David Platzer, PhD

I came to Urmila for coaching at a moment when I was struggling to integrate my working life with my desire to deepen spiritually. In part because of things I had heard from others and in part because of my own polarized thinking, I had started to feel that to be truly spiritual, I had to give up my career, even though I find my work fulfilling and deeply meaningful. I felt that to grow spiritually I had to move into an asrama, even though I knew that was not a viable option for me at this stage of life. So this internal cul-de-sac had led to a certain degree of paralysis in both my working life and in my spiritual life.

However, in one dynamic and truly enlightening 90 minute session with Urmila, I was able to recognize that the either-or mentality I had internalized was based on an inaccurate understanding of work and spirituality.

In our session, I was amazed by the careful way Urmila listened to my situation, and empathetically understood the feelings associated with it, while still staying focused on outcomes and moving forward practically. Using her Career Dharma framework and its core heuristics, she was able to help me reframe my quandaries about work and spirituality in a holistic way that helped me to move past the dualisms that had me stuck.

Now, I understand that my working life, rather than an impediment to spirituality, can actually be a concrete arena to practice spiritual principles and grow in service. I’m grateful to the newfound sense of clarity and direction that I have from working with Urmila. And I would highly recommend anyone else finding themselves in a similar predicament to avail themselves of her expert, wise, and compassionate coaching.