What is a Spiritual Name?

Our core sense of identity is created when we are children. Being innocent and impressionable, whatever we see and experience imprints on us as reality. As children, we internalize messages from our family as the “truth” about who we are. This gives us a false reality about ourselves, one we have to unravel later in life. 

It would be ideal if every child could be raised in an environment where the soul is nurtured. When the parents relate to the light within the soul, it brings a sense of identity, but often this is not the case. As a result, many of us carry painful childhood memories. However, the pain of the past does not have to define our today or tomorrow.

Yogi Bhajan, the Master of Kundalini Yoga, understood this phenomenon deeply. He gave us the gift of spiritual names — destiny names — so that we can relate to our higher selves. One of the unique aspects of the spiritual name technology is how it relates to your numerology. Encoded in the date and year of your birth are messages about where you are in your soul’s cosmic evolution. Your numerology can tell you the karma you are here to work on in this lifetime. It can identify your gifts, and most importantly, highlight the destiny your soul is here to deliver.

Here’s an example from a woman named Priya Karan: “My name means ‘one who knows that the beloved God, the Doer, takes care of everything in life.’ My spiritual name reminds me that I am very loved and covered. Maintaining this elevated awareness is sometimes difficult. Priya Karan is my challenge, my pathway and my goal — all at the same time.”