Henri Junttila's Blog

The Art of Feeling: How to Process Feelings and Emotions Fully

We spend most of our lives running away from uncomfortable feelings.

Yet the suffering is not from the feelings themselves, but from the resistance to them.

When you are ready to truly feel what you’ve been avoiding, it can open the door to new insights and peace.

If you’re on the path of waking up, learning how to process feelings and emotions fully is essential, if you want to move from intellectual to embodied awakening.

Please note that in this article I’m using the words fee...

What is Spiritual Awakening? (An Honest Guide)

I never set out to wake up. I wanted to reduce suffering.

I was curious about what was going on.

Doing this, I was thrown into a dark night of the soul, which lasted many years.

That experience culminated in a spiritual awakening. If you’re interested in my whole story, read this article.

Before you continue, remember that each path to awakening is unique. There is no one path. In this article, I am simply sharing what happened.

So above all, trust your own experience, and follow...

The Importance of Direct Experience in Awakening

If you’ve been hanging around in awakening circles, you might’ve heard the term direct experience or actual experience thrown around.

Direct experience points to what is experienced in this moment.

Not in thought. Not in the future or in the past. Right here, right now.

Direct experience is simply:

See (images)Hear (sounds)Feel (sensations)TasteSmell

Then there’s thought, which is often an obstacle when inquiring into the sense of self, separate self or ego.

...

10 Harmful Expectations of Awakening

The word awakening can conjure up all sorts of expectations.

It’s easy to forget that these expectations are mere images, information that has been taken in and are now taken as real.

If you pay attention, you will discover that each expectation you have is directly tied to what you perceive to be lacking in this moment.

Many expectations are invisible. You’re not even aware of them.

And that is the reason I wrote this article.

When you begin to see the expectations you have, ...

My Journey from Suffering to Spiritual Awakening

From an early age, I had an interest in the existential.

Who am I?

Why am I who I am?

What is the purpose of life?

Even though I had a good upbringing, I tended toward anxiety, fear, and hopelessness. And this is what eventually led to seeking the end of suffering, or at least a way to reduce the anguish within.

This article is an overview of my journey through suffering into spiritual awakening. I am by no means free from suffering, but I can say that a large chunk of it is gone...

When Your Heart Breaks Open on the Spiritual Path

Heartbreak is a universal human experience, yet having your heart break open on the spiritual path takes on a deeper meaning. It’s a wake up call to the suffering that exists not only within, but all around us.

You suddenly see the struggle everywhere, as if a light-switch has been flicked on. In the glowing light, the world looks like a different place, with previously hidden details now revealed.

This heartbreak can happen to anyone, even those not on a spiritual path. In this article, w...

How to Meditate: A Guide for Beginners

I’ve been meditating since around 2004.

More haphazardly the first decade, and then more diligently.

The benefits of meditation have been proven by science.

And from my sample of one experience, meditation might be one of the most important practices of my life.

There are many ways of meditating.

You can get lost in trying to find the right technique, but when you’re starting out, the most important thing is sitting down and doing it.

There is often a lot of resistance. You wan...

Should You Follow Your Head or Your Heart?

Does your heart know more than your head?

Or is it the other way around?

Which one will lead to more happiness, purpose, and fulfillment?

The answer is both.

This is not about neglecting a part of you.

Instead, it’s about using everything at your disposal.

You have a head and a heart for a reason. They both help in their own way.

You Don’t Have to Choose

You don’t have to choose between your heart and your head.

The only reason you think they’re separate is because you’ve been told they are.

Ho...

When Life Doesn’t Make Sense Anymore

Do you feel like life doesn’t make sense?

Maybe life has thrown you a curveball or two, and now you don’t know what to do.

You had certain expectations, but life didn’t cooperate.

So how do you deal with the uncertainty of life, with the confusion?

Let’s start by looking at what is truly going on.

What is Going On?

As humans, we are sense-making creatures. We organize the world internally.

As we grow up, we take in programming, which blends with our personality and spirit. We inherit the values of the...

What is the Dark Night of the Soul? (A Guide)

Are you experiencing a dark night of the soul?

Has life suddenly lost all meaning, purpose, and passion?

I went through the same thing. In this guide, I’ll share what helped me get through the confusion, despair, and suffering.

There is much hope, because the dark night of the soul is a rebirth.

I was in it. Now I’m out. And I’m glad I went through it.

You will soon discover why.

Let’s begin.

What is the Dark Night of the Soul?

When I search for the definition of the dark night of the soul, I get this:

a...