We can understand the spiritual path as a journey to our deepest self. Many of us experience a deep longing to live a meaningful life, a life connected to something bigger than ourselves. We learn early that this is a life-long journey striving to emerge out of the dark illusion of our separateness and into the light of the soul and its truth of unity and oneness.
We are seeking to arrive at the sacred place of our true identity –that divine essence within that is our source of love and connection with everything. But, how do we get there? We get there by looking for the soul and its lessons in the ordinary and extraordinary experiences of our lives. We get there by committing to the soul’s journey and stepping on the path. Just like pilgrims throughout history who set off to journey to a sacred site, what you discover has to do with what you are seeking. What are you seeking on your life’s journey?
The Invitation: In this regular feature we explore the joys, fears, discoveries, and challenges of walking the path in everyday life. We also explore the ways in which the outer journey of preparing for and walking the 500 mile Camino pilgrimage in Spain, reflects the inner journey of awakening to and walking towards the soul within us. We hope these experiences will resonate with you as you consciously embark on your own walk towards soul awareness. Please join us! We’d love to talk with you as we walk this path together.
Life Hacks for Weathering the Journey of Transformation
Despite my well-honed problem solving skills, I’ve discovered a whole slew of problems that aren’t really meant to be solved. Instead they seem to be journeys that must be traveled. Often these are journeys of pain and loss. Thankfully there are a few life hacks that seem to lessen the suffering and speed up the process of transformation.
“I Don’t Want to Feel That” – Transforming Discomfort Into Ease
We hear all the time that aging comes with increasing discomfort. But is it possible that it could be just the opposite? What if, as we age, we get increasingly skilled at transforming discomfort into ease? What if each year brings more ease and contentment?
Love, Loss, and a Bigger Stronger Love
What was grief doing here on the morning of a day like this? It had no business at a wedding. But here it was. Mindful of Rumi’s poem, 'The Guest House,' I knew grief, if present, must have an important message and/or role to play. I knew it wasn’t to be ignored or pushed away. What did it mean and where did it come from?
Resisting Resistance – Embracing Change
I’ve got to be honest. I resist autumn. I just never want summer to end. You’d think I’d realize that resistance does no good. Summer ends, every year, no matter what. So this year, when I started to feel that resistance bubble up – I thought – time to try a new approach. Let go. Release the tension. Relax into the present moment. Open my heart to exactly what’s happening right now.
Samskaras – The Untruths That Cause Suffering
Some of us are well aware of our pitfalls – our traps of thinking that trip us up over and over. Some of us have been working for years to try and rid ourselves of these traps. And yet, we keep getting caught in the same old, same old samskaras. So we commit to trying harder to rid ourselves of this darkness, believing that’s it through pushing ourselves that we will overcome.To be honest, I don’t think that works very well. Fortunately a wise teacher recently suggested a different approach.