Buddhism

Understanding Your Spirit (Part III)

When I lived in Greece, depression would creep into my psyche like a dark, mangy dog that would hang around for days and weeks at a time. Whatever was going on in my life - work problems, relationship issues, the existential despair of being human - was the stuff this dog would gnaw on and carry around like a bone wherever I went.



It was relentless.




Sometimes I’d feel so desperate and out of sorts that I’d get in my silver VW on a random Wednesday afternoon when I should have been doing something productive, drive an hour along the Athenian coast and go to sit at the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion on the water.




Legend has it that Cape Sounion is where Aegeus, king of Athens, jumped off of the cliff in utter heartbreak upon learning of his son, Theseus’, supposed death. Theseus was returning from the island of Crete where he set out to vanquish the Minotaur, the infamous half man-half bull. They had agreed that if Theseus survived his journey he would fly a white sail on his mast. Tragically, he forgot to hoist the white sail rounding Cape Sounion, instead flying a black sail giving the signal that he hadn’t survived. Upon seeing this, the bereft king is said to have leapt to his death in the sea below, which was to take his name as the Aegean Sea.




You can see why I was inspired to go there when dark thoughts like clouds would cover my mind.




Inevitably, after sitting there for an hour or two and watching the sun and sea and gleaming white ancient monuments, though, I’d oddly feel better. Being in a spot that had more than 2500 years of human history embedded in it always seemed to put my problems into perspective. Sure I felt crappy for a few days or weeks. But my difficulties seemed to pale in insignificance when I reflected on how impermanent my little human predicament was. 




The story of the Greek king plunging to his death also would remind me of how uncertain life is for all of us. One morning Aegeus was on top of the world, admired, respected and envied by all in his kingdom. The next day, racked with grief at the death of his beloved son, he was a speck in the sea, gone forever to live on by name only. 




Poof.

Finished. 

Kaput.




Oddly enough, reflecting on these facts, of the impermanence of everything and the uncertainty of life for all of us, was comforting. In many ways, those dark times became the seeds of my own burgeoning spirituality. 




In my private practice, I see folks who are interested in mastering resilience to stress, anxiety and trauma to have a more meaningful impact in the world. To do so, I help them understand how the mind and brain works. We also learn about the body and how trauma shows up in it. These are both essential, in my experience. 




But it’s also incredibly important to have an understanding of what a vital, embodied spiritual connection can do to help you master resilience. This isn’t necessarily about religion or even ritual - although they can both be important elements of spirituality. Rather, it’s about having a conceptual framework for living your life that can guide, sustain and nourish you when the sh*t hits the fan, as it inevitably will.




If you have been ignoring consciously tending to your spirit, think about it this way: if you got into your car and saw the tires were two-thirds full, would you wonder why getting anywhere would be exhausting, slow and precarious at best? Of course not. You’d fill ‘em up and get on down the road. 




From my perspective, any sincere, embodied spiritual pursuit can be helpful here: organized religion (Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Judaism, etc), yoga, 12 step recovery, creative expression, indigenous healing practices such as plant medicines, engaged activism and many, many others. 




What matters most for you to deal with stress, anxiety and trauma is that your flavor of spirituality:




  • Offers you hope

  • Helps you connect with something benevolent that is greater than yourself, and

  • Is something you can connect with regularly 




If your get up and go has gotten up and gone, read on, dear one. This blog post might be the missing arrow in your quiver of tools that you don’t want to be without. 




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Anxious? Stuck? Feeling Empty? Spirituality Can Help You Cope with the Uncertainty of Life





Mireille came to one of my classes at the world-renowned Golden Door spa and wanted to work with me privately. Although her life looked marvelous on paper - several gorgeous homes, a beautiful looking family, great health, luxury travel around the world - Mireille was stuck. 




“I don’t feel anything,” she blurted to me. “I’m so cut off from myself, I don’t feel like I have a self anymore - I’m just what’s expected of me. I used to get such comfort from my faith in God but now …  I feel nothing. I grew up really poor and know I should be grateful for all I have. But I just feel … empty and numb. I can’t even feel the good things in my life.” 




Over time, Mirelle revealed that her long-term marriage, while stable, was effectively dead. Her partner’s drinking left her feeling isolated, alone and insecure. It was a pretty bad rut, although a familiar one. It’s greatest benefit frankly was that it didn’t require her to cope with the uncertainty of a life without a partner. 




Maybe you can relate.




