Using the intensity of grief and longing as a purifying force that burns away illusions about who you were and clarifies what you authentically value.
Mirabai's bhakti poetry burns with longing for the beloved, a passionate ache that never settles. Rather than seeking to eliminate this longing, bhakti tradition recognizes it as clarifying fire. Applied to identity grief, your longing for your former self can become a mirror of what you actually value. When you miss who you were, what specifically do you miss? The feelings of certainty? A sense of belonging? Permission to take up space? By sitting with longing rather than suppressing it, you discover which losses matter most and which were attachments you're better without. This concept invites you to let grief burn away the superficial aspects of lost identity—social approval, inherited roles, comfortable conformity—while revealing what's genuinely worth grieving. The fire transforms mourning into clarity about who you're becoming.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
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