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[post_content] => One of the most basic ways to grow the spiritual dimension of your life is to consciously invite Spirit into whatever you’re doing. It’s like there’s a friend who’s been hanging out in the background while you eat and work and exercise, and you’re saying, “Oh, I forgot you were there. Would you like to join me?”
Doing so doesn’t require any particular spiritual or religious orientation. Even if you’re an atheist, you can probably still conceive of a Highest Self – an aspect of you that, in a way, is more You than any of the various personalities, thought patterns, or styles you’ve had throughout your life. It’s a stable, enduring, virtuous witness to everything you’ve been and done.
Our ability to sense this presence, whatever we choose to call it, waxes and wanes. Same with the degree to which we let it guide us. As these factors increase (more awareness and willingness to be guided), we experience a corresponding increase in trust, an expanded perspective, and less overwhelm. The feeling of being small and helpless in a big scary world diminishes.
If you haven’t done this much (or at all) it can feel at first like you’re hanging out with an imaginary friend. Is this real? Are they still in the room? It’s especially common if this is a dimension you’ve barely tuned in to. You’re used to giving most of your attention to relatively tangible and superficial planes of existence – media and culture, your possessions, your body, your thoughts and emotions. Over time the sense of opening to something bigger and subtler becomes more palpable. Simply remembering and intending to invite this Consciousness into more of your experiences makes a difference.
To get started, you could just try quieting your mind for a moment and saying hello. Hello, Source. Hello, Highest Self. Hello, Divine Light. Then be still and see if you notice anything. I believe we are that Source experiencing itself as a human being. There is no true separation, only the veil of the mind (which can be quite obscure). Your Highest Self wants to be perceived and known and consciously channeled.
Here are some other possible invitations:
Come on this hike with me. Help me notice what I usually miss.
Show me what I need to see for my healing and evolution.
Let me stay present and accepting through this event.
Let’s experience the act of eating delicious food together.
Let me see this through the eyes of my Highest Self / Spirit / God / Unconditional Love / Awareness.
But it’s not just the pleasant things that are worth inviting Spirit into. . .
I let you into my fear so that you may share it, illuminate it, transform it.
Come into my pain; please be with me in this suffering.
I invite you into my grief, as this, too, is part of the human experience.
Enter this crazy situation with me, Highest Self, and give me perspective.
Join me, Divine Light, in my depression, and hold me.
These painful states inevitably change when we open them to the spiritual dimension. It’s the simplest thing to do, yet sometimes the hardest to remember. This message is for me as much as it is for you.
Be well,
Peter
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[post_content] => If you were birthed by Earth, then every pebble and plant is your sibling.
Last week I wrote about animism, the belief that all things possess a spirit. Animistic cultures are incredibly widespread – chances are, if you didn’t grow up in one, you’re descended from one. But these sensibilities have been largely supplanted by science. Science and spirituality are often at odds, and the science-oriented developed world generally disbelieves in spirituality – especially in a form so different from our monotheistic religions. This might not be a problem if a reductive, nonspiritual orientation met all our needs, but I believe we’ve lost something along the way.
Scientists and animists alike can agree that a rock isn’t biologically alive in quite the same way that, say, a bird is. But the scientist wouldn’t be scientific if they assumed that this means we can’t be in relationship with both. A person who believes a rock doesn’t possess a spirit has no understanding of what life would be like if they did.
The animistic perspective transforms a thing we use into someone we relate to. Our surroundings turn from scenery into family members. Just as it’s relatively easy to perceive the personality of a pet and recognize it as a member of the family, an animist would extend such personhood to all aspects of their world.
Could you be open to experiencing the personality of your favorite tree or stream or mountain? Have you ever felt inexplicably drawn to a certain place in your yard, your home, or the park? It’s where you feel naturally most comfortable, maybe also safer, more focused, even more powerful. What is it that your inner compass is tuning in to?
Beyond the ways in which such an orientation might enrich your subjective experience of your surroundings, there are potentially global repercussions to remembering and being reverent of the spirit of the world – even if we don’t fully embrace the animistic view.
