Authentic Spirituality: What Is It? | Musings

dancing

Dancing last year on the ferry.

“Fulfillment comes when your elements coordinate with your frequency and create a magnetic field where there’s no complaint, no weakness, no punishment, no priority to see anything negative, and you flow to give and share and uplift everyone you touch, see and feel. That is the basis of spirituality.” -Yogi Bhajan

Authentic Spirituality is something I have thought a lot about. I began to think a lot about it when “spiritual” became a buzzword. By that time I had already encountered people who would label me spiritual though I hesitated to label myself in any way – labels can be confining or defining.

On my journey though I never once said to myself I would like to be this label and then went about my life molding myself to it. Even though I craved connection, love and all that good stuff I never consciously aimed to become something I wasn’t in order to gain those things.

For me, the ultimate goal was truth.

And in my truth I found my authenticity.

And through my authenticity I discovered my spirituality.

I don’t think spirituality is one thing.

In my experience of life I have come to realize that anyone who is actively practising and seeking their truths – authenticity – they are, by definition, spiritual. The definition of the word spiritual means: “of relating to, or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.”

In order to find happiness, which all of us are seeking to some degree, we must face ourselves. That means taking stock of who we are and who we want to be and what it means to be happy. It means looking inside of ourselves, past all the material and physical things, and getting to know ourselves.

What I’m talking about doesn’t look the same for everyone. Whatever your truth is that’s yours only. Not everyone has to delve into the depths of esoteric literature, or do yoga, or garden, or write, or dance, or make music. Not everyone has to do anything more than live or survive at whatever level is their truth.

Truth is a subjective thing changing from person to person. I’ve seen baristas happier than business men. I’ve seen gardeners happier than yoga teachers. And I’ve seen businessmen authentically ecstatic with life.

When we live our truth our joy radiates out from us creating a sense of vulnerability, transparency, wisdom, creativity, honesty, clarity and connection. And those are core values of a spiritual person in my opinion.

Spirituality literally means being authentic to our truth, as best as we can, and loving whatever that is.

Sometimes we will cry. Sometimes we will smile. And sometimes we will pound the ground in our triumphs.

Spirituality is something that occurs within us the more we know ourselves.