A message to Christians or those beginning a relationship with Jesus

I started a daily Christian meditation practice almost a year ago, when I found myself uncomfortable during the first lockdown. I developed some confidence which I believe was a direct result of having a regular meditation practice, and went back to school to study health and wellness. My mind and heart opened to other forms of spirituality. I had a sort of homecoming with yogic and Buddhist teachings that started me on my path, twenty years ago. This began in January with mindfulness meditations, simply sitting upright and focusing on my breath. Since this past week I have been practicing some more intentional meditations, and am loving the chakra mantras I am using. 

That said, I still have my Christian foundation that I rely on to decide for me what I will view or participate in, as I now witness on social media different expressions of spirituality through my openness and growth. And in this brave new world I’ve been seeing some posts to participate in the honouring of or communion with Hindu deities.

This is a tricky one for me. On the one hand, my new studies have taught me about cultural appropriation, and on the other, I still pay homage to only one god. There is a difference between religion (worship) and dharma (ethos), and using my discernment, I draw lines I won’t cross.

Jesus told us to be as wise as serpents, and as gentle as doves (Matthew 10.16). Though I've been studying and practicing these beautiful forms of ancient Indian healing such as mindfulness and chakra balancing meditations, I must still protect my spiritual marriage to Christ. I seek to use my discernment by looking up words in mantras, so that I can make a judgement called based on my relationship with him. 

In the final analysis, it is between us and our own conceptions of God, which I believe we must decide on before embarking upon any substantial spiritual healing. This is because we will come to rely on this deity or concept for superhuman strength and guidance, so establishing a connection at the beginning is really of the utmost importance.

Therefore, I appeal to all Christians - however one identifies with Christ, or to those who are curious about Jesus and are beginning to ask questions, even if not out loud just yet - to be thoughtful when encountering practices that could compete for his attention. 

I have been studying and practicing my spirituality for many years. I have gone to heroic heights and disastrous depths in my searching, and today I feel I'm in a place where I can be crafty and not backslide. If this is not the case for you, if you are still on soft foundation in your relationship with Jesus, I simply request that you do a bit of research before watching, reading, or chanting. Thank you.

Living in Sensitive Fulfillment

I have been reading nightly as part of my Lenten practice from a Catholic book I was given years ago. Since one of the pillars of this time is prayer, I have been meditating on the teaching of the Trinity, and this particular book is in no way light reading. I am currently reading a section on purification and conversion of the soul, and in it are teachings about death and the shortness of our life here on earth.

A powerful question was posed: how would I live each day, like it's my last? I would tell a whole bunch of people directly that I love them. And I came to an important conclusion: I think a lot, if not all of us, would ensure to connect with at least one loved one or at least one estranged family member. We would forgive at least one enemy and maybe even confess a transgression or two. 

Since I imagine everyone's last day on earth would look just about the same - full of love and honesty and forgiveness - why don't we then just live this way in default? And I realized that this, I believe, is the paradox we face living in the world: we want to live open and free, but we instead live closed and held in. We are spiritual beings having a human experience, and that experience has hardened us somehow.

Micheal A. Singer talks about this closing of the heart in his book, The Untethered Soul, as disappointments that leave impressions on our minds and hearts. Through these influences we are ruled by the desperate need to resist or cling to people places and things. I believe that in time these hurts buildup, and we begin to close ourselves off. 

I know for myself, when I look back to my childhood, I remember feeling free. Even though I was governed by a ton of rules, and hurtful things happened, they hadn't left any impacts on me. I think that in time physiological changes occur during our development, where the impressions are more lasting: we no longer intuitively shake them off. Therefore, we must develop practices to help massage them out. 

I believe we must first relieve ourselves of these impressions, by telling someone we trust about our traumas and difficulties, whether a professional health care worker or a trusted friend. When we release the stress and stop building the walls that keep us isolated, entrapped, and not living the way we truly want, once  we have purged that pain, we can change the way we interpret the world. 

The more true paradox is living openly. Through courageous and vulnerable living, we can show up feeling fulfilled, purposeful, and safe. Free from snares, free from the fear of death, and in love with ourselves and the world around us. Connected, sustained, and held together through a loving energy that always reminds us that we are on the right path, no matter what.