Dr. John Reid of the Ngai Tahu Research Centre in New Zealand explains that when we mistreat the world through disregard for the spirit within, it becomes a vicious circle. Lacking a conscious relationship with nature, we take from pristine resources with no restraint, then we dump our waste back into them. This diminishes what the Maori call its mauri (lifeforce), and the reduction in its vitality makes it less supportive to humans. This willfully ignorant behavior and the hardship that results from it diminishes the mana (dignity / power / authority) of the humans involved.1 The weakened mana of the humans causes them to act in increasingly desperate and irreverent ways, and the cycle continues.
It's possible to transform this situation into a virtuous cycle, but it requires coming into right relationship with our planet. This means humbling ourselves and perhaps taking a cue from animistic cultures. If that sounds good to you, I encourage you to take another week to relate to your surroundings differently than usual.
What happens when you ask before taking? What happens when you give thanks to everything you encounter? What happens when you open yourself to the existence of a spiritual world? What happens when you feel into the dynamic between your body and the elements around you? What happens when you bring greater awareness to the act of consuming something? What happens if you do the same when throwing something away? What happens when you listen?
I believe that bringing consciousness to these relationships yields great benefits. Perhaps we stand to make our planet habitable by humans for longer, but for certain we enrich our mana as we re-weave ourselves into the living tapestry of this exceptional, gorgeous planet.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
1. Informative Maori dictionary here: https://maoridictionary.co.nz/
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[post_content] => January first may be a somewhat arbitrary date to divide the chapters of our lives, but there’s something to be said for joining the momentum of the mass consciousness focused on bettering ourselves. Sure, you can make new habits anytime, but there aren’t always millions of other people doing it at the same time.
That said, clearly the group trajectory isn’t enough to ensure your success. Plenty of people make and break resolutions every year, and while a few weeks (or days, as the case may be) of a healthy new habit is better than nothing, there’s also the toll of broken self-trust to consider.
If you’re going to make an agreement with yourself, it’s best to choose terms that you can fulfill, because a lack of self-trust is a serious impediment. You may think, “It just means I changed my mind about exercise and cookies,” but it has broader consequences in the bigger picture of your ability to choose and create the life you desire.
What I’m saying is, don’t do it unless you’re serious about it. And even if you are serious, I still recommend committing to just one thing. I know, I know, you can do lots of things. But I’m saying, just do one thing not only because it’s harder to keep multiple resolutions than it is to keep a single one, but also because it means that your focus and power won’t be divided (any more than they already are). Take on one thing and give all the “resolution energy” you’ve got to that one thing. Later you can add another thing.
I don’t mean to sound like I’m lowering the bar for you. I think people are capable of greatness far beyond their imagined limitations. But imagined limitations become actual limitations when we believe in them. In subtle ways we tend to sabotage ourselves, and one of the most effective forms of self-sabotage is crappy focus. We often simply don’t hold our attention on something for long enough to see it through.
Yes, there are some organic causes of impaired mental focus, but just because someone gets more done when they take an ADD drug (i.e., amphetamine), doesn’t prove that the cause was biological. In an age when we’re bombarded with a constant stream of data through multiple devices, an age with more options for distraction than ever before, we may be regularly making subconscious choices that reinforce a short attention span. Regardless of the cause, we can all improve our ability to focus simply by practicing it.
Let’s try a little exercise. It will only take one minute. Choose something small and natural in your environment to gaze at, like a candle flame, a leaf, a piece of food, or one of the lines on your palm. You’re going to spend just 60 seconds looking at it without taking your eyes or mind off it, and without thinking and mentally “talking” to yourself about what you’re looking at or anything else. Try it now, then come back.
How did it go? Were you able to do it for the whole minute? What did you notice? Was it squirmy? Was it relaxing? When I do this, I notice my breathing slows down significantly and I feel grounded. This shift may be partly due to looking at whatever I’m looking at, but I think the main reason it feels peaceful is because it’s a break from continuous mental chatter and shifting focus.
Back to resolutions, I encourage you to choose a single thing to commit to. Write down what exactly it means so that you’re clear about how to stay in the spirit of this commitment. Choose a time frame for the commitment; don’t make it open-ended because that implies forever. If you have a hard time with follow-through, you might want to start with a very short time frame, like one day. You can always re-up your commitment at the end of the period you choose.
