Many of you have known me as Kelsey. For a few days, months, years….or the
whole 28 years I’ve been on this planet.
While I like the name given to me by my parents it is clear to me that now
is the time to make a change. 10
years ago I was given a Spiritual name that is very dear to me. From now on, I will be known as Nirmal. Read on to find out more about this
tradition:
In the Kundalini Yoga tradition there is the opportunity to
request your spiritual name. When
Yogi Bhajan (the master of Kundalini Yoga) was alive he personally meditated on
each request for a spiritual name and would send you a letter with your new
name. I requested (and received)
my name from Yogi Bhajan in 2002.
I remember clearly opening the envelope, standing outside in our
driveway and feeling completely pleased and connected to the name.
Even though I felt an immediate resonance with the name
‘Nirmal’ I was hesitant to use it right away. For a while it felt to personal and sacred to share with
others. And then I was concerned
that others would think it was weird or it would be confusing in my various
school or work circles. More and
more over the years I have become aligned with my identity as a Teacher and Trainer
of Kundalini Yoga, as taught by Yogi Bhajan. The more I follow that path the more people call me
Nirmal. And the more I like it and
crave that name to be my whole identify.
Why would a name have such an impact on me? For one the beautiful and sweet
meaning, Nirmal can be translated in many ways. In the letter he wrote to my Yogi Bhajan translated it as
“the Flow of Harmony.” A
more literal translation (Nir= No, Mal= stain) is stainless. I’ve also heard “immaculate.” A spiritual, or destiny name, is both a
signifier of who you are in this lifetime and a call to live your highest
destiny. While I think the idea of
“flow of harmony” pretty neatly encapsulates who I am I also feel that it is
something I will strive towards my whole life.
So more and more over the years I have been called Nirmal. It is to the point that I very much
associate only with the name Nirmal.
And I am transitioning to using this name in all arenas of my life. I would like to humbly request that you
all make the effort to switch over to calling me this name. I know there will be times you forget
and I will try to gently remind you until it is just the name that rolls off
your tongue when you see or think of me.
But this brings up a good point….how do you pronounce it
anyway?!? The first syllable ‘Nir’
sounds just like the word ‘Near.’ The
second syllable ‘mal’ sounds like the second half of the word ‘normal.’ So, there you have it….Almost Normal,
but not quite (sort of like me, wouldn’t you say?) J
Each time you call me Nirmal you are not only making me
radiantly happy you are also offering a blessing and a prayer for me that I
might fulfill my destiny on this planet.
Using someone’s spiritual name is a loving act of service and I very
much appreciate your kind efforts in this area!
If all of this talk of spiritual or destiny names has piqued
your interest you could consider getting your own! Before he died Yogi Bhajan trained Nirinjan Kaur in his
system of numerology and meditation to select spiritual names. I know people who have gotten their
names from Nirinjan and feel a similar resonance and connection. There are no requirements to get
a spiritual name. To learn more or
request your own: http://www.3ho.org/spiritual-names/
If you still
have questions about this tradition, pronunciation or my decision to be known
as Nirmal I am more than happy to discuss with you…just let me know!
And here are a few more lovely articles about people who’ve
taken on their own spiritual names:
