Becoming a Hero

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. 

~Joseph Campbell

Most people, to quote Thoreau, “lead lives of quiet desperation” that are only partially fulfilling or meaningful. We rush around the perimeter of our lives, busy with trying to “make” a living rather than simply accepting the state of being fully alive. Easily getting caught up in the outer reality, we rarely slow down long enough to question or inquire into the quality of our inner life. Who am I? What do I long for? Where am I going? What brings me alive? Most of the time we live cut off from this type of inner contemplation and can feel quite stuck in the habits and ways of living that are familiar and safe. And many of us are aware of these inner promptings but lack a clear understanding of how to bridge the gap between inner and outer realities. 

Joseph Campbell was a great teacher of mythology and comparative religion. His most famous line: “follow your bliss” has become a well known phrase used to inspire and uplift, but really only reveals a portion of the message and can easily induce a fantasy of what it is to be a true human. The full quote gives a better sense of what one is signing up for in following the call to a heroic life:

Follow your bliss.

The heroic life is living the individual 

adventure.

There is no security

in following the call to adventure.

Nothing is exciting if you know

what the outcome is going to be.

To refuse the call

means stagnation.

What you don’t experience positively

you will experience negatively.

You enter the forest at the darkest point,

where there is no path.

Where there is a way or path,

it is someone else’s path.

You are not on your own path.

If you follow someone else’s way,

you are not going to realize your potential.

In his work, Campbell outlined eight major stages that one must pass through to become the hero of your own life. The hero journey is a universal story that we see throughout mythology, literature and across all religious traditions. Very briefly, the eight stages are:  following the call to adventure, crossing thresholds, entering the forest, encountering ordeals, discovering allies, being in the belly of the beast, discovering the boon, and returning home. It is a cyclical journey where one is called away from the familiar, often through a significant challenge or difficulty that disrupts the status quo, into the wild terrain of the unconscious psyche. The hero encounters extreme difficulty (lifelong saboteurs, past traumas, etc.) and must face and slay the dragon (that which we most fear) in order to recover a lost treasure (our individual “bliss”). Returning to the very place from which we started--home--we must complete the journey by offering the jewel to the world. Each of our unique lives is the myth that we must live out to realize our full potential and actualize our gifts to serve the world. 

Over the course of four months, I have been fortunate enough to experience this journey through the expert guidance of Michael Mervosh (http://www.herosjourneyfoundation.org) in an online class called “Walking in Two Worlds.”

Michael is a soulful, engaged, down-to-earth guide that weaves Campbell’s work with poetry, music and meditation to offer a way across the thresholds of consciousness. Being a part of a community of adventurers in the bi-monthly webcasts as well as the ability to connect with a smaller “ally” group via regular telephone conference calls, has made the experience incredibly transformative. Ultimately, we all must make the journey for ourselves, but to have the support and encouragement of others is an essential component.  

Campbell said, “If you want to help this world, what you will have to teach is how to live in it.” As I continue in my own journey I am reflecting deeply on that advice. I know that I am called to serve as a bridge between worlds. I am passionate about creating a clear and conscious connection to our bodies as the vehicle for the journey and forging a deeper relationship within our minds and hearts to contain and bring forth our essential qualities. It is through the alignment and integration of the three: body-mind-heart that the conditions are created to find and follow our bliss. 

I have decided to offer an introduction to each stage in my monthly discussion group, Soul Matters. Beginning in February, we will meet the third Thursday of the month at One Yoga and Fitness, and discuss the elements of the eight stages of the journey starting with "the call to adventure." 

For more information on Michael’s online program and other opportunities go to:http://www.walkingintwoworlds.org

Conscious Transitions



"One of the most important differences between a change and a transition is that changes are driven to reach a goal, but transitions start with letting go of what no longer fits or is adequate to the life stage you are in." --William Bridges

In our life's journey we are continuously dancing with change. However, in the midst of change, we don't always attend to the internal aspect that is in need of attention. Change may happen around us, but are we really making the deeper shifts within ourselves that will provide the movement into the next level of our personal evolution? Significant passages in our lives are often experienced with some sort of challenge or difficulty. The state of our health or relationships dissolve, a career may abruptly end or slowly drain of meaning; and even our deeply held spiritual beliefs may be questioned. Through the difficulty, we are given an opportunity to to grow and expand beyond anything we have known. Perhaps the "end" is ushering forth a new beginning.

