Spirituality is a word so heavily loaded with millions of concepts, ideas and ideals. And although we can find many core themes such as love, compassion and patience with ourselves and others in all of them, there are countless approaches, teachings and techniques to offer guidance and support on our path to a spiritual life. Many are very complex and complicated, require dedication and commitment and appear very unrealistic to many in their „real“ life.
In our daily life, we often feel we need to play our part as the money maker, the reliable friend and partner, the responsible and caring child to our parents, the energetic and fun parent and often feel pressure to deliver. We may feel we simply cannot be too demanding when it comes to taking time out for ourselves.
So how to integrate a stringent spiritual practice when there is simply not enough time?
Let us break it down to what we know, to what is given. We are here on this magical planet for the human experience and we have set up a life which includes responsibilities, pressure, stress, anxiety, difficult decisions and uncomfortable situations. This is a reality that we all know and often there is the misconception, that we need to escape it and intend to eliminate the factors that are producing these unpleasant feelings. This is simply impossible. No matter where you take yourself, the challenges will follow.
What is possible, is to change our perspective and go from eliminating to integrating. With integration I mean, that we include spirituality into our lives rather than create a different life in order to be spiritual.
How can we integrate spirituality into our lives? This is a complex matter and there are just as many answers as there are people asking the question. It is an intimate inquiry that requires you to feel into, what spirituality means to you, how it inspires you and where you would like it to take you. What is your intention, what is your prayer, what are you seeking?
You will find that spirituality can be experienced and expressed in many ways. It can be found in anything that brings us joy, that makes us appreciate, makes us humble, grateful, caring and kind towards ourselves and others. It can be found in preparing or enjoying a meal, in taking a walk, in an embrace, in a smile, in each moment we are present, each moment we show up to experience this human existence, simply for what it is.
Spirituality takes some courage and it takes some practice as it will lead you away from self-pity and blaming, towards self-responsibility and acceptance. Away from living into the past and the future, in which things were or will be better, towards dealing with what is here, right now.
Each mindfulness exercise you treat yourself to, each meditation, each yoga session will bring you a little closer to being in the present. Each moment that you are aware will make the concept of spirituality a much less theoretical one but a very realistic one. One that will uplift you and enrich your life and the lives around you. It takes training and kind patience towards yourself as well as courage to face what is and to find peace in this.
Your gentle change will naturally spread to others and from the one seeking, you will quickly be the one to inspire. I would like to invite you to be generous, tell your story, show all that you know, share all that you have discovered, don´t hold anything back. If it resonates with the listener, they will feel generously endowed and will carry this peace of you within them.
Spirituality is natural to all of us, once we are open for it, it is very simple and not at all serious. It is a way to remind us that this life is a playground and that we are free.
May you be inspired and enjoy your path!
Note: Our guest author Charu Hermsdorf is a friend of Cal Reiets and the co-founder of DIMA Mallorca, Centre for Conscious Living (www.dimamallorca.com).
