Our physical body, our emotional body, our mental body, and even our spiritual body exist in a state of duality. The primary goal of spiritual evolution is to resolve this duality by understanding it as a temporary illusion. The implication here is that all apparent opposites can indeed be healed or brought together with enough experience of each. We spend most of our time here, going back and forth between this and that and the other in order to understand what each has to offer and eventually decide which of them we prefer. This is the trap, however, for if the truth be known, we really don’t have to prefer anything and probably shouldn’t. What we are trying to discover is that which lies between the two extremes of our experience, for this is where truth can be found. In other words, we need to understand the two extremes of anything to be the parameters or boundaries of our reality, not reality itself. This is why we don’t necessarily want to choose either to define us, but rather, blend the two in order to achieve a balance which reveals the middle ground. It’s important, therefore, for us to view both opposites within our experience as neither ultimately correct nor ultimately incorrect. The reality or truth exists between the two.
Although our spiritual evolution will involve the resolution of all dualities that exist in the various aspects of ourselves, it is the healing of our emotional self that will prove to be the most difficult. We can view our emotional nature as “the problem area” of our experience, because it is here that fear has a home. The most important duality seeking resolution, then, is between fear and love. This is where we work fervently, and we find that courage is an essential tool in order for us to be successful. As we overcome fear at all levels, it is love that will reveal the middle ground of peace and balance. We can rest assured that all the hard work in the area of emotion, and the healing that will naturally occur, will create a new state of being. The duality of fear and love can be better understood if we look at the experience of joy and depression, for example. These are emotional states we’re all familiar with. An important realization is that one cannot exist without the other. Does this mean that joy can only be experienced if it is accompanied by depression? No, for that would be a little short-sighted. It might be helpful to understand that what we believe to be an experience of joy is really an experience of feeling excited about something. We must remember that our feelings are temporary and subject to change. Real joy is more about a state of being. This again is part of the center or middle ground, of which can only be experienced as we step away from the extremes. We are in a process of learning how to do just that. The rapid movement or vacillation between any two extremes creates that overall exhaustion we feel at times. Simply stated, our goal in healing our emotional life is to stop doing that! Let’s consider a couple of things we can practice that will help us become better stewards of our emotional body and create that sense of peace and balance we long for and need.
Energy correction – achieving balance
From a higher perspective, all our thoughts and emotions are really energy and nothing else. All energy is moving and changing always. Our entire being is essentially one of fluidity, then, and this we must become consciously aware of. This is especially true when we consider our emotions. If we accept the premise that they are indeed fluid, this will imply that they are also not permanent. We get into trouble when we believe our feelings are more real than they really are. It is our greatest challenge to learn how to not attach ourselves to any given emotional state. If we are feeling depressed or angry, for example, we may spend more time there than we really need to because of our level of attachment, and this, of course, is undesirable. When we “overinvest ourselves”, no matter the emotion or feeling we are currently experiencing, we have entered the extreme. At that point, our energy field will need a correction. If we become overly excited about something and jump in with our total self, we will come back down eventually and experience perhaps some depression or simply not feel well. This is nothing personal, because we remember that it’s all just energy. The universe wants us to be in a state of balance, you see. This is a good thing! What we need to practice, then, is to be aware of when we are feeling something intensely, step back, take a deep breath and relax. It is definitely going to change.
Within your vision, choose what can be sustained
If our goal is to achieve a sense of balance in our lives, we must be honest and realistic about what is possible for us. Start slow and small at first. What the universe, or God, is looking for is consistency. This is the most important thing we can do. Pick something you can stay with on a daily basis. Whether it be meditation, exercise, or some other activity, if it brings you a sense of peace and well-being, you’re on the right track. Even a few minutes has more of an impact than you might realize. We are much more likely to succeed if we are practical and realistic in our approach, no matter what it is. We all want to grow, become better, and find that peace and balance in our lives. We must always choose the things that can be sustained over a reasonably long period of time. When we set our goals too high, we run the risk of failure and the feelings of self-doubt that come along with it. We have once again entered an extreme that is unnecessary. We have stepped off our path. Don’t do that! Slow and sure is the way to go.
“This too shall pass”
No matter how good of a job we’re doing, we will inevitably have those bouts of depression, anxiety, and confusion. Do not be discouraged, for “this too shall pass”. As difficult as it may be, avoid those thoughts that allow you to believe these feeling states are permanent. We are fluid beings, flowing, changing and adapting. The more we fight things, the longer they will control us. This brings in the importance of acceptance as a healing measure. It’s ok. You’re ok. We will, in time, be able to understand that we do indeed have full control over ourselves by allowing what is. We are learning how to direct all aspects of our being and the life we live. When we are not feeling well, we know we will feel better once again. There is nothing else to realize. When we recover, we will experience that ever-present correction of energy. This is a critical time to remember not to overinvest ourselves in extreme feelings of mania and excitement. If we can practice this, the next time we experience an unpleasant emotional state, it will most certainly be less severe, less impactful, and of lesser duration. It’s all about the achievement of balance. We’ll get there!
The End Game – The 2nd Initiation
From an esoteric perspective, our emotional body is much like a pendulum, swinging back and forth in varying levels of speed. We have a tendency to pay more attention to the intensity of the pendulum as it reaches each extreme. We forget the most important element of its journey back and forth, the reality of it always passing through a middle point. This is the area of balance, which is our goal of emotional experience. In order to be able to view the middle, we must first slow down its swing. One of the biggest goals in our spiritual evolution is to let the pendulum rest at its center point. Most of our work as a spiritual student, then, is to gain ever-increasing levels of control over our emotional life. Part of this process is to release ourselves from the addiction to intense experience. As you become more aware, you realize these intense feeling states can only be found at the extremes. It’s understandable we would seek these experiences, for they do indeed help us feel more alive. What we forget is the unnecessary suffering that naturally follows. We have exhausted ourselves through our own desire. It is time to choose a different approach. We have experienced what the center is all about in those moments of peace. No other experience can ever match this feeling of well-being. We practice, practice, and practice some more, and we fall down more often than we would like to. We get back up, however, and step onto the path again and experience the middle ground. The opportunity for balance and peace is now more possible than ever. When possibility becomes probability, when those times of peace last longer and longer and can be sustained, we have entered the second stage of our spiritual development. Not only have we slowed down the pendulum’s swing, but it also no longer swings out so far. We are reaching our center of balance. In the teachings, this level of achievement is called the 2nd Initiation. We can view initiation as an expansion of our self and what is possible for us. At this level, we have gained a great measure of control over our emotional self. We have become relatively free of emotional attachments and can now access our minds with greater frequency. This is much more ideal, as we are now able to be part of the creative process more effectively. The most difficult part of our journey is behind us for the most part. This is a level of comfort and freedom previously unknown. It needs to be clear, then, that all our efforts toward healing will bring us enormous success with a necessary commitment. Our suffering will not be in vain.
Before ending the discussion today, I need to remind everyone that all levels of advancement and achievement are always relative. Nothing is 100%. It’s important to gauge your progress in this manner. In other words, get away from the idea of completion, and you’ll be a lot more comfortable in your work. There is always a certain degree of overlapping of influences, as you know. Take a step forward and be willing to take a little step back. We may need to be flexible and go back into the past to do a little work in a certain area. Perhaps we simply missed something in need of our attention. Don’t make these experiences more significant than they need to be. Our growth or sense of forward motion is not inhibited, but enhanced with a willingness to do whatever is necessary. Don’t worry, it’s all good!
All my love and support, stay safe and be well