The end of the calendar year is a great time to pause and honor any transitions that are happening in our lives now. What is it time to let go of? In acknowledging our transitions we can step forward into the new year consciously and clearly. Join me for this month's Soul Matters discussion on this theme. We will gather on Wednesday, December 19, 7:30-8:30 pm at One Yoga and Fitness: www.oneyogafitness.com. This is free and open to all! Please bring a journal and pen.

Spiritual Bypass

 

         Many of us embark on a spiritual path as a way of seeking meaning in our lives for the pain and suffering we feel both personally and in the larger world. Without a spiritual context, we can easily fall into an existential despair that deepens the suffering and immobilizes our mind and body. Each of us longs to be free from this kind of discomfort and spiritual pursuit offers a way through the confusion. However, the very source of our comfort may also be disguised as a trap door to deeper levels of abandonment-namely, to ourselves, the world and our obligations to serve humanity in a way that fosters liberation.

“Spiritual Bypass” is the term given to this use of spirituality that offers an escape from the tension inherent in our everyday lives. Rather than letting our lives be guided and informed by our spiritual practice, we use spirituality as a way of buffering ourselves from the difficulties in living. Instead of using the teachings from sacred traditions like a light that must be brought into the depths of our darkness, we deny our shadows and pretend that the light is all that exists. Used in these ways, spirituality is no different from other modes of anesthetizing our pain—drugs, food, sex, shopping, intellectualizing, spiritualizing…. What they all have in common is an ego that would rather do anything than face what hurts.

I am intimately familiar with this desire to replace living fully in this world with the seduction of existing in some other realm that feels less dense, dark and difficult. I am guilty of using spirituality in this way and I am working on addressing the underlying issues that have led to my own bypass. I recognize that this is a big issue for many seekers that are genuinely longing for a connection that transcends the corporeal. However, if we do not find very concrete ways of applying our discoveries, we risk creating a greater divide that will only cause more pain. This is why, I now believe, combining psychological therapy and spiritual practice is of the most benefit. Sometimes praying more, meditating longer, or going on yet another retreat is not enough. We have to face the issues that keep us bound and limited.

In an article I read recently on psychoanalysis and Buddhism, called Becoming Somebody and Nobody, (1993) the author—John Engler writes:

 

The therapeutic issue in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis is how to “regrow” a basic sense of self or how to differentiate and integrate a stable, consistent, and enduring self-representation. The therapeutic issue in Buddhism is how to “see through” the illusion or construct of the self. Are the two therapeutic goals mutually exclusive, as they appear to be? Or from a wider perspective might they actually be compatible? Indeed, might one be a precondition of the other…? Put very simply, you have to be somebody before you can be nobody. (119, italics mine)     

 
I think this is such an important point that is often missing in spiritual circles where people claim to have evolved beyond the issues of the ego. In reality, many have actually done little but bypass it entirely. We see this all the time in spiritual leaders that fall from grace after some incident often including one of the “lower” levels of consciousness (money, sex, and power) is uncovered. Perhaps, as Engler states, before we attempt to transcend our ego, we must first develop a healthy sense of self. Developmentally, just as a baby must first learn to crawl before it can walk, we must allow ourselves the proper time to develop spiritually as well. That means we need to attend to our suffering with the help of spirituality, but not as a way of covering it up. The function of psychotherapy is to help create a sense of inner cohesiveness by way of understanding our pathologies. In this view, where therapy ends--spirituality begins. However, it is not a linear process,—an evolution of consciousness involves a circling back many times to deeply held psychological issues with, perhaps, deeper insight. In fact, for some, it can be dangerous to embark on a spiritual path if a healthy sense of self has yet to be defined. It could lead to a spiritual crisis or emergency (another subject that I will expand on in the future) causing greater fragmentation and distress.

Is your mode of spirituality one that continually returns you back into this world or are you looking to escape? What are the ways in which you are able to apply your practice to your life? Are there any specific psychological issues present that need to be addressed? These are a few questions we can begin to ask ourselves regularly to keep us on track as we move forward on our path.

