Spirituality in my life is best described as a journey. It is a path that has ebbed and flowed, weaved and twisted. It has been filled with joy and peace, resistance and angst. I have felt enlivened and renewed and downtrodden and deep despair. One of my favorite poets, Rainer Marie Rilke, writes, “The only journey is the one within.” My roadmap of spirituality has been exactly that, one that has gone within, far far within. It has reached beyond the space where physical eyes can see, to a space where a felt sense of belonging and the deepest form of Love exists. Explaining my spirituality through language has been woefully inadequate on my spiritual journey, which is why I have turned to the mystics, exploration with interspirituality, poetry and meditation.
What does mysticism mean? The word originates from Greek “mystikos” and refers to something secret or connected with the mysteries. Therefore, Mystic Spirituality is a way to find the secret path that takes you closer to The Divine through communion, contemplation and self-surrender. Mysticism bypasses the intellect, averts our preconceived life-long patterns of believing and transcends ordinary understanding thru the connection of souls. One of my beloved mystics, Mechthild of Magdeburg, writes:
God Speaks to the Soul:
And God said to the soul:
I desired you before the world began.
I desire you now
as you desire me.
And where the desires of two come together
there love is perfected.How the Soul Speaks to the Soul:
Lord, you are my lover,
my longing,
my flowing stream,
my sun,
And I am your reflection.How God Answers the Soul:
It is my nature that makes me love you often,
for I am love itself.
It is my longing that makes me love you intensely,
For I yearn to be loved from the heart.
It is my eternity that makes me love you long,
for I have no end.
I have also met the Divine through other belief systems, religions and wisdom traditions. Searching for answers and finding similar responses in the wisdom from many different teachers, traditions, and exemplars—both living and those who have gone before us—has strengthened the voice of the Divine within. Recognizing the voice of God in the Tao Te Ching or finding Christ nature within the Buddha has transformed my life. I often put into practice an InterSpiritual Meditation which is a seven-step process drawn from the world’s spiritual traditions that was founded by Edward W. Bastian, Ph.D. This is a process that I happily share with others and can be found at www.spiritualpaths.net.
Awwwh, and then there is poetry. How can I ever find the words to express what my heart sees, what my eyes hear and my ears feel so clearly? Poetry transcends the known, what is seen hidden in this world, recognizes its impermanence and speaks from the depths of the soul. It is the closest form of written expression of my spirituality I have found. I often engage in spiritual reading, a form of Lectio Divina, to dive deeper into the words of the poet. Sitting in silence with the words on my lips as they fill the spaces within my body with Divine Light and Love is my idea of living the best in life.
And speaking of silence. Everything above would not occur if there was not the silence found through meditation, mindfulness and prayer. Mindfulness and meditation have assisted me in finding the path within. Developing the skills of presence, awareness, equanimity and especially forgiveness have been brought to life by these practices. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin states, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Being able to dive into silence and to venture into the cavernous depths of my inner being has quieted my life to hear the inner turnings of our Beloved. Yet these practices have also helped me to realize my humanness and practice forgiveness on those days when the inner sanctuary of stillness evades me. Meditation allows me to just be.
All these practices are interspersed throughout my day, from finding Spirit in nature (always a welcome mat to meeting the Divine), practicing gratitude when drinking my tea or finding the Awe of God in the melody of a song. Even chopping vegetables can be a prayer to God when done with intention! All of these rituals ground me in my Beloved. I have found the impact of these practices so profound in my life, I not only became a Spiritual Director where I can listen deeply to another’s journey through this lifetime but also a mindfulness teacher to assist others to discover the depth of silence that is available to all.
I am most certain if I were to write about my spirituality a month from now, I would likely write different reflections than what I have today. That too is part of the journey; discovery, flexibility, a letting go and a taking in. What is your journey saying to you today?
—Kim Seward