Grieving identity authentically within community that can hold contradictions and reflect your evolution without judgment.
Sang refers to company or community in bhakti—the assembled gathering of devotees who witness and support each other's spiritual unfolding. Mirabai's sang included other saints, musicians, and devotees who accepted her radical choices because they shared the same ultimate orientation. When grieving a lost identity, sang becomes crucial: you need witnesses who don't require you to justify the change, who can hold the grief without trying to fix it, and who reflect back to you that transformation is sacred. This isn't casual friendship but intentional community organized around authentic becoming. Without sang, people often grieve alone or perform recovery for skeptical audiences. A genuine sangha allows you to express anger at your former identity, relief at releasing it, sadness at what's gone, and uncertainty about what's next—all without needing to resolve these contradictions into a coherent narrative. The community provides safety for messy, real processing. Mirabai needed her sang; so do you.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
Explore related journeys or tell Peri what you're working through.