Mind-Centered Seekers
For you, intellect and knowledge lie at the heart of spirituality. You may be a philosophy or an English major, a deep thinker, a lover of books and brainy discussions. Life for you begins and ends in consciousness, in your ability to study and analyze ideas.
Your Challenge
You’ve been accused of overthinking things, not to mention living entirely in your head. Sometimes this can cause you to get stuck — mentally and spiritually.
Explore
Use your intellect as a vehicle for spiritual growth, as opposed to an end in itself. That might mean diving into more spiritual fare (say, the Bible, the Tao Te Ching or the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh). Consider forming a spiritual book group to add a new dimension to your study. You’ll engage your intellect while connecting with like-minded folks.
Heart-Centered Seekers
Your sense of satisfaction rests on your feeling emotionally connected and invested. Relationships are your interface with the world, whether that means with others, with the divine, or with yourself. More intellectual pursuits (like studying spiritual texts) may leave you cold, unless they facilitate connection with similar souls. In other words, you may enjoy reading Eckhart Tolle, but not as much as you would talking about it with others.
Your Challenge
Because you value connection so much, you risk being overly dependent on others. You may lose yourself in someone else’s spiritual path rather than shaping your own.
Explore
Capitalize on your emotional intelligence and knack for cultivating relationships. Find nourishment in volunteer work or other forms of service to your community (helping out at church or dedicating your time to a charity event). These people-centered activities naturally engender a sense of connection to others. If you’ve felt spiritually at sea in the past, you might benefit from working with a spiritual mentor, such as a life coach, rabbi, priest, or yoga teacher.
Soul-Centered Seekers
You possesses a deep and intense awareness of spirituality. You devour stories of saints and mystics, fantasize about traveling through India, and wonder about the monastic life. What you want most is to take your spiritual experience to the limit.
Your Challenge
A hyperawareness of the transcendent may make you vulnerable in some ways. You risk going to extremes, using spirituality as a form of escapism.
Explore
Maintain a healthy, realistic mind-set and consider where you’re at mentally before you take on soul-centered challenges (e.g., starting an intense fast on the heels of a bad breakup). Mentorship is important, too. Plenty of organizations provide support and supervision to safely explore the kind of experiences you crave, says Ellerby.
Look to balance larger-than-life adventures — such as pilgrimages to spiritual sites, wilderness expeditions, solitary retreats — with more moderate ones. Rather than a 40-day vision quest in the woods, “try two days of isolation, just in your apartment, for instance,” says Ellerby. Or take a digital fast, shutting off the phone, TV, and Internet. Don’t discount your capacity to access the deep spiritual experience in the everyday.
adapted from Body + Soul Magazine, September 2009 by Terri Trespicio
Zen Alarm Clock for Spiritual Seekers
Now & Zen
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
