In the sense that we “are” the observers of our general states of mind, body, and beyond, the action makers, takers, and choosers, and the recipients of all of the effects to our causes.
With this being said, we all have the potential to alchemize our life experiences, with the deepest of work being done seated at the altar within…
“What is an Altar?”
If we look up the word “altar” online, we are often met with a wide array of ambiguous explanations defining its sole purpose, amidst a sea of diverse interpretations derived from equally diverse and varying belief systems, all of which point to slightly different symbolic meanings and beliefs about what an “altar” is essentially “meant” to be used for.
Below, I give a breakdown of what I use an altar for and what an altar is to me, with this simply being my own subjective beliefs portrayed in a symbolic sense, not a literal one.
A Designated Sacred Space…
I personally and loosely consider an altar to be defined as: “A designated sacred space that is set with intentionality and is utilized for the betterment of oneself.“
In a literal sense, a physical altar can be defined as a “table” or “flat-topped block“, which is then followed by its purpose, which is figuratively and loosely defined and influenced by various subjective interpretations and projections based on varying beliefsystems.
But this is what an altar is to me, and this is therefore the context that I will be referring to moving forward!
“What is the ‘Altar Within’?”
The “Altar Within” is what I consider to be the space within each of us as individuals where we find our connection to “source“, and where we are able to clearly receive answers to any questions that we have, for ourselves and from ourselves, as well as where we channel any intuitive messages and guidance.
The altar within is symbolic of an altar that we would find outside of ourselves, except for the fact that the altar within is something that we carry with us, all of the time, hence the inclusion of and emphasis on the additional word, “within“.
It serves a similar purpose in relation to a physical altar, in the sense that it is a sacred space that can be focused on with intentionality and utilized for the betterment of oneself… Except an external altar is good for extending this space into our external world and designating a space that we can interact with and conduct our physical work inthat lies within this physical realm, bridging the gap between our internal and external.
“How Do We Tend to the Altar Within?”
To tend to our “altar within”, we must first understand what an “altar within” means to us personally.
To understand our altar within, we must first find our altar within, or to be more specific, create our altar within.
As I mentioned before, the meaning of what an “altar” is and is meant to be used for differs greatly depending on the belief systems of the individual, and therefore, the altar’s purpose is going to be subjective as well.
What the “altar within” means to us is going to be different for each of us, and this is where we look within for the answers.
This altar within is a space within each of us that we can tune into whenever we please, as long as we are aware that it exists and have clearly and intentionally designated it as a “center of personal development”.
This is kind of like the center of our whole experience, a place that we can re-turn to whenever we would like to receive answers, ask questions, ponder questions, center ourselves, reset, rest in clarity, and much more.
If you were in a noisy and disruptive classroom attempting to solve a math problem, sitting at the altar within would be like removing yourself from that room, and sitting in a quiet and isolated room that you have all to yourself, where you can then figure out the best route to take in solving the task at hand from a place of clarity and clear receptivity.
Tending to the altar within requires utilizing it consistently, patience, practice, invested attention, awareness, learning, vulnerability, repetition, revisitingthis space, and so much more, which will ultimately vary depending on the individual who is doing the tending, although with this, I would also mention that this tending does happen naturally when we continue to rest at and revisit our altar within, accessing it in order to promote ourevolution, and the betterment of ourselves as a whole!
If I were to go any deeper into this topic, this one post would end up being pages long, so here, I give you the gist of it and summarize the essence of this beautiful teaching to the best of my abilities, and from here, I pass the torch on to you, so that you may traverse inwards and discover what the “altar within” really means to you as a unique individual. ❤
“Why Should We Tend to the Altar Within?”
Sovereignty. Home Base. Neutrality.
Sovereignty.
When we tend to our altar within, we are accepting the truth that we do actually have most of the answers to our questions, and no longer have to constantly rely on seeking external guidance and insight. (All the time, sometimes it is okay to receive some insight from the perspective of another, and to ask questions to those who have had experiences that differ from our own! It is a balance!)
This is to trust ourselves, believe in ourselves,have confidence in ourselves, and to rest in our true sovereignty and personal power, accepting the fact that we are, more often times than not, capable of providing ourselves the guidance, answers, and love that we “seek”.
