Spiritual Awakening - Anytime Anywhere

I am writing this while still on vacation in the Colorado Mountains. Thanks to the generosity of some loving USCD members, I have had the opportunity to spend the better part of this past week surrounded by the beauty and serenity of nature.

It was my intention to take this time to be quiet and introspective without the influence of technology or media. That lasted about two days. While I did devote some quality time to meditation, silence, writing, and simply sitting on the deck observing the wonders of the natural world, I found myself getting just a little stir-crazy after a while.

I have friends and colleagues who have expounded on the glorious benefits of 9-day silent retreats. I fail to understand how they can withstand that much silence. After a while, it became for me just another thing to do, something to accomplish rather than a gift that I was giving myself. So, I decided to let go of this as another spiritual goal.

Yes, I have some judgment of myself about not being able to do it. Yes, I am doing my best to release it.

Ultimately, I arrived at the insight that spiritual awakening does not only happen for us in the silence of prayer or meditation. It does not only happen when we remove ourselves from the world of technology and media. It does not only happen when we are seeking it. In fact, it rarely if ever happens when we are seeking it. Instead, it happens in every moment of every day when we are open and receptive to it.

Every tree, every bird, every blade of grass, every rabbit, every squirrel, every elk, every deer, every person, indeed, every thing is alive with the One Life Energy and every moment is alive with the potential and possibility for us to awaken to and bear witness to it.

We awaken to our spiritual nature, not only by connecting consciously with our individual expression of the One Life Energy, but when we consciously connect with the spiritual nature of all creation.

For many, including me, being in nature helps to facilitate this awakening. However, it is not the source. The awakening happens within us as we recognize and deeply realize the One Life Energy that not only expresses as all visible creation, but also exists in the field of invisible Life Energy in the space between.

We are ever connected in and through this One Life Energy by whatever name or nature we know it to be. We only need open our hearts to sense it.

I offer this as a suggested practice –

Select an object of focus. I suggest a plant, animal, or something that you consider sentient

Close your eyes and take a deep cleansing breath

Breathe  deeply and focus your awareness in the area of your physical heart

Take another deep breath and invite your awareness to sink deeper into your emotional heart

Stop for a moment to feel what is arising there, without resistance or judgment

Take another deep breath and invite your awareness to sink even deeper into your spiritual heart

Feel your spiritual heart open wide

If you sense any resistance or heaviness, keep breathing deeply until you sense it open

Softly open your eyes so that they are not completely focused but a bit blurry

Gaze upon your chosen object of focus

Invite your awareness to observe the energy field around it

Gaze deeper and invite your awareness to witness the energy field within it

With your heart wide open, invite awareness of the energy field that is flowing between you

You may see it as color, as waves, as sparkling light. Just allow it to reveal itself to you

Bear witness to the energy connection you share with this object

Breathe deeply, focusing in your heart once again

Bring your awareness back to your emotional heart noticing what is arising there, again without resistance or judgment

Once again, with a deep breath bring your awareness back to your physical heart

Breathe normally and when you are ready open your eyes

I have recorded this visualization. Please click the link below to listen and follow.

I encourage this as a practice, especially when feeling separate and alone. It is a clear reminder that we are always connected to and a part of the One Life Energy that imbues all. Every moment can be a spiritual awakening, anywhere, anytime.