Vulnerability is a reoccurring theme that comes up a lot when working with people one-on-one, and it’s a concept that is loaded with cultural connotations. It’s one of those touching points were some people reach a wall and don’t want to touch the subject at all, where others muster up enough courage to “be vulnerable” enough to truly see themselves, speak their truth, share their heart intimately within their relationships, or whatever the case may be. But unless we dare to “be vulnerable”, we won’t be completely intimate with Life itself. Due to past experiences, we are always going to have all the reasons not to trust. That is why vulnerability and trust are the pillars of the doorway through which we are invited to walk.
My prayer is that we show up (in all aspects of life) simply because we can, because we care enough to do so. My prayer is that when it comes to practice, we do so simply because we know that we’re privileged enough to be able to. By doing so, I hope that our showing up spills over onto those that for one reason or another simply can’t (in times of COVID19 there are many that have lost their lives and their privilege to show up in the day to day stuff). We still have this privilege, so let’s show up for it. Maybe the body or the mind doesn’t feel fit one day, but we show up anyways. We’re there holding space for whatever arise. We watch the divine play of all of the various content of body/mind come and go. My prayer to all of us is that we show up - wherever possible - just because.
In the midst of civil unrest we may sense an internal unrest, or unease, mirrored within us. A shorter fuse, emotional waves, unstable grounds, being bombarded by information of varying degree confusion and clarity – the list of the things that can push us out of our center can go on and on. The uncertainty that holds us in its embrace is here to teach us a lot. How do we respond to these challenging times? What is being confronted and what slips under the surface into the chambers at the depths of our being? What are we willing to make peace with?
How can we be completely involved with life, yet detached? How can we love - FULLY - yet not be tangled? It is no small quest to hold these questions at heart. And their fragrance often brings up a lot of emotion. These emotions give us pointers as to where we hold on tight - and where we are held back by beliefs.
Detachment implies that we are attached to a person / situation / pattern / thing / belief etc. Attachments can take many attributes, physical or non-physical. We can be attached to thought patterns and behavioral patterns as deeply as we may be attached to our lover. At the core of it, we are resisting change or deviation from what we know.
As much as we would like to think that we’re in control of our lives, we’re still run 95% of the time by habitual programming, linked to the subconscious - as Bruce Lipton would say. When we are jerked out of our habitual patterns and our ‘normal’ mental state, we may get glimpses what that programming is made up of and how it holding the reins as we go through life. The esoteric statement that a spiritual practice is “purifying” may be hard to grasp, though it is repeated over and over again in the scriptures. The more closely we observe the subconscious programming resurface in stressful or challenging situations, we are also given a choice as to reinvest in the patterns or not.
As we find ourselves in these peculiar times - riding the waves of emotion, movement mixed with stillness, with each moment carrying a new flavor - some fundamental questions inevitable come up. We’ve been uprooted in various aspects of our lives, at this very fascinating time in our lives. We all know this is quite a unique situation, when the whole world has come to a screeching halt and we’re gifted new perspectives.
The practice serves as a mirror, whether we want it to or not, and to really look straight into that mirror means to face ourselves even on days we don’t really want to. Usually during the days where there may be initial hesitation or resistance, those can become the most intimate days of practice where it benefits us the most.
In this blog, we will focus on the sacred, the raw and the real. We will focus on what is at the core of any spiritual tradition : Connection with Spirit. We will dive into the juicy questions around how to navigate the spiritual terrain, obstacles, motivation, energy, identity, philosophy, the changing nature of life and practice, and so much more. With this, we hope to inspire deep contemplation, as we wish for this platform to feed the inner journey.
In an interview with Elon Musk that I recently listened to, he said something so profound that I just have to share it. He said “Happiness is Reality minus Expectations”. He mentioned it totally in bypassing, but to me it was such a profound statement that I simply have to go deeper into it here with you. It holds so much truth that I find so applicable to many aspects of life.
In order to really get to the core of such a statement we have to look at our expectations, what reality really is, and also our definition of happiness. This is not a small feat but in my heart and mind, it is so worth spending time with.