we relax into who we are

We relax into who we are

The spiritual journey is the journey to discover who we really are, and to live that, to become who we really are. It sounds strange to say it, doesn’t it: to become who we really are. Of course, we are already that, by definition. So in what sense do we become it? We become it in the sense of finishing with everything else that we have been pretending to be; by dropping all the masks, all the roles that we have been playing, acting out. By dispensing with all of that, we return to our true nature. And the way we do this is through a process of relaxation.

The opposite of relaxation is striving, is making effort. It involves some tension, some action, some purpose. And by these means we create our roles and our masks and all those things that are slightly false about us. These are created, artificial things. And that’s what happens when we set out with a purpose and strive after it. We build something, yes, something comes into being. But it is artificial and it has relied on tension to create it. And most often it relies on tension to maintain it.

This is why the artificial life is ultimately unpleasant and unsatisfactory – because it requires tension, it requires an ongoing strife just to maintain that status quo. And this is why spirituality is really the only important thing and the only way to find true happiness. Because whilst we are in a state of tension, whilst we are striving, we will never feel truly at peace in the world or in ourself.

So to come to that peaceful way of being in the world, to come to that natural way, we have to relax. And it’s a relaxation of the whole being; physically, the body, getting rid of those tensions in the muscles; energetically, getting rid of those blockages that may have been in us for years, decades, most of our life perhaps. If we can release those blockages, when energy can once more flow freely throughout the body, throughout the being, then we are relaxed. And with that bodily, physical and energetic relaxation of course there is a mental relaxation – a relaxation of all the tensions to do with the mind, including the emotions. Emotional tension, stress, and mental anguish – all of this can disperse through a process of relaxation.

So if you are in any doubt as to how to proceed on your spiritual journey, remember that it needs to be a deep relaxation. This is the way we return to our centre. It’s like turning the heat off under a boiling pan of water. All that heat and agitation, everything is moving and bubbling, and somehow the energy is seen at the surface of the water. It’s just pure agitation, and life is lived superficially. And when the flame is turned off, and the water can relax back into a state of rest, then there’s also a feeling of sinking back into the centre, into the core. In that stillness we return to the essence, the essential part of who we are, and the essential part of life, of existence. But the only way to return to this is through a process of relaxation.

The heat and agitation may be needed along the way, to break through some energy blockages. Catharsis may be needed to throw out some anger. But that is just preparing the ground. After all that activity, we must remember to return to a restful state, a state of relaxation. In this way we come back to who we really are.