For Mireille, exploring and slowly reconnecting with the religion of her childhood was one element that helped her feel more confident that changes in her life would lead to good things. This sense of hope also helped her reach out to find a support group for folks affected by someone else’s drinking. Both of these helped her connect with a benevolent force greater than herself that could help her cope with the uncertainty of life. By the time our work together came to an end, she was feeling so confident that her future would be bright no matter what happened that she had filed for divorce and was excited to see what the next chapter in her evolution would hold. 




What matters most in this story isn’t that Mireille took action to end an unsatisfying relationship (although that was a monumental step forward in her journey to creating a more authentically enriching life). Rather it’s about how she found several sources of comfort (her childhood religion, a support group, the help of a private coach, etc) that gave her the confidence to navigate the inevitable uncertainty of life without being knocked over. 




An integrated spiritual connection can be a huge boost to anyone looking for help coping with the ups and downs that we all face. 




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Accepting Reality and Impermanence




When I lived in Athens, I also took the subway whenever I could. On days when I was running late for the train and would barely miss it, as the doors slammed shut, I’d always hear the same sound in my head:




NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!




Even though the doors had closed and the train was pulling away, my mind would have a terrible time accepting reality (especially on those days when it was over 100 degrees and the AC wasn’t working). The reality was that I’d missed the train. But the lingering NO! in my head was a sign of my complete and utter lack of acceptance of life in that moment. Even though this situation was impermanent and another train would be coming soon enough, the monkey mind in my head both refused to accept reality and told a story about how this would never change.




Maybe you’ve had the same experience. 




For me, the study of Buddhism helped me deal with and accept reality in situations like these more readily as well as accept impermanence. But the idea also holds in other spiritual traditions, exemplified by the timeless words, “This too shall pass”. 




In these times of constant change and turmoil, recognizing and accepting the impermanence of our troubles can be super helpful. If you are a journaller, it can be so empowering to go back to old notebooks to see what’s happened to the big problems of your life. Whenever I need a boost, I scroll through my angst-y teenage and young adults journals (“Does Joey like me?” Answer: no. “Will my parents ever stop fighting?” Answer: Yes. “Will I ever write a book?” Answer: to be determined … but stay tuned!)




The bottom-line is that learning to let go of certainty and trust that good things will happen if you do is one of the many benefits of cultivating your spirituality. It’s something you deserve that’s your birthright.




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What about Spiritual Abuse or Religious Trauma? The Importance of Compassion.




Unfortunately, spiritual abuse and religious trauma are all too common. They can turn us off from deeply healing and important sources of support that can be incredibly helpful. A gay health care provider raised in a judgmental religious background that I worked with talked about how he had been ostracized and shamed for his identity. He saw that, while he turned his back on his former faith that rejected him, he had also deeply missed the sense of meaning and purpose he had once been comforted by at least sometimes. Spending time exploring his own spirituality in an inclusive, non-judgmental group setting was transformative for him.




If you’ve suffered spiritual abuse or religious trauma in particular, it’s imperative to be especially gentle and patient with yourself as you dip your toes into these waters. 




Get outside support if you need to in order to explore this in a compassionate, nurturing, and inclusive way. There are many individual therapists, clergy and coaches who can help support you to do this work either privately or in a group setting. Your intuition and referrals from friends, colleagues and family can help you connect with the resources you need, especially if you doubt your own judgment from prior abuses.




Understanding Your Spirit is a Lifelong Endeavor




Finally, it’s important to note that this blog post is just a tiny taste of the many benefits you stand to gain by exploring your own spirituality. Indeed, doing so is nothing short of a life-long endeavor that can continue to nourish and sustain you as you live, love, evolve and grow.





Curious about exploring your own spirituality in an inclusive, compassionate and nurturing way? Get the motivation, accountability and support you need. Check out the Mastering Resilience Small Group Coaching Program. Applications are now being accepted. 


Why You Shouldn't Forget The Past

Years ago, a shaman told me something that forever changed the way I looked at my past and really my whole life.

I had gone to an Amazonian plant medicine ceremony as a way of releasing and transforming trauma. 

After years of talk and other kinds of therapies, the painful past was still very much alive and well in me. 

In my discomfort and desperation, all I wanted was to be free, once and for all, of the burdens of the past that kept me chained in place, unable to move forward in my life. 

If I could have mercilessly cut the past off like an overgrown fungus that ruined the garden of my present day reality, that’s exactly what I would have done.

But then, a dark haired, brown-eyed medicine woman who had spent years deep in the jungle learning to listen to its wisdom shared with me something that still brings me chills whenever I think about it:

“Rather than wanting to cut the past off,” she suggested, “think of the past as your medicine. That it is the sacred medicine that you can offer to other living beings -  your precious and sacred gift, your unique contribution to the healing of yourself and the world. Turned outward, in the service of others, it is your gold.”