Here is Hafiz, the Sufi poet, pointing the way:

 

WISE MEN KEEP TALKING ABOUT

Time is the shop

Where everyone works hard

 

To build enough love

To break the

Shackle.

 

Wise men keep talking about

Wanting to meet Her.

 

Women sometimes pronounce the word God

A little differently:

They can use more feeling and skill

With the heart-lute.

 

All the world’s movement’s

Apparent chaos, and suffering I now know happen

In the Splendid Unison:

 

Our tambourines are striking

The same thigh.

 

Hafiz stands

At a juncture in this poem.

There are a thousand new wheels I could craft

On a wagon

And place you in—

Lead you to a glimpse of the culture

And seasons in another dimension.

 

Yet again God

Will have to drop you back at the shop

 

Where you will still have work

With

 

Love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Engler, J. H. (1993). Becoming Somebody and Nobody: Psychoanalysis and Buddhism. In R. Walsh, Paths Beyond Ego The Transpersonal Vision (pp. 118-121). Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher.

 

Soul Matters

Soul Matters with Jenny Clarke

Every third Thursday of the month from 7:30-8:30pm

One Yoga and Fitness/1214 Bowman St. Clermont

“One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these - to be fierce and to show mercy toward others, both, are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity. Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do.”  --Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Each of us comes into this world with a soul as unique as our fingerprints. Truly we are on a spiritual journey together. This will be a casual discussion forum open to anyone interested in topics related to life, the soul and spirituality. We will be discussing SOUL matters. Why? Because soul MATTERS! Each month a different theme or idea will be presented as a way of opening the circle and time given for all to listen and share your own perspective or understanding. It is free and open to all who are hungry for a meaningful connection… Feel free to bring a journal and pen.

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe one hour

is all we have

to know about

the many deaths we've

survived.

 

Time submits

while eternity

steps into

 the gap

made deep by grief.

 

The hot wind and tree stained water

our only memories

of home.

 

One moment-

perhaps only now-

to remember what it is

to be alive

with all of the elements

of infinity swirling

inside.

 



Back to School

For several years I have been dreaming of going back to school.  I have been mostly home raising children for the past six years and although I am grateful for the challenge and the privilege of being a stay at home mama, I have been desperate for the kind of stimulation that ensues from learning and exchanging ideas.  I have been on a trajectory of self-discovery for most of my adult life, so I knew that I would need something that would support that kind of inquiry and discussion.  I love the study and practice of yoga and spirituality and am passionate about the mind/body/heart interplay.  The work in the world that I am most interested in is that which helps people transform into their greatest selves.  For me, going back to school to study Transpersonal Psychology is the perfect next step in my evolution.  And better yet, I can study and learn in an on-line forum that provides the flexibility of still being on the home front with my kids.  I enrolled in the Global Masters Program at Sofia University (formerly The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology).  www.sofia.edu

So what exactly is transpersonal psychology?  It is an integrative/holistic perspective that includes behavioral, cognitive and humanistic paradigms in addition to a spiritual perspective that has heretofore been absent in many therapeutic models of psychotherapy.  Psychology as understood from its Greek root psyche (soul) is, essentially, the study of the soul.  When we view our lives (including our dysfunction) from this perspective the possibility to heal becomes a matter of not just how we behave or what we think, but also (vitally) our state and level of consciousness.  And we know from the ancient wisdom traditions that our connection to consciousness is the path to health and well being in the greatest sense.  Ultimately "transpersonal" is an experience of ourselves and our lives as multi-dimensional beings created with a purpose. The path is the discovery of our true Self.

I recently returned from the opening seminar of the program in California. The theme of the week was "The Call To Adventure In A Time Of Change And Possibility." Inherent in the transpersonal approach is an emphasis not only on study but also personal practice and application to our everyday life experiences. Over sixty of us gathered from all over the world in response to a deeper call to live in congruence with our soul longing. It was a powerfully transformative experience that has already begun to alter my life in ways I can not yet completely understand. During the week I came to terms with the fact that I need to dedicate this next year of my life to this process of change and creating the space necessary for the emergence of what is longing to be expressed in my life. It is time again for me to really work on myself so that when the time comes, I might be given the honor to help others in the same way. Nothing excites me more than exploring what is possible when we are willing to let go of our limitations and live the adventure that is our authentic calling. 

