Why do you suppose spiritual masters and anyone who has remained on top of their game (including musicians, artists and writers) continue to meditate, to practice the principles that they preach or express through their craft and to remain active in one form or another? You might think that once they’d achieved a certain level, they might sit back and go easy on their practice. But they don’t. If anything, they push even further, they continue to explore, to re-examine, to experiment. Why? Because where would they be if they didn’t? Certainly not at their peak, not even at their upper-range. They would, like us, fall back to that level that they had spent most time in. Admittedly, for them, this might be at a higher level than it is for most of us. But it would still be a level that did not reflect their best since they had already surpassed this level.
We are all wired to always keep growing, which is to keep expanding in the Infinite Field of Love which is what we truly are. That is the natural, creative impulse of Love, of Life. Growing and expanding is how we continue to experience more of what we are. It is how we remain happy and feel alive. To remain stagnant is to feel lifeless.
Now you may be wondering what any of this has got to do with you. You’re not a spiritual master or a master at anything for that matter and neither do you aspire to be. Why would I need to maintain a daily practice of meditation? I can get by and have done so without it. Sure I run into the occasional roadblock but I get back on my feet and I’m off again.
We are all wired to always keep growing, which is to keep expanding in the Infinite Field of Love which is what we truly are. This urge to keep growing and expanding is the natural, creative impulse of Love which is the core energy of the universe. Growing and expanding is how we continue to experience more of what we are. It is how we remain happy and feel alive. To remain stagnant is to feel lifeless. Now, although we might understand this need to maintain our core practices that keep us anchored in what is ultimately good and true, how many of us actually do it? Most of us are like panic shoppers. When, for whatever reason, say inclement weather, we are warned that fresh food might not be readily available, we rush out to stock up. But once that storm has blown over, we relax and start taking things for granted again.
Likewise in our spiritual practice, which is essentially the practice of Self-Awareness. When we hit a crisis such as a job loss or a relationship breakdown, or a health setback, we might desperately ramp up or restart our meditation practice. We hope that it will help us get back on track. What we fail to realize, however, is that our neglect of our spiritual practice had a significant part to play in either precipitating the crisis or in our inability to deal with it calmly and confidently. More than likely, it did both.
We are never in doubt that a lack of food or water or sleep is detrimental to our physical wellbeing. And despite the burgeoning evidence today that stress, which is a neurobiological state that predisposes us to disease, affects our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, we don’t seem all that committed to studying (through self-awareness) how we get stressed and how it affects us. This is especially important since the physical symptoms of stress often take time to show up.
It is important, therefore, to be self – aware, not just for 5 or 15 minutes a day but throughout the day, moment to moment. In this way, we become better able to take steps to change those mental and emotional habits that result in the build-up of stress in our bodies. This is not something to be done only when we hit a crisis. This is something that should be part of our daily and ongoing self-care, as consistent as a daily shower or our daily meals. And the more consistent AND constant we are with it, the more easily we can keep flowing and expanding in that Infinite Field of Love. This alignment with, and movement in, Love keeps all parts of us – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual alive, integrated and thriving.
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