The Life Force Called Spirit

THE LIFE FORCE CALLED SPIRIT
by Natalia Alexandria

Every day, I encounter people who define spirit and spirituality in a variety of different ways. Some think it is religion, while others think it is New Age. Some are embarrassed to admit to either, while others think it is all nonsense. Then there are those who want to do more to be spiritual, and are attending seminars, retreats, and conferences by the millions. Most of us accept that we have a spirit, but aren’t always sure how to access its mystery. Whatever we may think, generally speaking, spirit and spirituality has become confusing.

Let us try to adjust the true meaning of spirit and spirituality. Since ancient times, people have been very busy interpreting spirit and spirituality, and the truth is that throughout the millenniums, we have been interpreting mysticism. Mysticism can be the study of the mystical, supernatural, and all things ethereal. Religion came about with the integration of dogma. Its rules and regulations reflect a society’s desire for spiritual and moral leadership. Religion can beautifully intertwine history, folklore, and rituals to foster a meaningful life. However, it has discouraged many, who for one reason or another, cannot abide by the types of rules to meet acceptance. The result has been a sprouting of other systems of belief. Understandably, society has made religion synonymous with spirituality, as if to say, that if you are spiritual, you are religious. And if you’re not religious but spiritual, you are “New Age” or some other group by default.

Science also has a say in our spirit. First documented by Galen, a Greek medical doctor and philosopher (ca 130-ca 210AD), he believed that the essence of our soul (spirit) was in the pineal gland, a tiny pea-sized organ located in the middle of the brain. In 1888, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society, reaffirmed the belief of spiritual connection, citing the pineal gland as the “eye of Shiva” of the Hindu mystics and as the organ to spiritual vision. By the 1950’s, scientists discovered that the chemical secretions of this organ help to instill individuality and creativity, and is responsible for inter dimensional spiritual connections. Most recently, physicists have successfully measured the energy of our spirit upon death to weigh twenty-one grams. This makes our spirit more tangible than we think, and very much connected to the body and the mind.

Whether we use religious or scientific reasoning, or both regarding spirituality, we have a spirit. What then is spirit? I believe the spirit has three significant aspects. First, it is our soul, which is our inner self, our essence, our life force. It is our inner wisdom. The second aspect is the strength of spirit. Strength of spirit is projected through integrity. It is the level of courage and moral fiber we adhere to in order to be honest and reliable. The third aspect of spirit is the ability to reflect all that we are feeling. It manifests as an attitude, mood, tendency, or atmosphere of who we truly are. So what then is spirituality? It is the honor code by which we live.

And just like the body and mind spirit exudes energy, and the quality of that energy is determined by its caretaking. It would then stand to reason that spiritual development is as necessary as physical and mental development. Just like “exercising” the body and mind, spiritual development is an exercise we can individually determine, and should undertake because of its obvious benefits. Just like with the body and mind, our spirit has many distinct advantages. The spirit is vibrant and intuitive, alive and creative. It is strong, sure, and resilient. Spirit is your life force – so strong a force that it manifests as your “will” to live. If we dissect that cliché, in the moment when nothing else works to save our life for instance, our spirit has the power to keep us living.

And no matter how much courage it takes to live in spirit, that life force draws us in each and every time by its bold display. It takes spirit to leap to a rescue, find a new cure, and imagine the unimaginable. It is the courage of a parent to give his or her life for a child, a lover to fight to the death, and the paralyzed to defy paralysis. It is our truest and deepest power of who we really are – and it is extraordinary.

Not surprisingly, this explains why every culture bothers to ponder and identify spirituality. There is no doubt that religion and other systems of belief can be helpful in spiritual development, as well as the exploration of all the teachings of great thinkers, writers, and philosophers. However, regardless of where we go to find the answers, one thing’s for sure. Developing and practicing spirituality unravels a strong spirit that in turn creates a stronger body and mind, and directs positive energy for extraordinary results.

The beauty of being spiritual is really how you choose to live your life in order to magnify its quality. Developing your sense of spirituality is a common desire amongst us all, and is a lifetime quest to improve our lives and our experiences. TODAY’S SPIRIT includes everyone, and is meant to spark new ways of thinking. It is a publication that recognizes we are all spirit, choosing integrity in what we live everyday. Please visit us at www.tri-starinnovation.com