Curve Balls

So sticking with my baseball metaphor for a bit longer ... sometimes life throws me curve balls. Really nicely pitched ones too. The kind where I think I need to duck or be hit by the ball but in the end they curve right back in to that sweet spot for a solid strike. I love them for their beauty but hate them for their deceit. At the end of the day though, they are part of the game and like I said before, you either step up to the plate and take a swing or you don't and never get the opportunity to even see the pitch.

I was pitched a curve ball this week. In this particular game it was not the first one I had received, however. The first few I think I ducked away from. But this one was different. This one I watched all the way in and took a solid swing at. And the beautiful thing about it is that I hit it. Now, the ball is still in the air so I don't have a clue if I hit a single, double, triple or home run. I don't discount that I may have fouled or popped out. Only time will tell. But I do know that a) I didn't hesitate to step up to the plate, b) didn't duck or even think about ducking when the pitch looked like it might hit me, and c) I hit the ball. The best part about all of this is I was smiling the whole time.

What does this tell me? Well, it tells me a lot about this spiritual practice and spiritual Path that I am on. I am getting stronger, my faith is increasing, and in so doing, I am moving more efficiently down my Path. This is a great thing! It is why I began my Journey in the first place.

This curve ball I speak of and other events have lately exposed me to new spiritual thinking. I have been reading a lot and going online to learn more about ancient Asian spiritual meanings and practices, studying Celtic art, exploring "alternative" views on God and religion and generally trying to broaden my spiritual horizons. I used to say out loud that I was not sure that I believed there was a God. But inside I've always kind of known there was. Through that struggle of ego and spirit, I became aware of many points of view and belief systems but other than Christianity, never really delved much into any of them. Through my yoga, I am realizing that I need to learn more. My yoga is exposing my spirit to realities of myself that I did not allow myself to express in the past. These expressions are beginning to fundamentally change me as a person. The most important realization I've had during this process is that I no longer think that there is a black and white scenario when it comes to spirituality. As Michael Franti sings, "God is too big for just one religion."

Right now I am most interested in ancient Asian spirituality. The primary reason I think is because I practice yoga. Yoga is many millennium old. By itself it is also a spiritual practice. Anything that has endured for that long must have significant value and merit. So I have come to think that any ancient concepts that remain active in our collective consciousness must also have pretty significant merit as well.

The one that I am currently pretty intently focused on is that of the Tao. The ancient Chinese used this label to describe the harmonious complexity of the universe. The best description I have found so far, or at least the one I like the best (which is most important in a pursuit such as this) is from the Wikipedia entry for Tao (Dao is a variation of the word Tao):

There is a flow in the universe, and it is called dao. Dao is never stagnant and is incredibly powerful and keeps things in the universe balanced and in order. It manifests itself through change of seasons, cycle of life, shifts of power, time, and so forth. Dao has a strong and deep connection with cosmology and the natural world, as the most well-known Daoist philosophers Laozi and Zhuangzi agreed. Dao is the law of Nature. When you follow dao, you become one with it. And it is best to also understand qi, because qi and dao go hand in hand. Qi is a Chinese term that is translated as breath, vapour, and energy. Because qi is the energy that circulates the universe, it can be said that dao is ultimately a flow of chi. Being one with dao brings best outcomes, because in that way things will fall into place as they are meant to be.

The thing I love about this the most is how it fits with my favorite metaphor for my spiritual pursuits. That being the idea of being relaxed in the pose of spirituality (what pose that is I have yet to discover) with the Wind of spirituality blowing my sail of faith and carrying me through life.

I know I've written this many times in this space but I can't help myself. I must write it again. The more I go with the Flow, the more I find my life gets better and better. The more the curve balls become home runs. The more that challenges become opportunities for growth and purpose. The more I become more centered and at peace. The more I look forward to getting to know my God more through this and all of my other spiritual practices.