Welcome to my blog series on change. I am exploring change to become comfortable in the uncomfortable, to accept the reality that all things are constantly changing. Each of these blogs stands alone and also builds on previous posts. The first in the series was “Embracing Change: Do You?” and a free podcast introduced the four powers to navigate change. The second in the series was “The Story of Change” and helped you identify your relationship with change and the third was “The Journey of Change” invited you to explore ways to embrace the constant of change. Sometimes I add topics in between like when my best friend “Spirit” transitioned over the rainbow bridge after 17 years at my side. Find all blogs and free podcasts on each topic here.
Now that we have explored your relationship to change it is time to connect to it. The four tools to navigate change are connection, truth, courage and vision. We will explore connection in the next few blogs starting with faith.
Connection is a state of being linked or joined together. The root of the word is Latin meaning “a binding or joining together”. We connect pipes and wires to allow water, information or energy to flow through them. We can connect with other people, meaning we feel somehow touched by another, understanding them and their point of view.
We can have a connection as a way to move forward, traveling or making a journey such as a flight or train connection. And we can make a connection in our minds, becoming aware of something that was previously lost or unconscious.
All of these are illustrations or examples of being linked to something, allowing flow both to and from us. Feeling personally touched and having a sense of understanding of what’s beyond ourselves, being able to move forward and make our journey, and finding awareness of something we have lost, are all part of having a sense of connection in our lives.
We look for this sense of connection, whether we are making love or playing team sports, making money or raising children, it is part of what defines the human journey. In relationship to change and how we feel about it, connection is an anchor that we can rely on in the midst of the storm, when everything around us is moving and transforming, our sense of connection can be a source of peace and power, something we know we can rely on.
Connection this way comes from having a personal relationship with what we will call the Sacred. I don’t necessarily mean God, Goddess or external being, but the essential nature of creation of reality- and what that means to you. It might mean God, Universe, Great Spirit, Divine or any infinite names – as many as there are people relating to it.
The Sacred
The Sacred is what we can all feel beneath the world around us, or beyond it. It exists in the silence that lies behind all sound, and while many people experience it as a sentience or consciousness, many others experience it as energy, a sense of love, truth or light, with no sense of it being an entity at all. This is because our relationship with Sacred is unique and personal. We can’t experience the Sacred through anyone else’s life, only our own perspective and individual lens.
To build a relationship with the Sacred then that is real and meaningful, we must experience it in our own way, directly and intimately. We can’t build a sense of connection and relationship with Sacred through reading about it and listening to others experiences. We can learn how they built it, experienced it. You can’t buy it either, you may find it in yoga, meditation, rock climbing, music, dance, cooking or gardening, it can be elusive and subtle. To actually have that sense of connection in our own lives we have to create a direct personal experience and build it ourselves.
Invite Sacred into your life and your awareness to actively providing opportunities for it to appear. It will show up and one day, if you have not already, you will feel its’ presence.
Faith
Faith is the ability to hold space for the Sacred in our lives, despite never having seen or felt it before. We have to be open to the Sacred, without knowing how or when it will appear to us, so that we can experience it personally and directly for ourselves in the way that we need it.
Perhaps it is like going through life with a very old friend, and this friend is always there beside us. But we cannot see them – we are too focused on the outer world, what we are doing and what we are thinking. We have forgotten them. It is not until we sit down and take some time out that we may even remember that our friend exists. But when we do, we begin to look for them, maybe to call for them. This is the moment we can finally open our eyes and see them- right beside us, where they have always been.
The Sacred is like that old friend: it cannot force us to pay attention to it and we cannot force a memory of it or to open our eyes. The Sacred can’t leave us- it is the essence of life itself, it’s just that we can forget it is there. Once we open ourselves again and become aware again we feel its constant presence again.