Home Base.
The altar within also has the potential to be a symbolic representation of a kind of “home base“ in our lives. A center-line to return to if we ever veer too far from our “path”, and a space that is always accessible to us if we would like to re-turn to a state of balance and clarity.
As I mentioned before, I consider the altar within to be a kind of center of our whole experience here, so for me personally, this always a space that I can return to if I would like a clear sense of direction, an energetic reset, or simply a reminder that everything is going to be okay, that I am safe, and that I can create whatever life I desire and dream of living from this beautiful and tender breeding ground for creation. In other words, my altar within is like my internal home.
Neutrality.
Similar to the altar within being a kind of center, I would also consider the altar within to be a space of in between, a bridge between both worlds, with it not just being “one or the other” but also both and neither simultaneously. For me, to rest in the altar within is also to respond from and rest in a place of neutrality.
Therefore, I also consider the altar within to be a unique and magnificent space of neutrality and non-dichotomy. This is why I believe that this is an amazing space to utilize and receive insight, clarity, and guidance from. The altar within is non-biased. It does not judge. It is not acting from a place of the past nor the future, it is simply providing unconditional love and guidance derived from the forever now, all that will ever be, all that ever was, and all that never was… Source.
As always, this is poured straight from my heart center, and here I share what has helped me in my own personal experiences, hence why I took the time and energy to create and produce this work of art and share it with all of you beautiful beings. May this be received in whatever walk of life you are treading at this moment, right now, which is always perfect, wherever you are… All my love and best wishes, hope this helps. ❤️
Looking back, I never expected to be where I am today: Owning my own practice at 20, providing services as a hypnotist and life coach… Extremely grateful for all of the experiences that led me to be here, and excited for all that is to come.
Starting United Being as a Blog With a Mission
My name is Jordan Crockenberg, and I started United Being as a blog in June of 2020.
My goal blogging on U.B. was to share what had helped me in my own spiritual journey, knowing that it had the potential help others on theirown. When I started United Being as a blog, I was also in the process of diving deep into a collection of different spiritual, mystical, metaphysical, and philosophical teachings and practices.
At the time, I had experienced a spark that ignited my passion to investigate the vastness and variety of these diverse branches of self-exploration, expanded consciousness, and life and all there is to it. This intense curiosity lead me to a stream powerful realizations that greatly influenced my life to this day, giving rise to beautiful awakenings that I continue to experience as a result of the work I put forth.
Observing how life-changing these moments of insight were for me, I was determined and motivated to share all that I had learned with others, using it for good.
Turning United Being Into a Business
On a mission to do work that resonated with me and my passions, and was able to help and be of service to others in the process, I took the first step of registering United Being as a business.
Transitioning United Being into a business was a big step for me, as it became the first milestone that marked my leap into this entrepreneurial journey. Making this shift did come with a lot of risks, but these were risks that I was willing to take considering the fact that I would be doing work that I loved.
How I Came Across Hypnosis, and Instantly Fell in Love
Even with most of my mentors being certified hypnotists, I never considered the fact of becoming one as a career; That is until one of my mentors brought it up to me one day.
As I was leaving my mentor’s office one day, who happens to be a hypnotist, she turned around and mentioned to me that she could potentially see me doing similar work in the future. Knowing her to be a very sensitive and intuitive individual, her words lead me to consider hypnosis as a potential career path.
During a virtual meeting with two of my other mentors, not too long after the consideration of hypnosis as a potential careerpath, one of my mentors in the meeting brought up an intensive hypnosis certification course that she took and thought would resonate with me. She said that the woman who taught it had her own unique style, was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about anything hypnosis related, and that she was very educated and intrigued by all of the neuroscience behind it. Interested in what this course had to offer, I immediately wrote down the name, and registered soon after.
Taking part in the course, taught by one of my most influential teachers, Melissa Tiers, I was in awe from all that I was learning. Hearing what she had to say, it all made so much sense. Practicing each technique came so naturally to me, and the work felt more like play. As I was taking notes throughout the course, I genuinely couldn’t stop smiling, because I was so excited to learn about this fascinating branch of mind work that I didn’t even know existed, and it was fun! Therefore, going through the experience of comprehensively learning about hypnosis, learning from someone who knew what they were talking about, I knew that this was the work I had been looking for.