So this is what I'll be up to for the next two years!  Pictured above are just a few of the books I will be reading in this first semester--truly it is like Christmas each day I open the mailbox and find another book I can't wait to read waiting for me.  I look forward to sharing my insights, inspirations and challenges here and welcome your questions and comments.   

Yours with sharpened pencils,
Jenny

Got Sensitivity?

   

      Do you consider yourself a sensitive person?  Or has anyone ever told you that you are "too sensitive?"  If not, I am sure that someone in your sphere of existence is.  Sensitivity can be far more than just an increased emotional experience of life, but rather a physiological predisposition in which one's nervous system is actually quite acute and processes the information or stimulation of life at a more rapid rate than some other people.  Perhaps loud noises create extreme discomfort or bright flashing lights and large crowds of people.  Individuals that are highly sensitive may also be empathic, that is, they tend to "feel" others deeply and are very responsive to others' emotions whether exposed or hidden.  Througout history, people in all walks of life, but especially poets and artists have often been sensitive in some of these ways which has fostered thier creativity, but they are also subject to the shadow side of sensitivity which can easily lead to depression, addiction and isolation.

     In addition to heightened sensory experience, creativity and empathy I have recognized deep sensitivity among both depressed and anxious people, those suffering food allergies and environmental disorders, "mystery" diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia, and addicts that are naturally very empathic.  When not managed properly, our sensitivity can push us toward isolation, a constant state of feeling overwhelmed, fearful and sad without being able to identify why, constant issues of unworthiness, stuck or blocked creativity, and inhabiting the body only partially.  Like all challenges, being highly sensitive has both its dark and light sides.  Many are drawn to spirituality and mysticism, the healing professions or teaching in some capacity and tend to be very intuitive.  Highly sensitive people have much to offer their families or communities and world at large but prefer finding their own way of expressing themselves.  Most, but not all, sensitives are introverts and prefer a more quiet approach to life and work.  Unfortunately our culture places a significant value on the personality that is "out there" and often like the loudest child in the family, gets the most attention.  This sends a message to those who operate under different conditions that they we are not good enough and should be more like them in order to be successful. 

     It comes as no surprise that much of my own depression came from great sensitivity.  I believe that as I have learned to hold both the gifts and limitations of sensitivity with equality and become involved in work that allows me to use my intuition and knowledge together, I have been able to heal.  Now as a parent, I recognize a similar sensitivity in one of my children and am learning how to parent in a way that will hopefully encourage the gift as well as support the passage through the difficulties.  As valuable and empowering as it can be to recognize yourself as highly sensitive and understand that there really is nothing inherently "wrong" with you, it can also become an identity trap that will only limit your full range of being.  So use it wisely to help you learn about yourself but be careful not to attach too concretely to any "type." 

     I hope to work with HSP's* more in the future but for now here are the five main keys I would offer to anyone who is highly sensitive and looking for help:

• Support--know that you are not alone and that it is important to find someone or a group of people that sees, hears and understands you.
• Accept--use your sensitivity to recognize that you have a gift rather than hide behind it (which is what most sensitives would rather do)!
• Empower/Embody--get into your body--commit to a physical practice like yoga that will help you ground and open safely.
• Align with the Highest--nurture your spirituality by connecting deeply with your heart and studying a sacred tradition that resonates with you.  Focus on developing the qualities of the heart: forgiveness, love, compassion, gratitude, etc.
• Give--share your gifts with someone in need.  Perhaps a healing touch or simple smile or any way that feels most natural for you to offer your sensitivity to another.

     Sensitivity is synonymous with being concious, keen, knowing, perceptive and responsive when expressed positively.  These qualities are imperative for us to live whole and sustainable lives.

     Below are a couple of resources that I have found helpful in understanding sensitivity:

*"Highly Sensitive Person" from the work of Elaine Aron on the subject.  She wrote both The Highly Sensitive Person and The Highly Sensitive Child ( http://www.hsperson.com/)

Susan Cain wrote a wonderful book on introverts--check it out here: http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com/