Listening to these words, I could feel every cell in my body light up, as if being charged with an electrical current that connected everything from the depth of my bellybutton to the outermost stars in the cosmos. I could see that I was part of what Buddhist’s call the web of kindness that connects all of life and that, rather than being something to be surgically removed with a sharp knife, my past was actually the most precious gift I had to offer the world. 

I thought of this story recently when a woman in my group coaching program mentioned how angry and frustrated she was with the uncaring response to the covid crisis among her friends and close family. How what was being revealed in this particular apocalypse (and remember the Greek word means “uncovering”) wasn’t love and light, but rather a marked difference in values that had long been papered over merely for the sake of getting along.

I could really relate to playing the role of the peacekeeper and not wanting to rock the boat lest other people be uncomfortable.

Like her I, too, have spent far too much of my life wanting other people and society to change, rather than risking the courage of offering my own medicine as a balm for the wounds of others. 

Today I can look back on the times I lacked the courage to challenge injustice and said nothing with deep compassion. It’s one of many ways I continue to mine the gold from the past, and encourage my psychedelic integration clients to do the same. 

I also know that the greatest medicine I can offer the world is that of my own past. 

I cannot cut it off, for that would be like a tree cutting itself off from its roots. 


But I can trust that, in the healing light of presence and compassion, it is the most sacred medicine that I, and perhaps any of us, have to offer for the healing of the world. 

Evolutions Not Resolutions

The Frank Gehry-designed Google office in Venice, California. 

The Frank Gehry-designed Google office in Venice, California. 

Evolution (Webster’s): noun

(secondary definition) a process in which the whole universe is a progression of interrelated phenomena

 

 

By this time of year, more likely than not, the shape of the New Year has already taken form in your life.

 

It probably looks a lot like it did last year.

 

Unless of course you have undertaken some hearty resolutions in 2016.

 

Then perhaps you are busy working out, eating vegan, meditating daily, starting your own company, volunteering, saving money, having fabulous sex and being on top of all of your email accounts.

 

No? Not really?

 

Yeah. Me, neither.

 

And that’s why years ago I gave up entirely on the whole idea of New Year’s Resolutions.

 

By this time of year – late January – I was back to my old ways, beating myself up because, once again, I had failed to live up to the promise of the earnestly made and sincerely hoped for resolutions.

 

All the guilt, blame and shame couldn’t get me to the gym when it was freezing outside or to reply to all correspondence in an efficient and orderly fashion.

 

Touch each piece of paper only once!

Reply immediately to all email correspondence in the order received!

File all bills and paperwork chronologically and pay upon receipt!

 

And when I looked up from my own messy pile of paper and electronic flotsam and jetsam, I noticed something else:

 

Most other people I know and admire don’t make - or keep - New Year’s Resolutions either.

 

So what gives?

 

Why do some people achieve and maintain a level of mastery and fulfillment in their lives, while others loll about wanting and resolving to make this the year that our dreams come true but never actually achieving it?

 

I am convinced that the difference between those that do and those that don’t has to do with who and what they are identifying with in each moment.

 

If I see myself as a small, separate little ego-based entity, it is hard to get traction on achieving goals. I might make plans, spreadsheets, to-do lists. But if I am identifying with the isolated “I” – and the scared, anxious and frightened states of being associated with it – it is almost impossible to create long-term sustainable change.

 

But when I begin to reflect on who and what I am being in relation to an experience, and how that being is manifesting in the world, all of a sudden the small, sustainable actions required to transform a life become not only doable, but meaningful, joyful and often fun.

 

One of the more interesting definitions of evolution touches on this inter-related nature of all phenomenon (what the Buddhists call dependent arisings or emptiness).

 

Think about it.

 

If you want to, say, write a book in 2016, you can think about wanting to say something to the world, and finally proving to your high school classmates that you are worthy, valuable and special and let your ego drive you to wake up at 4 am to write before going to a job you hate.

 

Or you can think about who you want to evolve into being in your life – perhaps a thought-leader or someone who has an impact on the world – and allow that state of being to pull you forward in your vision as you acknowledge the impact your own personal evolution has on the inter-related nature of all phenomena.

 

When you consider and reflect on who you want to evolve into in the coming months and years, something special happens. You fully harness the power not just of doing in the world – something most of us are pretty good at – but also fully maximizing who you are being, as the highest expression of your own potential.

 

And when you do that, not only do you begin to achieve your New Year’s Resolutions, but you also evolve into the man or woman you were always meant to be.

 

Want to explore New Year’s Evolutions even more in the coming year? Join me Friday, January 29th at the Google office in Venice for this community event and get started being the change you wish to see in your own life in 2016.