How the mantra, “I AM THAT ALREADY,” created a positive shift within my life.
JOURNAL ENTRY 11/30/20:
"For today, I let myself know that 'I AM THAT ALREADY.'
In other words, I don't need to 'get' anywhere, I'm already there.
Whatever I need/want I can attract.
Whatever does not honor me or bring me joy, I can let go of.
I am already successful, at peace, complete, enough.
The only way I can lose this peace is by believing I don't have it,
by believing it is lost.
I AM that peace, and I lose it when I look outside of myself for answers, validation, satisfaction.
So... Whatever I often try so hard to be, I am that already.
I am, that I am."
“Love, You Are Enough, As You Are.”
This is truly at the core of the mantra “I am that already.“
One cause of suffering is the belief that we are not good enough as we are. The belief that we need to obtain, achieve, or satisfy something outside of ourselves in order to prove that who we are is in fact enough.
The difficult part about this though, is that no matter how hard we work towards the things that we think are required in order to make us complete, it will never be enough, because we would have been looking in all of the wrong places (we do not even have to look in the first place).
You do not have to prove yourself to anyone… So whatever point you feel as though you need to get to in order to be enough, whatever you spend so much time desiring and aspiring to “be”, just know that you are that already.
The more you know this statement to be true, that you are already enough, the easier it will become to attract and manifest the things and experiences that you truly desire.
The energies of lack and love, of dissatisfaction and appreciation, vibrate on completely different frequencies; Therefore, they will attract completely different things.
“There’s No Need To Chase, You Are Already There.”
This goes hand in hand with knowing that we are already complete and enough as we are.
We are already where we need to be. Everything that we need or desire, we have the power to attract. We don’t need to “get” anywhere outside of ourselves to be where we want to be, it truly all happens within our being.
Whether it be slaving away at work to try and live up to a certain standard, or sticking with a strict routine in order to maintain a certain image, more often times than not: We are unconsciously doing it in the attempts to manage the perceptions of others, rather than doing it because we genuinely love and care for ourselves.
All it takes is a shift in our way of thinking, a shift to being more loving and compassionate towards ourselves. So the next time you meditate, exercise, go to work, or even something as simple as washing your face, think about why you do it.
“Allow You To Be The Source Of Your Own Peace.”
Once we realize that we are the source of our peace, we also realize that this peace can then never be lost. This can be one of the hardest concepts to accept as we live in a world filled with so many ways to escape and distract ourselves.
You can be your own friend, your own lover, your own motivation.
One of the most liberating things for me was truly realizing my worth. Stepping into confidence and letting go of all the internal self-doubt I was grasping onto. The doubt that I thought I needed in order to improve. Little did I know, the only way I could improve was by letting go of this doubt, this judgement, entirely.
So the same thing I say to myself, I now say to you: No need to worry about achieving, chasing, or living up to something “greater.” Love, you are that already, and that is more than enough.
YOU are what keeps United Being going, so thank you for your support! All my love, and I continue to wish you all the best on your journey. Namaste.
The ongoing cycle of suffering and violence can never be broken with more suffering and violence.
It is no surprise that violence brings nothing but suffering into this world; whether it be through war and abuse of power, or violence within our own homes. My mom always used to tell me, “hurt people hurt people,” a line which has stuck with me to this day.
When someone hurts us, our immediate reaction is usually to hurt the other person back in defense (although really one is just defending a mental construct that they identify with within their own mind, but that’s besides the point). This relates closely to the principle of the Law of Retaliation, or “an eye for an eye.”But like Mahatma Gandhi said,“an eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”
Now this is not to say that we should take violence from others, but rather learn how to become nonreactive towards it. When we come from a place of non-reactivity, from a place of inner peace, we then hold the power to break the cycle of violence and suffering instead of contributing to it. We then become the impact for positive change just by living in that state of mind.
If we all came from a place of peace and love, to promote progress instead of the “us” versus “them” mentality, we could achieve great things in this world, beautiful things. If we focused on building and bringing each other up instead of attacking and pulling each other down, so much unnecessary suffering could be avoided, and there would be no limit to the things that we could create in this world, as well as the experiences we could create in our own lives.
United Being 