My Journey

My name is H. Castillero, and this is my journey. Even though we all are different individuals with our own experiences and challenges, our evolution in the cycle of life is pretty much the same. I would like to share my personal transformation in search of self-realization and spiritual meaning. Every blessing and failure I have experienced in my journey has molded and prepared me for this very moment to claim my divine right and fulfill my destiny.

Through the practice of yoga, I was able to regain my life. I came back from emptiness, depression, and suicidal thoughts. I found self-realization and a spiritual connection with my Creator. As you read this book, you will find practical applications to develop new thought patterns while building self-confidence and acceptance. You will learn to love your uniqueness and beauty, improve your overall well-being, and understand the magnificence of your soul while completing God's purpose for your life.

By practicing meditation, we become conscious of our thoughts and emotions. We also learn to differentiate between reality and fiction. With clear minds, we can separate positive from negative, right from wrong, true from false, and eternal from temporary. This is instrumental in developing awareness and acceptance. We are living in the present — and not in the past or future. In the present moment, we have control of our lives, and we can set in motion our aspirations, dreams, and hopes for better lives.

By practicing yoga postures, we can feel a special connection with Mother Nature. We refine our awareness and physical sensations by using our bodies as instruments to process the world around us through seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. When the body is healthy, we can establish a natural rhythm and synchronicity with the environment while enjoying good health and peace of mind.

By practicing spiritual laws, we can define the purpose and reason for our existence. My experience with yoga goes beyond practicing a certain religion or set of beliefs with dos and don'ts. It is about establishing a personal relationship with the Creator. Our souls connect with the universal energy that sustains all living creatures. When guided by spiritual truths, we eliminate fear, doubt, and regret. We become the full expression of ourselves when love, joy, peace, hope, and faith motivate us. We become grounded in our relationships with the Divine.

No matter how difficult your circumstances are today, you were born with a purpose and a destiny that only you can fulfill. Your life is unique and special. Only you can complete God's creation as you choose to manifest his glory. On our journeys, we develop awareness of the ultimate plan for our lives. All our past and present experiences bring us to this special moment in time to fulfill our destinies.

I would like to share my story and the events that brought me to my knees. With tears and humility, I asked for God's mercy. I had no answers. All my education, professional accomplishments, family relationships, and my will to become successful could not carry me through the tragedy of my divorce. That was the breaking point. I totally surrendered to my Creator and devoted my existence to his glory.

My Birth

I was born in Mexico. My father and mother met while attending medical school in Mexico City. They fell madly in love and married at a very early age. My father was twenty-one, and my mother was twenty. Since they were raised Catholic, birth control was not an option. I was conceived during their honeymoon.

From the instant I was born, I had to fight through life. My mother's pregnancy had complications in the seventh month, and I needed to go out into the world as soon as possible. An emergency C-section had to be performed because I was bridged, which added to the complication of my delivery.

I barely weighed five pounds. My health was very fragile, and my appearance was more like a prune than a plum. I was wrinkled and emaciated. The doctors were very concerned for my health and knew there was a chance I would not make it. However, my mother saw me in a different light. She said I was the most beautiful baby her eyes had ever seen.

I believe her love inspired me to hold onto life and muster the desire to survive. I had to make a choice: give up on my existence and let myself go or fight with all my strength and will. I chose the latter, claimed my place on this earth, and fulfilled my destiny.

It is amazing to observe newborns as they begin to breathe, eat, laugh, cry, smile, and eliminate toxins. These human functions are performed instinctively to perfection without even having read a manual. Our connection to a universal intelligence guides us to unleash those survival instincts from day one.

Regardless of environment, family makeup, financial situation, or social circumstances, human interactions with the world are the same. We assess the environment with our minds, experience the world with our physical senses, and evolve spiritually through our souls. The choice about how to live is ours alone.

I am the master of my mind, the creator of my life, and the driver of my soul. My connection to the Divine has provided me with everything I need to live a prosperous and successful life — no matter the conditions of my external circumstances.

When we come into this world, we are very loud and clear. With our first cries, we tell everyone that we are here to stay. The world will never be the same. As soon as I was out of the womb, the doctors placed me in an incubator. I was fed intravenously until I gained enough weight to be placed under my mother's care. I ate so much that I was fully recovered within a couple of months. Nobody would have guessed I had complications at birth.

My Childhood Years

During my early childhood, I was afflicted with asthma. This condition limited my physical activities outside the home. My father did his residency in one of the hospitals in Mexico City, the smog and pollution from the cars were heavy. I stayed indoors as much as possible to control my environment.

I could go outdoors on smoggy days in a white shirt, and it would soon be covered with black smog particles. With the slightest effort, I would run out of breath quickly. I used to sit outside my window and wish things were different. I wanted to play ball, ride my bike, run in the playground, or swim in the pool. I wondered why I wasn't normal like the rest of the boys in my neighborhood.

Since I had to stay indoors a majority of the time, I developed a vivid imagination. My favorite toy — G.I. Joe — had a cord in the middle of his chest. When I pulled it, he would say, "I am ready for the mission to free our soldiers."

I...