A Reflection on Spirituality by Guest Author, Catherin Mahlin
I used to think that I was a human being having a spiritual experience. This thought would arise when I experienced something that felt beyond the material world. A moment of calm. A moment of feeling close to whatever or whoever created this incredibly beautiful world. A moment when my heart would burst open with immense joy and gratitude. There came a time and a mentor who caused me to shift my understanding. I came to understand that I am a spirit/soul having a human experience, trying really hard to understand how to be a human being all the while being divine energy in material form. This realization created a seismic shift in my being.
If we accept the idea that we are in fact a spirit being in a human body, then paying attention to our spirit or spirituality is of supreme importance. Not only does this plant us squarely in the seat of our true nature, but it also, and most importantly gives us a totally new perspective. It’s as though we put a new prescription in our glasses. It offers us an opportunity to see everything as divine – first and foremost, our own self. This was the first thing that happened for me. How exactly we each experience and transform from this initial revelation is personal and unique, given that we are all different and have various starting points. My moment of realization produced an amazing and powerful opening. A place of remembrance -first, a sense of having forgotten who am (I had definitely done that!) and in that moment, remembering. When we can remember who we really are, and very importantly, identify with our divinity, our perception of life and the world changes.
As life happens, we feel ourselves as human beings – we have practiced this so many times and so it is our go to. There is constant forgetting. This can be a positive because if we are aware, we have the opportunity to remember who we really are in those moments and shift our perception and experience. Because we are creatures of habit – literally and habitually returning to the place we have practiced the most, it is supremely important to cultivate practices that strengthen our connection to our spirit/soulful selves. The practices give us the awareness and ability to remember and to experience the fundamental truth of who we are. It is definitely a journey that takes time and patience and compassion for oneself. The pull to stay stuck in the old practiced place is strong, and at times we succumb to that pull. If we stay in the game, in time this new place of awareness, perspective, and being-ness becomes easier to get to and staying there for longer periods of time requires less effort.