Kabbalah is not a religion. Rather, it provides a set of spiritual laws that apply to every soul regardless of religion, sexuality or nationality.

 

It is also about appreciating one’s blessings, showing care and honoring another dignity, especially under situations when this is difficult to do.

 

Sarah Weston (formerly Nikki Lopez) used to be a restless soul who had been living in wealth and privilege when she was younger, until a friend urged her to join a lecture at the Kabbalah Center in New York in 2004.

 

“The first thing I heard was, ‘Don’t believe anything we tell you. Don’t believe anything you read here. Test everything out for yourself and see what holds true for you,’” she recalled.

 

Weston was then working in finance. “Even though I had a lot of success at work, something was missing,” she said.

 

After hearing the disclaimer, Weston said she felt like her soul “came home.” She signed up for the Kabbalah 1 course.

 

That night, Weston dreamed she was back at the Kabbalah Center and came face to face with the Rav Berg (her teacher).

 

The two had yet to meet back then, but Weston vividly remembered telling the Rav about her soul’s purpose—to help bring Light and wisdom of the Kabbalah to the world; more specifically, to help bring Kabbalah to the Philippines.

 

Weston then went ahead with her study of Kabbalah. “And later I met my teacher, Rav Berg, and only then did I understand how very important my dream and my true purpose was,” she said.

 

Kabbalah is seldom understood in the Philippines. It does not help that people associate it with Hollywood celebrities who wear the red string on their wrist as a sign of their involvement.

 

Weston, now a senior Kabbalah teacher based in London, has returned to Manila to deliver a series of talks and seminars on Kabbalah.

 

In an e-mailed statement, Weston said Kabbalah allows people “to have a better understanding of the universe, a greater awareness of ourselves and be the best versions of ourselves.”

 

Kabbalah students do not spend all their time in prayer to achieve this, Weston pointed out.

 

Rather, Kabbalah shows its learners ways to become better leaders and parents by infusing the right consciousness in their daily actions.

 

Removing chaos

 

Returning to Manila comes with a purpose. “Our goal in the Philippines is to remove chaos and suffering at the seed level,” Weston said.

 

“The Kabbalists explain that every manifestation of negativity on the physical level is due to negativity on the spiritual level,” she explained.

 

“For example, the pollution of the environment is due to pollution of our consciousness. Until we remove the consciousness of waste from our thoughts, no matter how much effort we put into cleaning the one percent physicality, it will always come back,” she warned.

 

Addressing the issue involves one person at a time. Weston believes, however, that if enough people become more aware of their consciousness and how it affects the outer environment, “how our words affect others, how our actions affect the environment, we will see solutions manifest before our eyes.”

 

Weston said that after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” ravaged the country in November 2013, Kabbalah teacher Karen Berg “gathered the entire international Kabbalah community to pray, sending love, light and healing to the region. Everyone in the Kabbalah community was deeply touched and moved by Karen’s love for our country,” Weston noted.

 

“Of course this doesn’t take away the importance of assisting the one percent level… Some people only give after there has been a disaster, but Kabbalah teaches people to give year round,” she added.

 

“We do healing and prayers for students and family who aren’t well. We teach spirituality for kids in schools, orphanages and any place that is open to empowering children to make better decisions and develop self-confidence,” Weston said.

 

Her husband Marcus is director of the Kabbalah London Centre.

 

While Kabbalah is clear on how consciousness affects environment, Marcus said Kabbalah also involves business counseling.

 

“Kabbalah teaches students to harness their full potential, feel more in control, realize the best version of themselves, reach a broader understanding of how life, business and relationships work,” Marcus explained.

 

“It’s clear that organizations don’t change, people do,” he added.

 

Marcus noted that Kabbalah focuses on how emotional intelligence can deliver better business results as people become more aware of how thoughts affect them.

 

“Research proves that greater productivity and profitability are results of individuals learning how to engage more with emotional intelligence at work. This tangible growth manifests not because of a change around them but because of a change within them,” Marcus pointed out.

 

Emotional intelligence allows people to engage more deeply with others.

 

“Organizations with high-engagement scores are up to 70 percent more productive and 40 percent more profitable, according to an Aon Hewitt ‘Future of Engagement’ study. This also estimates each disengaged employee costs an organization an average of 7,000 (British pounds) in profit annually,” he added.

 

The couple did their first lecture in Manila in December 2006. “A couple of hundred people attended it,” Weston said.

 

She added that the Kabbalah Center Philippines currently has 100 students regularly attending the classes and connections.

 

“But thousands more study online, through books, the website university.kabbalah.com, or reading consciousness tune-ups and e-mails,” she said.

 

Changing the world one person at a time remains the main purpose of the couple on their second trip.

 

On Jan. 4, they will hold a talk on how Kabbalah brought them together and how they aim to lead more Filipinos toward success, peace and happiness.

 

“We offer to take you on a journey toward your life-purpose, where you will discover continuously deeper, personal breakthroughs for life-changing happiness and business success. If you want to go further, you have to get deeper,” Marcus said.

Seminars

“Breath of Life: Unlocking the Energy Within” is a unique program integrating the study of kabbalistic wisdom, yoga and meditation to bring body, mind and spirit into perfect balance. (Beyond Yoga, 38 Rockwell Drive and Palma St., Rockwell Center, Jan. 4, 2015, 2 p.m.)

“Zohar Connection”—The Zohar teaches that every week has its own unique energy which, when channeled through our spiritual work, can assist us in all aspects of our life. See life through a different lens. (Palm Grove at Rockwell Club, Jan. 5, 2015, 7:30 p.m.)

Tel. 0917-5848262, or e-mail eventregkpi.jimdo.com