Spirit on the Run

Every clear night, I bathe in starlight.  An hour or two after nightfall, when the kids are in bed and the dishes are washed, I scoot outside, turn my face to the sky, and let the ancient photons from Betelgeuse, Arcturus, and Sirius-particles of light a million years old, according to the astronomers-sprinkle down upon my forehead, wash over my cheeks, and splash across my lips.  --Philip Zaleski & Paul Kaufman, Gifts of the Spirit

    Making time for spirit in our lives can be so difficult-there are so many demands, so many expectations to manage, so many jobs to do.  Nonetheless, I'm a big proponent of making time daily for spiritual practice, whether it's meditation, prayer, journaling or singing.  But if we don't also take spirit into the everydayness of our lives, we miss the opportunity to live a life of spirit, to be a life of spirit.  How do we even remember to build spirit into the waking moments of our lives?  I'd like to tell you how I try to consciously welcome spirit throughout my day.

    The easiest times to remember spirit is when I feel a little less stressed and am not having to concentrate on a complicated or demanding task.  I often drive up the hill to my house and notice what a beautiful area we live in, with palm trees, green grass, and rainbows of flowers.  I make a point of experiencing deep gratitude for all the beauty which I am blessed to have in my life.  When my husband is driving, I often take the time to study the roadside with more care.  I may notice new buildings, dramatic cloud formations or lush green hillsides following our autumn rains.  At other times I may have a student in a workshop make a personal connection with something I've taught, and he takes a moment to thank me for helping him understand his life a little better; spirit reminds me that I am mainly a conduit for that learning, not the source of it.

    Other situations make it difficult for me to engage spirit.  When an angry student in a workshop makes a sarcastic remark about something I'm teaching, can I open up to his anger and other emotions he may be experiencing?  Am I willing silently to invite in "presence" to engage with both of us in a way that is compassionate and encouraging?  Or when someone doesn't follow through on a commitment, am I prepared to engage spirit to help me find out what has happened, to help center me, open me to understanding or to disappointment, whatever may be the reason for  the person's not completing a task?  And if I'm disappointed in what I find out, can I open to whatever my experience is; respond in a way that is honest and true, without seriously damaging the relationship?  What about the times when I'm extremely busy and someone asks me to do one more thing?  Will I close off and reject his or her request?  Or can I stay open to the inquiry, take a moment to find out how I can help and determine whether I can make time for the request or whether I will graciously ask to help later on or even recommend someone else who can better help?  Presence gives me the space to stay open, be curious and engaging, to honor the person's request and appreciate that he or she may not know how busy I am.

    How do I engage spirit in any of these moments?  First, I breathe.  I breathe in the infinite, I breathe in gratitude, I breathe in the acknowledgement of my experience and emotions, and I breathe in peace.  Sometimes I can't breathe in the positive, so I give myself up to fully experiencing whatever is going on-if it's rage, I experience rage; if it's disappointment, I breathe in disappointment; if it's confusion, I take in confusion-and remember that the person on the other end of my experience may not warrant my expression of that experience.  As I fully experience internally whatever is going on, I breathe spirit into that experience.  I pray for the presence of mind that reminds me that whatever my experience, spirit is always there.

    Finally, when I am hard on myself for the ways that I have behaved in response to my life experiences (and I'm often harder on myself than the situation warrants), I invite in spirit to calm me, to fill me, to comfort me, and to remind me that every moment I am conscious is one more opportunity to open to each moment of my life, my relationships and to the infinite as well.

In addition to her spiritual practices, Susan R. Quinn of the Quinn Company has been an independent consultant and trainer since 1978.  She specializes in facilitation of problem solving for teams and groups in conflict.  She is certified to train using the DiSC Personal Profile System.  Her other best-received training programs are “Dealing with Difficult People,”  “Managing Conflict,” and “Learning to Live in the Eye of the Hurricane.”  She also offers values clarification workshops and strategic planning services in partnership with her husband, Jerry.  To subscribe to her business ezine, go to www.thequinncompany.com.  You can reach Susan at the Quinn Company, 246 Via Presa, San Clemente, CA  92672, (949) 366-5890, or email susan@thedeepestspirituallife.com.