Spirituality. What is spirituality? I can only tell you what it means for me; spirituality is the understanding that we are divine beings having a human experience. Moreover, the purpose of practicing spirituality is to find our way back to our divine center of love, which lies within our hearts, and to create our reality, our world, from that divine center.

Spirituality is not passive but demands that we actively participate in our awakening and eventual reunion with our divine nature. It is not about needing to be saved or rescued (because a divine being needs neither) but rather it is about discovering and remembering who we are. It demands work, focus, courage, diligence, and a level of honesty that many of us may not be comfortable with in the beginning.

Spirituality asks us to remove our masks and let down our defenses and to look squarely into our inner mirror of truth where no lie can hide. It urges us to be willing to stand naked before ourselves and own our wounds and understand how they have impacted our lives and those around us; to own our shadow aspects that we have disavowed because we are too ashamed or embarrassed to admit that we have “unacceptable” emotions or thoughts and bring them into the light. It continuously pushes us to reevaluate our beliefs about ourselves, and our world. It nudges us to expand beyond what has falsely made us feel safe and discover real security and wellbeing, which lies in the freedom of self-love and the expression of that love. It compels us to “Know Thy Self”.

The good news is that the path to knowing ourselves is also the path to loving ourselves. We cannot love what we refuse to recognize. If we run from our inner pain, we are also running from the opportunity to transform that pain with compassion thereby creating space for more love to flow freely through our hearts. If we are brave and willing to do the work, we will discover that underneath all the wounds, bruises, defense mechanisms, and masks is a powerful being fully loaded and fully equipped to create a beautiful life. A life built on love and the truth of that love –that we all are good enough and that we all matter to the universe. That is why we do the work.

Spirituality is not a replacement for religion but rather an evolution and revolution of the soul. No longer do we need to be afraid of our humanness, or fear that a great being in the sky will smite us for not following certain dogmas. Spirituality reminds that we are the great beings and that the only smiting being done is by ourselves towards ourselves. It implores us to let go of our condemnations of others as well as ourselves and replace it with the truth –that we all are loved beyond measure and that it is a blessing to be human not a mistake or punishment. Spirituality’s only demand is to WAKE UP and let your light shine!

Until next time, dare to see who you truly are: A loving, powerful being who has simply forgotten who you are and what you are capable of doing with the love that is you!

Since one of the most powerful tools for getting to know yourself is meditation, I will share in my next post what meditation techniques worked for me over the years, especially during the experiences discussed in my book. I will also reveal why creating your own meditations can be so enlightening, powerful and transformative.