Dear Spirit to Spirit friend,
We continue to sit. As individuals, families, communities, as one global humanity... in crisis. As the days go on, the unknown seems to be our ever-present companion.
As we remain in our at-home sanctuaries, facing into what is coming up in ourselves as well as in our world minute by minute... a question arises:
"What is it to be in balance in myself as well as with the highly charged ups and downs in the world right now? How can I be in deep balance in my being in each moment? "
Finding ways to be in balance invites us to explore and engage with spiritual life practices, like the ones presented in the last e-letter.
And... beyond being in balance in ourselves, we can go a step further- into a deeper kind of balance. What we could call Balance in Being. Discovering/uncovering the balance that arises from the ground of our True Nature... the True Nature of all living beings, of all Life. Unflappable, unshakable groundedness in That Which is Greater.
Some of us may experience living in and as deeper balance as where we naturally sit in ourselves. In an alignment in and with the Great Mystery, Spirit, Consciousness, the Divine- whatever name we give It. And, some of us may find this elusive, challenging to access, or seemingly unavailable to us.
We may sense this kind of deeper balance within some of our animal family members. Some animals seem to have been "born this way", effortlessly resting in deeper ground, embodying a centeredness and an internal calm. We often experience ourselves as relaxed and easeful just in being in their presence.
And, although this is the natural state of animals (and our natural state), some of our animal beloveds find this less available in this moment of their lives. Perhaps because they've experienced disturbance/trauma in their past or because of their particular sensitivity. For them, the inner discovering/uncovering of Balance in Being is simply part of the journey of "becoming" in their lives... just like it is for many of us.
With those animal family members who naturally live from this deeper balance, we can lean on them- to varying degrees- in times of our own instability, knowing that they will be able to support us with no ill effect on them.
And, with those animal beloveds who need extra support, it is on us to reside in deeper balance for them- as best we can. To be, naturally, who we are- what is already and always in us (and in them)- and offer a soft yet strong holding container for them.
As we embody the Balance in Being that arises from the depth of who we all are, from the depth of all Life, from the depth of Awareness Itself, we can live in balance not only for ourselves but for our animal family members and human family members as well.
A perfect practice for our at-home retreat.
In Gratitude & Love, Joanna