal process that doesn’t have an end goal.“The more I delved into spirituality, the more I started observing the world around me and my reactions to it. Spirituality to me is self-exploration, and there is always more to know. Dipping into spirituality can make your life more meaningful and wholesome. Carry along your material and spiritual life together, and the journey feels worth it,” concludes Tekur.