Do you need Spirituality?

I went and saw a Spiritual Master named Panache Desei last Friday. I thought it was a lecture, but it ended up a lecture with an energetic healing at the end. To be honest, I didn’t want to stay because (1) I didn’t know what I was getting into, (2) I don’t like people in my energy that I don’t know and (3) I’m quite sick of being healed....I’m done...cooked.

I stayed though. Panache was quite worked up. I can’t tell you why, but something must have happened the evening before in Kentucky that left him fired up. His message was simple and clear, “You don’t need spirituality. You have everything you ever need inside of you. You are perfect just the way you are. Please go home and be happy and know that you are perfect and never attend a spiritual function ever again. You don’t need healed. There is nothing to heal. Go home.” Wow or Ouch. I don’t know.

I liked what he had to say because I frequently have those same thoughts. I look at my yogis and see how marvelous they are and I wish that they could just embrace what they are suffering through and move forward. It is true that if you put your attention on your suffering, your suffering will go away. I always recommend that you put all of your attention for a long period of time on only that suffering to make it go away faster. My theory is that you will become bored by it and move on. The problem with what Panache was saying is that he is missing the critical step of KNOWING to put your attention on your suffering. You must be given tools to grow and that is why you need spirituality. The tools I give are meditation, yoga, present moment awareness and mindfulness. You can get other tools at church, at temple, through books and at other groups. You need tools because you don’t know. You need spirituality. You are perfect just the way you are. Everything is as it is meant to be, but sometimes you need someone to tell you or remind you.

This led me to ask myself the question of why I ended up at that event on Friday night. I ended up there because I need to refill my cup sometimes. I have the tools. I’ve been doing this for awhile. While I still suffer just like everyone, I have tools that allow me to quickly move through it and to quite honestly, avoid a lot of it. I simply need to sit in the presence of a Master or Holy person and soak them up sometimes. It motivates me to continue on this path. It’s like going to a support group or something.

I didn’t get motivated by Panache. I kind of got sad. I started wondering what I am doing all of this for. I could sense his frustration that people weren’t doing their work and people weren’t changing or growing. I know that feeling because I get it sometimes too. He seemed defeated and that left me soaking up his defeatedness...is that a word? My thoughts turned to how easy it would be to just move back to the corporate world. I’d make tons of money, have a secure job and actually have a retirement plan. I sent out a few life lines to my support circle and they tethered me back to my purpose. I’m doing this because I have to. It’s my life’s purpose. It’s my love and my joy. This little building in Lebanon Ohio is my heart, my soul and my temple. Is that spirituality?

I’ve always had a thing for cardinals. When I see one, I feel that it is a communication from spirit. I picked a cardinal well because they are abundant, easy to see and stay around all year. That means that I can believe that spirit is always talking to me through those little guys. I see them in my yard daily. Today, as I drove to the studio, I saw a cardinal sitting in the middle of the road. That little guy wasn’t moving out of my way either. I slammed on my breaks, everything in my car flew forward and my daughter and I got out. He just sat there. I picked him up to move him to the field. He was so soft and sweet. His wings flapped fine and his tail feathers were intact. I couldn’t see anything wrong with him. He seemed small, so perhaps he was a baby just learning to fly....I don’t know. I set him down and he chirped. I got back in my car.

As I drove away, it occurred to me that that little representation of spirit needed me. Spirit needs me. I don’t need spirituality, spirituality needs me. It needs me to be some beacon of light, hope and motivation in this crazy world where we have to be reminded that we are perfect just the way we are. We are the eyes and ears of spirit and we are needed. Spirit needs you to be a beacon of light as well.

Now get your buddhi to yoga because I need you too!