The Challenges of Living a Spiritual Life
Let’s face it, it’s not that easy practicing to be conscious, kind, and considerate in the face of everyday demands, while working with others who have different perspectives and different triggers.If you have a spiritual practice of your own, you know all too well that just a ritual practice alone isn’t enough to keep your circumstances in life flowing along with relative smoothness.If you think that simply traveling to India, meditating daily or burning incense will give you the benefits of having a practice, then you will quickly discover how much harder it is to bring the bliss you feel on your meditation pillow, into the real life situations that challenge you to hold the light in your heart bright, without leaving you feeling disheartened, annoyed or resentful.Most of all it can be a test to not allow such emotional energy to impact your behavior. While I do not necessarily like the term “spiritual warrior”, I do believe, as light bearers, it accurately describes the inner battle we undergo when we are excited about our experiences of One-ness and Love, and then have to resist, reacting to external stimuli, that might take us out of our center.
Moving from Conflict to Calm
How can we move from an inner place of conflict into a spot of equanimity that helps us to shine our light instead of losing our cool? I like to think of it in terms of having super powers, because some of the tools I teach and use, are based on the concept that we are always co-creators. If we can develop these super powers, it’s possible that the mountainous obstacles arising in our lives can be quickly and almost instantly transformed into little molehills.It’s what I help clients do in private sessions, which is why clients return and continue to build on their levels of spiritual mastery, every time they use one of these super powers. So, what are they? Check them out below.
Super Power #1 The Power of Being Curious
It’s easy to make sweeping conclusions or judgements about people and events, especially if we have our own degree of intuition or are privy to private information. Also, when we are in a charged emotional state, it sometimes feels convenient - or safer - to move into blame and anger, rather than allow ourselves to release these in favor of curiosity.However, I have found that having curiosity about any given situation will instantly diffuse a charged event. Even if you try it out now, after the fact, it’s possible that you can arrive at a different feeling about a person or circumstance if you ask yourself some exploratory questions.
- "What else could be the reason for what just happened?”
- “What would have happened if I handled it differently?”
- “What else could I have responded with besides the last statement I made?”
- “Is it possible that there are other factors going on that I didn’t know about?”
- “If my feelings are ultra-intense, is it possible that this situation is reminiscent of another earlier situation?"
If those questions don’t apply, then keep holding the intention of curiosity and the right questions will appear in your consciousness.Another magical thing about being curious is that it opens your mind to options you did not see at first glance. It allows your good energy to flow through you faster than if you just made a snap decision about something. Curiosity allows you to see beyond the initial circumstances of an event or situation, increasing your natural problem solving skills.My mother was a master at this, always asking questions before handling an issue or responding. She always managed to have things go down just the way they were supposed to, and if they didn’t, she somehow always had things work out to our advantage in the end. Even then, I thought she had super powers!
Super Power #2 The Power of Using Your Periphery
When we find ourselves in a charge, the tendency is for the vision to become very narrow and one-pointed, which can lead to us getting stuck and losing our center. If you practice being aware of your peripheral vision during any tense situation, your options will become more apparent and it will slow down the mind, which naturally wants to move into tense defensive behavior. Also, using your periphery expands your auric field, thereby increasing your sensitivity to what’s really going on around you, and giving you more connection to Soul energy, which is always Love, Light & Power.
Super Power #3 The Power of Warrior Breathing
If you do yoga you know what the term ujjayi breathing means. The term means “warrior breathing”, but it’s not about physical fighting necessarily. First off, ujjayi breathing means to narrow the rear sinus/throat passages so that the breath is slowed down on the inhalation and exhalation, and so that there’s a little bit of breathiness to the sound of it.This type of breathing does two very important things:
- First, it slows down your nervous system, which will automatically balance you in your center.
- Second, it builds up pranic energy in your body and auric field, helping your body be strong but also insulating you to a degree from negative psychic attack, or negative energy you may encounter in public places.
My Personal Experiences
I practice ujjayi breathing a lot during my private moments to help me focus, finish a workout, or while doing yoga. It’s invaluable when the inner frustration level climbs, and I find myself somewhere in need of keeping my equanimity.Because of this practice I’ve developed a reputation for being a largely positive and even keeled person. The trust this has helped me build with my clients, friends and family has been priceless. For this reason I say mastering and using warrior breathing is a super power, because it can help you build a solid reputation of equanimity and peace.I would have never thought that things so simple could make such a big difference, but super powers are not used with glamour or bravado. A spiritual warrior is at odds, not with the world as much as with one’s self, and the internal alchemy that happens from mastering these struggles is what produces the “golden” moment’s; opportunities and relationships that characterize a rewarding and fulfilling life.Will you practice these even though they may seem too simple to be of benefit? If you find yourself needing help in this arena, you can always pop by Paradise Found to sit with me for a bit. I’d love to help you master the most relevant super power you’d need to co-create more positive outcomes in your life!To your health, wealth and happiness!
