Editor’s notice: All through July, we’re internet hosting 31 Days with St. Ignatius, a month-long celebration of Ignatian spirituality. Along with the calendar of Ignatian articles discovered right here, posts on dotMagis this month will discover the Ignatian Yr theme, “To see all issues new in Christ.”
The Religious Workouts of St. Ignatius is a health program for our souls. However what’s the soul, and the way will we even know we’ve got one? We are able to pinch an arm and notice we’ve got a physique by the feeling we really feel. We are able to learn one thing, make sense of what we learn, and know we’ve got a thoughts. However the soul? It’s so—seemingly—unspecific.
The soul is the non secular a part of who we’re. Simply as train and consuming proper assist our bodily our bodies, and considering proper helps our psychological and psychological states, non secular practices like prayer and meditation assist construct our consciousness of the soul.
All of us have ideas all through the day—ideas of deadlines, our youngsters, a dad or mum’s well being, or paying a invoice may creep into the act at hand. These simply got here into my head: I by no means realized I preferred the colour yellow. Bees I get, however wasps? What function do they serve? I’ve to scrub the dryer vent. What am I going to eat for lunch?
There have been others too, however you get the image.
So, that is what I need you to do. Hearken to the voice inside your head proper now. Take a second to pay attention. Are you able to hear your ideas?
Now, take a step again out of your ideas by answering this query: Who inside you is listening to the ideas you might be having? You might be, proper?
Stick with this for a second. Take note of the a part of you that’s listening to your ideas. You will have a thought, however that thought isn’t you. There may be somebody or one thing that may observe that thought inside you.
Do this: Hearken to the sound of somebody’s voice or to a track you want. Or take a look at one thing in entrance of you, perhaps a espresso cup. Simply observe the music. Observe the espresso cup. Ideas will creep into your head. That’s OK. Observe these ideas, the music, the espresso cup.
Now, take one other step again and observe the one inside you—the one following your ideas, the music, or the espresso cup. Your soul is the observer. The true you, the you that transcends your physique and thoughts, is your soul.
You aren’t your ideas. You aren’t the voice inside your head.
You’re the observer observing your ideas. Not the fears you’re feeling. Not the issues you’ve gotten. All these change. The true you doesn’t change. Your physique will get older; you may purchase extra information; you may earn more money or lose a job, however your soul by no means adjustments. You might be all the time linked to one thing higher in all features of your life, thoughts, and physique, however your soul has a really particular connection to the Everlasting. Issues will come and go, and once they do, remind your self that the true you is the observer who usually forgets to be an observer.
How can we domesticate this consciousness of the soul? How can we see issues anew? Via meditation. Strive a few of these concepts that will help you join extra with the observer that’s your soul.
Commonly take note of the observer.
Day-after-day once you get up, meditate for a couple of moments, being attentive to how you’re feeling and what you may be experiencing. If you happen to see mild streaming into your room, observe who’s observing the sunshine. If you happen to’re feeling confused in regards to the day forward, give attention to the observer watching the anxious ideas that may flood your thoughts or feeling the stress in your neck or again. Acknowledge that issues don’t have an effect on the observer. Consider the great thing about the moon obscured by clouds. The moon nonetheless exists above the clouds no matter what tries to dam that glory. You, your soul, stay above your issues.
Use your physique.
Many people have bother sitting in a single place for a very long time. For these of us who get antsy, we will meditate whereas strolling to work, exercising, working, and even doing our laundry. Whereas transferring our our bodies, we will develop into aware of our actions. Merely saying, “I’m crossing the road,” or, “I’m respiratory,” or, “I’m folding socks,” is sufficient to assist us give attention to the current and get us out of our heads.
Experiment with respiratory patterns.
If you happen to use an ordinary four-count meditation technique (inhaling and counting 1-2-3-4 and respiratory out and counting 1-2-3-4), shake it up a bit. As a substitute of constructing your first breath an inhale, make it an exhale after which alternate breaths out and in on the four-count. Why do that? Our brains get used to patterns shortly, which is why most of us don’t bear in mind driving to work if we’ve been utilizing the identical route for years. Mixing up patterns sometimes, akin to brushing our enamel with our much less dominant hand, creates neural pathways that hold our brains wholesome and alert. And it helps to make meditation extra participating as nicely.
Have a good time 31 Days with St. Ignatius by studying as we speak’s featured article, Studying to Stay Reverently by Gerald M. Fagin, SJ.