Feeding Spirit

Mountain Climbing

“You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again...So why bother in the first place? Just this: what is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer but one has seen. There is an art to conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.”
Rene Daumal

How often do you consider the health of your spirit? Like all living things, it needs tending—regular feeding, refreshment, rest. Sometimes, in the breakneck pace of life in this culture at this time, we don't stop to consider how impoverished our spirit may be. It is only when we find it practically dead from neglect that we start to wonder what we are doing wrong. Some of the behavioral characteristics of a depleted spirit are: irritability, low mood, fatigue, explosive anger. We think of a spirit as an airy and insubstantial thing, but it is the part of us that keeps us grounded, calm and connected to life.

To refresh our spirit, we first have to make time for it. It doesn't have to be weeks or months, but it needs to be regular—daily is ideal, since that keeps soul in the forefront of our awareness. If we make regular time to feed our soul, to consider its needs, everything else we do will go better. I like to picture the soul/spirit as an identical template of our bodies, glowing with vitality. It has the ability to lead us into a far more expansive life, but that must be consciously allowed. If our spirit is hovering above our heads, completely disconnected from our hearts and our consciousness, it cannot lead us. We must invite it in, offer it respect and hospitality as we would an honored guest. Then it brings that larger life and vitality into us.

Climbing a mountain is an apt metaphor for living with spirit as guide. Anyone who has climbed a mountain knows it isn't easy. It takes determination and fortitude. We must be aware of where we place our hands and feet, and when we need to stop for rest, food and water. We have to confront our worst fears and doubts. Not everyone reaches the top. For those who do, the summit unfolds as a mystical experience, an expansive view of where we've been and what lies beyond. The person who comes down is not the same as the one who climbed up. This person has less fear, less self-doubt, less confusion. Coming back down, we carry the confidence gained and the light gathered on the summit. We can share the lessons learned on the way up with others who want to make the climb. The glow of our souls will light their way.

In the Spirit,
Jane