Connection

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking out new landscapes but in having new eyes." —Marcel Proust

This first journey away from home has two purposes, to explore the 'beingness' of humanity and also to find some space within myself to be with my own soul, both of which are to aid emotional deepening and growth. Having spent time with people from across the world exchanging stories, experiences.and social/ cultural norms, the journey/ exploration is only just beginning, but this first stage has very much brought me right back into my meditative and contemplative roots. I am feeling a deep connection with my inner spirit/ being /soul/ place (whatever label you might attribute from your own understanding or belief).

I have not yet found space or calm within my inner ocean, but my understanding is that that is okay and to just be with that, as if floating amid the waves beside an old friend. The beginnings of conversation on spirituality throughout this trip people have often touched on the sense of a seeking or feeling something greater than self, the experience of spirituality. One particular story struck me deeply, I won't share the personal information but they said the following:

"Religion is manmade, it is the spirit twisted out of shape, we have the spirit and the body. Our spirit was separated as we were born and we have been trying to find our way back to the relationship with the ultimate. Spirituality is about having a relationship with...."

The omnipresent, the person was referring to God. Each of us have our own felt sense of this, whether it be God, spirit, universal energy, and so many other variations, so I use the word omnipresent to symbolise all of them. Another person said the following:

"The spirit brings change, helps you to have belief in someone. Which is important in this day and age when so many are lost and finding it difficult or unable to trust."

And another:

"Faith in feeling loved and held in our life not alone."

The way in which we experience this (or not) is clearly varied. I was wondering how we each carry our spiritual or non-spiritual beliefs, feelings, and actions into our everyday life. In thinking of how I embody my own sense of spirituality I remembered a post I had seen some weeks ago that best describes it: I was taken by how much each conversation was about relationships, an exchange between two entities and how much the people I spoke with needed to feel connected as opposed to isolated. This felt very much like a need, that there was something fundamental in our human experience that needs to feel connected. I wondered what being and feeling alone does to our wellbeing.

This is just the very beginning of this topic, there is a vast world of experience and perspective so I shall explore further as I speak with others and move through the artwork.