Part-2-Camino Reflection

In my last message, I shared about a personal transformation that occurred on the Camino last week with regards to my change of pace and shift in focus. I was not, however, advising to slow down and give up your drive in order to grow spiritually.

Slowing down to notice the miracles of life is certainly part of the path to greater awareness, AND the spiritual path is one of the most rigorous challenges anyone can take on.

I agree that in yoga we speak a great deal about surrender and letting go. That said, if we are to push through our limits and land on higher ground, we must dig deep, exert effort and work for it. All of you Bluenoser’s and London Olympian’s know what I’m talking about. Those of you who have fought the stigma of a disability or the odds of a disease also know what I mean. Effort is the energetic fuel, the grist for the mill that enables us to manifest the greatest vision we hold for ourselves.

A spiritual teacher once shared an equation with me; life is a combination of challenge and support, adding up to unconditional love. In a world that continues to produce products and services that guarantee our comfort, we now expect the easy road and place blame when struggle arises.

The spiritual path, on the other hand, does not spare us from challenge; for it’s in the soil of struggle where some of our most breathtaking growth occurs. If we can approach challenge with an open and determined heart, we can discover new dimensions of inner strength we have never known before.

What is your higher ground? Are you willing to dig deep and focus your effort in order to manifest the greatest image you could possibly hold for yourself? If you’ve had the thought, it must be possible.

Jenny