As you start to read this article, you are invited to consider that spiritual mastery involves zero formulas. Reflect on this perspective: There is no map because there is nowhere to go but in your heart, and no techniques are needed to sustain inner peace. Inner peace is available and sustainable without even trying.
If these are new ideas for you, let’s look at them here for a few moments. Understanding them is the key to sustaining inner peace.
In my life, I have noti ced that staying aware, happy, and living in peace arise naturally by staying outside of formulas, techniques, or how-to steps. When I am out playing catch with my nephew and feeling happy, I am not “trying to be happy.” I am present and alive and simply enjoying the activity.
Steps, spiritual how-to’s, and techniques can guide us to inner peace, but are they needed forever?
For example, let’s look closely at a breathing technique to calm the mind. Here is a good one:
Visualize bright, healing light entering your body with every inhale, and with every exhale, visualize roots growing out of the base of your spine to ground yourself in strength and solidity. This is a powerful visualization that can be done anytime. Try it now for a moment.
Breathe in light…
Breath out roots…
Breathe in light…
Breath out roots…
Good. Just notice how you feel.
I use techniques like this in my life. Often they arise spontaneously and I find myself doing them quite effortlessly. However, I have come to see they only take us so far. At a certain point the technique-the feeling you are doing something to bring about relaxation or peace-has to end.
If you ask a child or an adult who is happy if they are using a technique to “be there,” their answer will be no. They are just doing it. Their heart is open and does it for them. A really happy person is just happy in their own skin. They are happy for no reason on the outside.
Tools and techniques can be wonderful. But eventually techniques lead to their own demise! There comes a point where we can stop pedaling and simply coast. There may come a point when you decide to stop using a spiritual technique or take a break from it out of an intuitive feeling. But if that has not happened yet, then they still serve a good purpose.
So how do we approach techniques to maximize their benefit? We do it by seeing techniques as stepping stones. They are stepping stones that must sink back into the pond when the bridge to our Inner Knowing is strong enough.
Letting go of a technique, after it has truly taken you as far as it can, is an opportunity to be the elevated Being that you are.
If you want support for the rediscovery that spiritual techniques are not always needed, I recommend “non-dual” spiritual teachings. Non-dual teachings are teachings about “Oneness” ie. We are “One with our Divine Nature” so there are no techniques needed to get to what we are. Please visit my website or Facebook page for some good resources