Ensure that you don’t forget it by writing it down, setting reminder alarms for yourself, finding a partner to do this with, renting out billboard space along your commute . . . whatever it takes. Finally, as part of your commitment practice, set aside just 60 seconds every morning to sit and focus on the commitment, visualizing yourself embodying it.
Let us know how it goes.
Be well,
Peter
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[post_content] => One of the most basic ways to grow the spiritual dimension of your life is to consciously invite Spirit into whatever you’re doing. It’s like there’s a friend who’s been hanging out in the background while you eat and work and exercise, and you’re saying, “Oh, I forgot you were there. Would you like to join me?”
Doing so doesn’t require any particular spiritual or religious orientation. Even if you’re an atheist, you can probably still conceive of a Highest Self – an aspect of you that, in a way, is more You than any of the various personalities, thought patterns, or styles you’ve had throughout your life. It’s a stable, enduring, virtuous witness to everything you’ve been and done.
Our ability to sense this presence, whatever we choose to call it, waxes and wanes. Same with the degree to which we let it guide us. As these factors increase (more awareness and willingness to be guided), we experience a corresponding increase in trust, an expanded perspective, and less overwhelm. The feeling of being small and helpless in a big scary world diminishes.
If you haven’t done this much (or at all) it can feel at first like you’re hanging out with an imaginary friend. Is this real? Are they still in the room? It’s especially common if this is a dimension you’ve barely tuned in to. You’re used to giving most of your attention to relatively tangible and superficial planes of existence – media and culture, your possessions, your body, your thoughts and emotions. Over time the sense of opening to something bigger and subtler becomes more palpable. Simply remembering and intending to invite this Consciousness into more of your experiences makes a difference.
To get started, you could just try quieting your mind for a moment and saying hello. Hello, Source. Hello, Highest Self. Hello, Divine Light. Then be still and see if you notice anything. I believe we are that Source experiencing itself as a human being. There is no true separation, only the veil of the mind (which can be quite obscure). Your Highest Self wants to be perceived and known and consciously channeled.
Here are some other possible invitations:
Come on this hike with me. Help me notice what I usually miss.
Show me what I need to see for my healing and evolution.
Let me stay present and accepting through this event.
Let’s experience the act of eating delicious food together.
Let me see this through the eyes of my Highest Self / Spirit / God / Unconditional Love / Awareness.
But it’s not just the pleasant things that are worth inviting Spirit into. . .
I let you into my fear so that you may share it, illuminate it, transform it.
Come into my pain; please be with me in this suffering.
I invite you into my grief, as this, too, is part of the human experience.
Enter this crazy situation with me, Highest Self, and give me perspective.
Join me, Divine Light, in my depression, and hold me.
These painful states inevitably change when we open them to the spiritual dimension. It’s the simplest thing to do, yet sometimes the hardest to remember. This message is for me as much as it is for you.
Be well,
Peter
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Thank you for sharing. 🙏🏼❤️
Beautifully written and explained!
You’re welcome!
I needed that. Always wondered why everything can be going along great then a shift happens and It stops. Now I know what I can apply to work thru
Perfect timing for this for me. Thank you.
You’re welcome. I think a lot of us are in something of a contractive phase. Here’s to grace and expansion!
What a lovely way of looking at allowing expansion or healing to ebb and flow as it always does. Choosing to lean into it gently so that you can move forward is great advise. Thank you.
You’re welcome. It’s definitely not our usual response to lean into something that’s uncomfortable, but that’s how we stop resisting and move through it!
Thank you so much. I’m starting my own business and have, several times, become so frustrated because I make progress and then it seems like I take 3 steps back. This new approach is a relief and will help me make faster progress. I will not fall back into the same mindset, but remember this “teaching” to help me continue to move forward.
You’re welcome, Elle. Right, it’s natural to not always be moving forward, not always be growing and building – just as the world around us goes through periods of decay and dormancy followed by new growth. Be well.
Very well said. Thank you. A reminder that I don’t always have to be amazing and totally energetic. just like God created the earth , the seasons, the phases of the moon and stars, so does my life moods and emotions be snd flo. Don’t fight it. Go with it.
