During our panel discussion today on “The Heartfelt Conversations” hour hosted by Nelin Hudani (KOOP 91.7) we discussed Brian Luke Seaward, Health Psychologist (Institute of Noetic Sciences) ideas and research pertaining to spirituality and stress.  In a nutshell here are some important points: a.) The whole is greater than the sum; 

b.) wholeness=health=spirituality (mind, body, spirit, emotions) ; c.) Life’s contact points that can be both spiritual as well as stressful are 

     1.) relationships        2.) values and 

      3.)meaningfulness (purpose in life).

Two of the primary emotions in stress are anger (fight) and fear (flight).  Assuming you have some kind of connection with a higher source or energy of your understanding, you may have experienced the illusion of disconnection from “source” when you are feeling angry or fearful.  To expand this idea further, Brian talks about “The Seasons of the Soul” such as autumn (centering, introspection), Winter (emptying, cleansing), Spring (grounding, enlightenment) and Summer (connecting, connection). 

All this to say that there is a natural cyclical occurrence that happens with our soul/heart/person as we journey through life. I believe one of our greatest lessons in being human on this Earth is to understand that we have cycles and embrace the teachings and the timing of the teachings when they occur.  I love this quote by Carl G. Jung, “Every crisis over the age of 30 is a spiritual crisis” and “Spiritual crisis require spiritual cure”.  To all my brethren and sisters under the age of 30, I want to acknowledge you and say that really ALL crises, no matter our age, is a spiritual crisis.  And, because I’m much older than 30, I love thinking that all crisis over 30 in particular is a spiritual crisis. So you say “to-may-toe” and I say “to-mah-toe” it’s really all the same thing in the end. 

 What can we do about it?  First step is to become aware and look inside to explore where we are right now. Today. This minute.  Second is to write about it, talk about it, sing about it, dance about it, make art about it, create a business from it, and immobilize the energy through your acknowledgement of it.  Let it happen. Bring it into being. I remember years ago after a near fatal car accident (yes, Vicki, I’m gonna talk about it again!), laying in my bed after I left the hospital and feeling so much physical pain. I had a broken nose, broken jaw (wired jaw!), broken gums, broken ribs, broken ankle and a growing cyst in my stomach.  The idea occurred to me as I was laying there fighting the pain to try to isolate the pain and explain what it was that I was feeling. I noticed that if I “went to” the spot, in my mind, from where the pain was radiating from that the more I concentrated on finding it and explaining it, the more I could not find it. It was elusive like trying to find the beginning or ending of a rainbow so that you can step inside of it. 

This is what I believe happens to our perceived problems and stress when we get still, turn around and look at them and embrace them.  It’s kind of like trying to embrace a big ole blob of Mercury and the more we try to do that, the more it slips away from us or breaks into smaller blobs.  It’s all illusion. As with the seasons, there is a time for each and so not only do we want to recognize and embrace which season of our soul we’re in, but we also want to let go and let the process happen so that when it is time to move to the next season, we’re not staying “stuck” in any particular season. 

One of the panelists, Dillon McKenzie puts it well when he says, “These seasons, like the natural seasons, are cyclical. We repeat them in our lives.  Like the rings of a tree, at each passing, as we grow, we root deeper and deeper into Self, becoming increasingly conscious of the mysterious and satisfying union with the Divine”. It’s all okay. You’re on the right path.  You have all the answers inside of you and all the tools to get you where you’re heart’s desire is to go. Really.  

What season are you in today?