We must be willing to try new things to have a personal experience of the Sacred and be open to new feelings. We must want to have an experience first and foremost. There are infinite ways to create space for ourselves to open to Sacred. I will list some here, but know there are many others in this blog series and out there and even better create your own. There are no wrong ways, only your way. Follow your heart and listen to the yearning of your soul.
Create a Sacred Space
Simply create a defined place and time where the mundane concerns of life can fall away and you can open your eyes to the sacred, safely, comfortably and predictably. You call out to Sacred to be with us when you open a sacred space simultaneously opening yourselves to be present and aware of how we are relating to Sacred.
You can call on Sacred or Spirit with prayer, chant, music, silence, lighting candles or incense, rattling or singing. As long as you mean it, the mechanism to call Sacred doesn’t matter. Choose a place you won’t be disturbed and can relax and focus your breathing. Let the world fade. Here is a prayer, calling to the directions if that is helpful:
I call to the Spirit of the South,
Come and be with me.
I call to the Spirit of the West,
Come and be with me.
I call to the Spirit of the North,
Come and be with me
I call to the Spirit of the East,
Come and be with me
I call to the Spirit of Earth and Sky,
Come and be with me
I call to the Spirits of my ancestors, my guides and teachers,
Come and be with me
I call to the Great Spirit (insert your name),
Come and be with me
Welcome and be open. Close the Sacred space by thanking it and then release it, knowing it will be with you whether you are aware or not.
Follow Your Heart
Think about the things you are most passionate about in your life, not by duty or obligation but truly make you feel alive in your heart and present. Then notice how that topic feels in your body – is there lightness, buzzing or sensations? Do you feel like laughing, smiling or expressing something? Are you quiet and peaceful? How does your heart feel? Build this practice connecting with your heart, which is Sacred.
Be Alone
When alone you can connect with Sacred. No need to meditate or visualize anything, simply be present and listen to the world around you with all senses. Then listen to the world within you. Be present without any focus or agenda. Then call Spirit to join you. Notice any changes you feel. Still feel alone? How does the space around you feel when you close your eyes? Are you more or less aware of your internal chatter and feelings?
By learning the difference between how you feel when you are on your own in a mundane way and how you feel when you are alone but focused on Sacred, you can begin to recognize how the Sacred feels and affects you. As you spend more time doing this the difference will become more apparent, the subtle sensations and emotions become recognizable.
Community
Participating in community can connect you to Sacred. For some going to church, clubs, games or events can be so important – to be in that community where everyone is connected to each other, when one person connects to Sacred the group experiences the Sacred.
The type of community is not as important as long as it is one that speaks to your heart and leaves you feeling open and joyful. Pay attention to the sensations and feelings you experience as part of the group. How does your body feel moment to moment? How does your perception of life and of yourself shift as you spend time with other people? What is it that you enjoy about being here and participating?
Again, noticing contrast with these experiences with your everyday life will tell you about your relationship to the Sacred and how it expresses through you. When you can recognize that you can see them for what they are – a taste of experience of your own connection, unique, personal and changing.
Nature
The non-human world is a wonderful place to connect to the Sacred. The spirits of animals, plants and the elements are always aware of their connection to the greater whole and can teach us a lot about being in harmonious relationships.
Find your favorite place or discover one, it can be in your back yard, a park or anywhere nature feeds you. Take time to sit quietly and admire the beauty of nature. Allow all senses to experience nature. Allow your mind to fall away and get lost in nature and immerse in experience. Recognize how you feel inside when you do. Call for the Sacred to be with you and remember the sacred lives in all things.
Try any of the above or create your own way, try several ways and new ways. . You are looking for a personal experience, so pay attention to what feels best to you and let your inner knowing guide you. Don’t worry if it takes time. Sacred is a powerful thing to witness, gradual is okay. Enjoy the process and allow these new experiences to unfold. Sacred has its own schedule and we can’t force it. Be open to how experiences make you feel. There is no wrong way, only your way. The key is to start. Will you?