Who am I? What am I here for? Why am I here?

Just a few questions I contemplate…

“For centuries, observers of human nature have sought common denominators to better understand the forces that shape the human personality. Numerous tools of insight from both psychological and mystical traditions have emerged at different times and in different cultures. All of these methods and ‘maps of consciousness’ represent our attempts to demonstrate that our universe and our psyches are not random or chaotic, but have a certain structure and order.” -Dan Millman, The Life You Were Born to Live

So where did my attempt to better understand the forces of my personality begin?

Yoga.

What started as a purely physical practice of yoga transformed into a deeper understanding of the physical practice as a means of preparing the body for meditation. This led to my evolved internal practice of concentration and meditation.

So, why bother going within?

Because as we turn our attention inwards, we remember we are more than our brains.

We ignite the process of letting go as we recognize the habitual patterns and attachments that do not serve our highest good.

This turns in to the understanding we are living the intentions of our souls, not the whims of our ego nor the desires of our physical bodies.

Speaking from personal experience, my internal meditation practice has expanded my paradigm of the world.

It has provided me with more clarity which in return has transformed into increased self-love, happiness, and compassion, guiding me to a more peaceful and harmonious life.

The more I understand myself, the more I understand others instead of passing judgments.

So, where does the number 3 fit into my path of Self-inquiry?

I became interested in the significance in numbers when my friend Micara, whom I met during Yoga Teacher Training in 2014, introduced me to what I now know as The Pythagorean Heritage.

As a beginner in this field of study, I won’t be going deep into the quantum mechanics aspect…at least not today. But I will tell you that there is something inside me that draws me towards numbers.

Sacred geometry anyone?

Basically, everything is connected…with positive and negative charged energy.

And numbers play a huge role in this calculation.

If you were going on a road trip, would you like a map?

Yes, because once we have a map, we can be thoughtful about our journey.

Understanding numbers is likened to having a geographical map of our life.

In comes numerology.

According to Wikipedia, “Numerology is any belief in the divine, mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events. It is also the study of the numerical value of the letters in words, names, and ideas.”

Ok, if you’re still reading I’m finally going to get to the number 3.

My friend Micara introduced me to the book, “The Life You Were Born to Live” by Dan Millman. He introduces the Life-Purpose System that uses our date of birth to determine our birth number and then provides meaningful insights about our life purpose.

I was born on 9/2/1984.

9+2+1+9+8+4 = 33.

Then you add the final two digits to reach a final sum of 6.

(It just so happens my husband Rich’s birthday also equates to a life path number of 33/6.)

My research into my life path number of 33/6 led me to a deeper understanding of my soul, such as understanding I can be knocked off course if I don’t reign in my unyielding and controlling perfectionism that presents itself as assertive judgment and criticism—of myself and other people.

“Those on the 33/6 life path are here to work through issues of perfectionism, emotional expression, and self-doubt in order to bring forward their inspiring vision of life’s possibilities while appreciating the innate perfection of the present moment.” -Dan Millman, The Life You Were Born to Live

Me, perfectionist?  Emotionally expressive? Self-doubting?

Check. Check. And Check.

As I continued to research, I discovered many other aspects of the 33/6 life path that resonated with me. I’ll write more about that at a later time.

I also began to research the many other significances in the number 3 since I had a double dose of it.

It is found throughout history and all over the world.

The Pythagoreans taught that the number 3 was the first true number.

3 is the first number that forms a geometrical figure – the triangle.

“From the union of oneness and duality (which is its reflection), that is, from triad, proceed all of the other numbers, and from this primordial triangle all figures derive.” (I can’t quote this directly as it is found all over the web.)

3 is the number of time.

Past Present Future.

Birth Life Death.

Beginning Middle End.

3 is also sacred in many religions.

In Christianity, one way the number 3 is symbolized is the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In the Kaballah, it’s male/female/uniting intelligence.

Hinduism also discusses 3’s in terms of creation (Brahma), destruction (Vishnu), preservation (Shiva) as well as the 3 Gunas.

Om is all about 3’s. With its roots in Hinduism, the Om symbol is said to represent the one-ness of all creation, including the heavens, earth, and underworld.

And when you chant Om, it has 3 parts: aah, ooh, mmm.

Taoism has the Great Triad: Heaven/Human/Earth as well as the 3 Dantians, known as “The Three Treasures“.

From the Buddhist tradition, comes “The Triple Gem” or “The Three Jewels,” which is the Buddha (the enlightened one), the Dharma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the community).

How about the phrase, “3rd times a charm.”

Or, “Things happen in 3’s.”

Yeah yeah, now you’re following me!

Think about the concept of mind/body/soul.

Word, thought, and action.

Ouu, and how many primary colors are there?

3!

I recently discovered that there’s a Triple Moon Symbol, a popular pagan and Wiccan symbol used to represent the Goddess (um, I just had a Goddess epiphany a few weeks ago!). It shows different portions of the lunar cycle, with the moon in 3 phases – waxing, full and waning.

Celtic art and literature has long been preoccupied with the number 3. Have you noticed a theme of 3 in Celtic works such as creatures having 3 heads, objects repeating 3 times, or a single head having 3 faces?

The surface of the earth is one-third land, two-thirds water.

The simplest proposition requires 3 things to complete it; the subject, the predicate, and the copula.

When one studies linguistics, they study 3 aspects: the form, the meaning, and the context.

The list continues as I’ve only scratched the surface on my fascination with the number 3!

If you haven’t gathered it already, I like to believe there is significance in numbers. It’s not something that drives every decision in my life, just something I am intentionally aware of.

To recap:

• For centuries, observers of human nature have sought common denominators to better understand the forces that shape the human personality.
• My path of Yoga as a means of Self-inquiry led me to contemplate my human personality and more meaningful questions in life.
• Through my meditation practice, I began to remember that we are more than our brains…we are living intentions of our souls. This remembrance manifested in my current reality in the forms of increased self-love, happiness, and compassion.
• On my path of Self-inquiry, my introspective yogini friend Micara introduced me to Numerology and specifically the understanding my life path number, 33/6. Understanding numbers is likened to having a geographical map of our life as numbers play a huge role in the universe.
• I found great resonance while researching my life path number as a tool to find meaning, direction, and purpose in my life. This led me to research the significance of the number 3 in the universe.
• That shit is everywhere!