The title is common theme here on retreats with clients; they can’t seem to cross over from an intellectual spirituality to a “knowing”. They have read every spiritual and personal growth book out there, taken a dozen workshops, engaged therapists and coaches but they can’t seem to live what they know. This is where I come in!
My book The Woodstock Bridge is about this stuck place. There is only one real answer: to understand the difference between deep listening and listening thru your thinking will lead you across that bridge. I have talked about this in other articles. You can only move into your spirit thru a feeling—never thru your head. Brothers and sisters, its a “feeling bridge”. Write that everywhere! If you can accept that—you will feel your innate wisdom. Deep listening is about listening for a feeling and with your feelings. You can not absorb the formless thru your thinking! Here is a simple clue: if you aren’t experiencing your natural wisdom, you are in your head! Unknowingly, you are trying to understand the spiritual with the personal mind.
In the last few months, during retreats when I recognize clients are deeply stuck in this place I get them out into the vortexes. And like a miracle they suddenly listen deeper and hear something. When you engage Mother Earth in a sacred manner, things have a way of happening. Another way to explain is when you show Mother Eath your feelings, your natural feelings of love. You could visualize Mother Earth as a giant fan, fanning your wisdom. This is the essence of what I do with clients in the office; I am speaking from my wisdom thus fanning their natural wisdom. It’s the energy of my words or the feeling behind my words that matter, not the informational level of them.
Outside amidst the red rocks that fanning is multiplied a thousand times. But there is a key to activating the fan. You must acknowledge the Mother Earth, the Tree and Rock People and Plant People. And you can do this in any way that feels goods to you. With me it’s gently brushing the little plants and juniper trees and saying hello. Or praying and thanking them when they help a client. Over the years, like deep listening, I have come to see how very important acknowledgment is to every aspect of our life. Ask yourself a simple question: Who did I acknowledge today, even if it was internally? Acknowledgement is part of your true self–if you get in the neighborhood of your true self, you hear deeply.
When we get some spiritual education many try and process that spirituality thru their personal mind and don’t get anywhere. And believe me; this can be very subtle at times. I have had spiritual leaders come work with me who I catch spiritually managing. I am certainly guilty of this myself.
We all have invisible ways that we use to keep us from feeling our wisdom. It’s important to find someone who can point this invisible thinking out to you. Maybe try the follwing: “Listen, bro, I have a feeling I have some invisible thinking going on that I am just not aware of. I want to engage your services to help me see it.” That’s the request of a warrior—you can make it!
It’s a “feeling” bridge!
A Ho,
Greg