StalkingtheGaps:EmbodiedSpiritualityandRepairofthe

World

“Thereisalwaysatempta>ontodiddlearoundinthecontempla>velife,making

itsy-bitsystatues.”ThomasMerton

“Thereisalwaysanenormoustempta>oninalloflifetodiddlearoundmakingitsy-bitsyfriendsandmealsandjourneysforitsy-bitsyyearsonend…sayingInevermeritedthisgrace.Iwon’thaveit.Theworldiswilderthanthatinalldirec>ons,moredangerousandbiJer,moreextravagantandbright.Wearemakinghaywhenweshouldbemakingwhoopee;weareraisingtomatoeswhenweshouldberaisingCain,orLazarus.Goupintothegaps…Stalkthegaps.Squeakintoagapinthesoil,turn,andunlock-morethanamaple-auniverse.ThisishowyouspendthisaQernoon,andtomorrowmorning,andtomorrowaQernoon.SpendtheaQernoon.Youcan’ttakeitwithyou.”

AnnieDillard,PilgrimatTinkerCreek

AWEJasonSilva,Youtube

Exercise:•  Consideramomentthatyouwoulddefineforyourselfas

spiritual–whateverthatmeansforyou–amomentwhenyouwereawakeandawakenedtothatpartofyouthatisfullydeeplytrulyyou--inaweperhaps-andatthesame>meconnectedtosomethinglarger.

•  Jotdownwordstodescribethatexperience.Whathappened?Whatwasitlikeinyourbody?Whatdidyoufeel?Howdiditchangeyou?Yourviewoflife?

•  Findapartner…

AsWeMoveTowardtheSpiritual…

Wemovetowardpresence…andtowardmindfulawareness…

“Throughmindfulnessweelevatetheordinaryintotheextraordinary,”TalBen-Shahar

“ThegreatgiQofaspiritualpathiscomingtotrustthatyoucanfindawaytotruerefuge.Yourealizethatyoucanstartrightwhereyouare,inthemidstofyourlife,andfindpeaceinanycircumstance.Evenatthosemomentswhenthegroundshakesterriblybeneathyou—whenthere’salossthatwillalteryourlifeforever—youcans>lltrustthatyouwillfindyourwayhome.Thisispossiblebecauseyou’vetouchedthe>melessloveand

awarenessthatareintrinsictowhoyouare.”TaraBrach,TrueRefuge:FindingPeaceandFreedominYour

OwnAwakenedHeart

AsWeMoveTowardtheSpiritual…

Wemovetowardwholeness…andtowardinterconnectedness…“ThesimpleactofbeingcompletelyaJen>veandpresenttoanotherpersonisanactoflove,

anditfostersunshakeablewell-being.Itishappinessthatisn’tboundtoapar>cular

situa>on,happinessthatcanwithstandchange.”SharonSalzberg,RealHappiness

“Einsteinsaid:“Ahumanbeingispartofawhole,calledbyusthe‘Universe,’apartlimitedin>meandspace.Heexperienceshimself,histhoughtsandfeelings,assomethingseparatedfromtherest—akindofop>caldelusionofhisconsciousness.Thisdelusionisakindofprisonforus,restric>ngustoourpersonaldesiresandtoaffec>onforafewpersonsnearestus.Ourtaskmustbetofreeourselvesfromthisprisonbywideningourcirclesofcompassiontoembracealllivingcreaturesandthewholeofnatureinitsbeauty.”

MaJhieuRicard,TheQuantumandtheLotus:AJourneytotheFron>ers

WhereScienceandBuddhismMeet

Exercise:•  Journalforafewmomentsnow…

•  InwhatwaysmightIbekeepingmyselfseparatefromthespiritualinmylife?

•  Whatgoodemergesfrommydirectconnec>ontomyspiritualprac>ceorwayofbeing?

AsWeMoveTowardtheSpiritual…

Wemovetowardpurpose…andasenseoflife(oursandothers)assignificant…

“Ihavefelttheswayingoftheelephant'sshoulders;andnowyouwantmetoclimbona

jackass?Trytobeserious.”Mirabai

ASignificantLife

Jessica’sDailyAffirma>on“SuperheroTraining”

AsWeMoveTowardtheSpiritual…Wemovetowardcompassionforthesufferingofourselvesandothers…Ifwedefineourspiritualityonlyinposi>veandglowingterms,itwillbecomesen>mental,andthenitisofnouse.Tobespiritualisnotjusttoprayandmeditatebutalsotobeinvolvedinthestrugglesofmarriage,work,andraisingchildren;insocialresponsibilityandintheefforttomakeajustandpeacefulworld.ThomasMooreWhetherthingsturnoutforthebeJerdependsonwhatwedo.Weoughtnotspendour>memastermindingthefuture,butrecognizeourmarchingorders:todothebestwecanforhistoryandtheplanet.HustonSmith

TheBody/SpiritualConnec>on

“Researchindicatesthatself-compassionmaybeapowerfultriggerforthereleaseofoxytocin.”“Self-cri>cismappearstohaveaverydifferenteffectonourbody…Whenweexperienceathreateningsitua>on,thefight-or-flightresponseistriggered:theamygdalasendssignalsthatincreasebloodpressure,adrenalineandthehormonecor>sol,mobilizingthestrengthandenergyneededtoconfrontoravoidathreat.Althoughthissystemwasdesignedbyevolu>ontodealwithphysicalaJacks,itisac>vatedjustasreadilybyemo>onalaJacks—byourselvesorothers.Recentresearchindicatesthatgenera>ngfeelingsofself-compassionactuallydecreasesourcor>sollevels.”

Kris>nNeff,TheChemicalsofCare:HowSelf-CompassionManifestsinOurBodies

TheBody/SpiritualConnec>on

“…integratedwithinourDNAaretheseverypowerfulmechanismsthatmakeuscare,thatmakeusrespondtosufferingofanother,and

actuallyhaveadesiretointervene.”

Evolu>onarymandate:…aswebegantodevelopalargercortexandfrontallobeinordertothinkabstractly,wedevelopedsophis>catedlanguage,abilitytostrategize,thesechangesmandatedthatwealsodeveloplongergesta>onperiod,reducedliJersize,andoffspringthattookadecadetofunc>onindependently,whichledtodevelopmentof

extraordinarilylongbondingandnurturingpathwayswithinthespecies.

JamesDoty,ProfessorofNeurosurgery,StanfordUniversitySchoolofMedicine;Director,CenterforCompassionandAltruismResearchand

Educa>on

TheBody/SpiritualConnec>on

Instatesofmindfulnessandcompassionwesee:

BiologicalProfileofM4(CompassionateorWisdomMindfulness)•  IncreasedVagalToneandAutonomicFlexibility•  IncreasedOxytocinTone•  IncreasedHypothalamic-MidbrainSocialBondingTone•  IncreasedFrontalLobeFlexibility•  IncreasedConnec>onsbetweenRewardandSocialEngagement/Exper>se

Pathways•  DecreasedConnec>onsbetweenFear/VigilanceandSocialEngagement/

Exper>sePathways(reducingsocialcomparisoncompe>>onandinadequacy)

•  DecreasedOverregula>onofAJunement/Emo>onSuppression(feelemo>onsrichly,andtheyguideyou)

EmilianaR.Simon-Thomas,ScienceDirectoroftheGreaterGoodScienceCenter,Berkeley

SpiritualityEmbodied

Wearewiredforconnectedness,compassion,care

ofothers

AND

Ourbodiesdobestwhenwemovetowardquali>esofaspiritualexistence