Life can be so challenging at times, and when it is, I encourage you to find a balance between sitting in silence and feeling what comes up for you. Honestly, it sounds way easier than it is, because often the darker, denser energies that are surrounding the people, places and things that have upset our equilibrium show up front and center, and with that comes discomfort.
Sometimes, we are not ready to do the work, and that is ok. When that happens, you might distract yourself with things that seem more fun. You might allow illusion to make you feel better, or you might shift your focus to things on your to-do list that in actuality, can wait. You might even convince yourself that there is no internal work to be done, and that it’s the external world that needs to change in order for you to be happy. Eventually, however, for us to progress in spiritually as well as to find true peace and harmony, and not the illusory, fleeting kind, we will have to do what my friend Andrew refers to as “the thing.”
When you are ready to do “the thing”, and it might take some time to get there, cuz I know we tend to ignore all the signs and suggestions that come to us from all directions, it’s time to summon up your courage, truly be alone with yourself, and ask to be shown whatever it is you need to see, hear or feel to grow. When I suggest being alone, I mean really alone, for an extended period of time so you are free from all outside influence that will keep you stuck in negative, repeating patterns or in maya. I can hear some of you now, “but I have kids, I have a partner, I have responsibilities, there is no possible way for me to be alone.” I hear you, and I am here to tell you those are the excuses you use to avoid doing the work.
Being alone might mean dedicating a half or full hour every morning and evening to sit in silence, away from all people. Turn off your phone, turn off the music, turn off the tv, and avoid taking in any substances such as alcohol or drugs of any sort, and if it is your habit to take in substance, abandon it completely for at least one full month. Leave the house if you need to. The purpose is to avoid distraction – and this means all activity, all external influence. For some of you to experience this, you might need to go on a weekend or week-long silent retreat somewhere that allows you to meditate and pray for long stretches at a time. Be alone, not doing anything. Just Be. Surrender your ego, thoughts, illusions and narratives, and sit and breathe. Connect with your breath and with Spirit, and really tune in, and hang in there, even when it gets a little bumpy.
What are you feeling when you sit without doing? And where are you feeling it in your body? Can you feel it in your heart? Is it uncomfortable? Does it make you want to cry uncontrollably or perhaps scream? Can you summon up the courage to meet anything that arises head-on and experience all aspects of it, with or without grace? Can you be still enough to see and finally accept what was or what is? Can you be honest and own your part in it? Can you turn off the noise in your head and transmute any negative thoughts or feelings into Love? Even if you struggle with this practice, keep showing up, always allowing yourself to go deeper and deeper, moving through each layer, expressing whatever comes up as you need to express it.
The miracle that transpires when we keep doing the work, with as much honesty and integrity as we can muster, and with fierce determination to walk through whatever is holding us back from our Divine Perfection is victory over anything that made us feel challenged, less than, confused or hurt. We must go inside, alone, and in stillness to find what has been waiting patiently for us all along. We are then able to clear it from our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual fields and allow for true transformation to take place.
Allow silence and stillness to become your greatest allies. They will always help you return to the One True Light, your Higher Self, and your purpose. Wishing you continued blessings on your path.