Yes, Hollie. I think “go with the flow” is a pretty profound lesson (and the essence of Daoism). Wishing you smooth flow.
You are an inspiration to me each day. No love reading your posts and realizing how it touches my life, my heart and my soul.
Thanks, Penny! I’m glad these words are finding receptive hearts and minds. Be well.
Book has changed my outlook and has initiated change from deep within. Great companion to the Dream Book. I’m coming to the spa in August when I’m traveling to Oregon. Full circle moment coming my way.
I’m so happy to hear it, Kristin! Keep up the good work! Hope you enjoy Oregon and the spa.
Wow, this was right on time! Thanks for posting this.
You’re welcome, CJ!
As you are aware, this is spot-on for me. What a relief to be in a community of appreciative, creative, open thinkers and sharing the timing to be presently intune. As your words emphasize to truly trust our journeys. I am suspicious and critique myself.when I am not productive. Although presently, I do not even have the energy to be judgemental, I am trusting that it will all be okay. Even when I am not “in control”. Either I am printing this is large font to read each morning, or it is time to purchase your book. Your insightful teaching of how to create an acknowledgement, go towards it, follow – we do not always have to lead. We are in this together. I can not tell you how much I appreciate this Community, never believing I find myself here, receiving warmth and encouragement and promoting growth. My outside circle is not flowing with the idea of stepping back to reflect, rest, while I explore my emotions. Out of no where came the desire to choose my own pathway. After years of climbing, I am demanding a rest in the hammock to prepare for whatever is coming. The fear fades when I read your words, thank you.
Thanks, Carrielee! I’m so glad these teachings and this community have been supportive to you. I’m honestly amazed at how quickly the community has grown and what enthusiastic and loving participation people have brought to the table.
Sometimes you have to take a different path than those around you, and they may feel confused or even betrayed by your choice, but I hope you can remain clear in the Truth of it for you.
Be well.
Grateful for you. Was reading ” Peace in Every Step” – Thich Nhar Hanh and practicing mindfulness …right on time
Thanks, Phyllis. I love TNH also.
Thank you. I will now look at contraction as a positive instead of a negative. It has a value aI had not considered before.
You’re welcome, Jan. I think the more you can see that contraction as a reflection of how the natural world works – the world that birthed us, after all – the easier it is to recognize that there’s nothing “wrong” about it. Be well.
Exactly what I needed RIGHT NOW! Gratitude <3
Glad to hear it, Faradae. You’re so welcome.
Yaassss! What everyone else said… Thank you! Thanks everyone!
You’re welcome! And, yes, I’m often so glad for the wonderful insights our community adds to the discussion!
Thanks to everyone for your comments. I honor your/our willingness to share & to do the work to heal, evolve, and awaken together. Thank you also for supporting our work and spreading the word!
Much love,
Peter
Friday the 13th brings me to this lovely writing that is EXACTLY what I needed to read today. Serendipity. My stomach has been churning and my sleep was not good last night so it was an amazing thing to remember that we are always cycling after I read this. Thank you so much for helping me find my reset button. So good to start out mindfully again. Warmest regards!
You’re welcome, Teresa
OK that’s a little spooky, she said with a grin. One of my favorite quote is, “when the student is ready, the teacher appears”. I have been hit very hard by my lessons recently and this text reminds me to turn in and to quit running. Your message is just one more example of how I need this book, planner, ritual….Message.
Thank you,
Lee
You’re welcome, Lee.
Thank you for this article!!! Its helps me sift thought what I am going through now – depression & anxiety. I was not able to explain why I was feeling this way, because everything is going along great and even growing as a mother, wife and human being. This explains a lot! 🙂
You’re welcome, Margaret. I’m glad you were able to change perspective.
This is so amazing and rings true! have your book The Well Life – will be reading soon… : ))
Thank you, Claudia. I hope you’ve been enjoying the book.
This is it! We forget the ebb and flow of life because something negative stops us in our tracks. I love reminding myself that “I choose peace” or “love” or what ever is appropriate in the moment, bringing myself back to knowing. When you think about it and are mindful of the process, it does make it easy to continue. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Kate. Thanks for remembering & sharing.