In Buddhism, we are taught to treat everyone as if they were our kind and loving mother. The logic is that we’ve had so many millions of lives that everyone we encounter has once been our mother. Although it’s hard for me to wrap my head around this teaching, I find it immensely beautiful. If we treated other people this way for one day, it would change our day. If we did this for one year, it would change our lives.

Whether you believe in the concept of rebirth or not, all religions have some sort of belief in the disposition of the soul after death. Jews believe in a heavenly afterlife, while Christians offer both heaven and hell as possibilities. Catholics add the additional in-between dimension of purgatory. Kadampa Buddhists believe there are six possibilities for future lives: god, demigod, human, animal, hungry ghost or hell being. The Hindu belief system shares a common lineage and is very similar. Ancient Egyptians believed in complex preparation for their afterlife, made famous by the ornate tombs displayed in museums around the world. The Yoruba religion also believes in an afterlife. In Islam, “Akhirah” is the term used for life after death.

Whether your mother is with you physically or not this weekend, if spiritual history is any indication, she is still with you. She is still among us.

Because our spirits transcend our lives, it makes sense to work on our spirits.

The mother essence is the highest form of love and devotion. We are all mothers whether we’ve birthed our own children or loved and nurtured nieces, nephews, friends, partners or pets.

That essence may very well be the closest thing to the Divine here on earth. Here are three ways to tap into your mother essence:

• Offer comfort. – Sometimes people just want to be heard. Not every conversation is the opportunity to provide a solution. Practice being a gentle mother and offering the gift of an engaged ear and a soft heart to someone you care about.
• Be an encourager. – The best moms are the ones that cheer you on, even when they are the only ones in the bleachers. Be someone’s cheerleader.
• Provide nourishment. – Mom’s feed us physical food, but they also nourish our spirit. They fill our cup with confidence and self-worth. They let us know we have a place in the world. Remind someone you know that they’re worthy, unique and special. Share a compliment with a stranger or a friend.

Our mothers are our first love story. For many of us, the relationship with mother is complex because of all the pain and tragedy attached to our mothers and ourselves. No matter your relationship with your mother, the essence of a mother is pure love. You can rejuvenate that essence in your own life whenever you want to feel the transformative power of mothering.

Shift into this beautiful feminine power and claim the mother goddess within.

I wish you passion, purpose and the realization of your fullest potential!