Many of us have been given the opportunity over the past couple of months to 'contemplate life.' The question I get asked most on this topic is "how did you find YOUR path to your spirituality and inner peace?" I'd love to say it was along a road of flowers and roses - but in truth, there were times that the path was hard, was not well lit, and yes, I even got lost more than a few times. I kept walking ...

My personal spiritual practice is unique to me. I think every person finds what works for them. What I eventually came to practice and live is not a specific belief. It's a collection of my own truth, my observations, learning of others observations, it's my path - to my own inner peace. I live with an open mind and heart, and things I see and experience constantly fill me awe and wonder. And no, it wasn't always that way. And yes, there are still days I can slip into old thought patterns or behaviors. I am human and those days are mostly in the past, but, again, I am human. So ... I keep walking ...

There are no rules to finding inner peace or a spirituality that works for us. Unless perhaps one. To have the desire. The longing to be kinder and more loving - to everyone.  I believe we need to first hold the intention ... and keep walking ...

There is no one true path. A connection to God, Goddess, Spirit, or the Universe, or whatever you want to call it is primarily an experience we feel, and then know. We imagine what it could be. We begin to know it in our head. We begin to feel it in our heart. Eventually, we come hold it in our soul. And all the while ... we keep walking ...

Practicing to be still, to meditate, to hear that inner voice. But, we are physical beings in a physical world. The mind keeps trying to be busy, quiet doesn't always come. That's when physical things like drumming, using a singing bowl, or even yoga can be a way to trick that busy mind. We can't hold two thoughts at once. We can become lost in the task, our mind becomes still, and we walk ... into a new way of thinking.

There are many times I asked for a sign. A sign of my progress, that I was moving forward. No burning bush came. But a falling feather, the call of a hawk, a hummingbird flitting across my path. That was what I received. And finally, my mind and heart opened. Appreciating simple beauty, for what it was, that was the key for me. So, I kept walking ...

 

I found my tribe. There were others walking the same road as me. I was so happy to find them. I asked questions, I observed. I tried a lot of options. There were some things I adopted, and some things just weren't for me. And it never seemed to be in a judging way, things just were. So, I kept walking ...

My best advise is ignore most of the rules, experiment, ask questions, read lots of stuff. Talk to others whose inner peace you admire. Just take the first step ... and keep walking ...