October 01, 2015
Who Is Driving This Bus Anyway?
Many of us have profound connections to the Divine. Some people hear guides, some channel and some just “know“ things. It is brilliant and exhilarating to actually receive messages from the Divine! It is important to know the voice of your ego too, however, for your individual consciousness has a sneaky way of trying to jump in and steer that bus!
As any spiritual disciple knows, the first stumbling block on the journey to genuine connection is the individual consciousness or ego. In fact, it is probably the only real obstacle in our path. Many try to stamp out their egos, or deny them, in an attempt to make that connection clearer but the ego isn’t going anywhere! It is the part of us that oversees the day to day operations of our survival on the planet, part of the software that comes with the body. Its job is to identify with the things that will insure our success and survival. It defines itself by roles, gender, race, job, birth order, etc. It also evaluates its standing and rank in any environment in an effort to find the niche it can survive in best. In fact, when it retracts from its duties we find ourselves feeling lost and depressed.
The individual consciousness starts to take a strong hold when we are about two years old. This is when we first understand the concepts of me, mine and the power of “no.” In many respects, the ego is always this bratty two year old wanting its way, we just find ways to refine it and shape it to be more gracious.
Because it is loud and demanding, and has wants and desires, the ego often overrides the more subtle voice of our soul consciousness. This is why having a spiritual practice is so important. In spiritual practices we learn how to recognize, and then transcend, the voice of ego, aligning with the voice of our souls. We do this through breath, movement, meditation, mantra, art, music, connecting to Nature, and many other avenues that break us out of the body’s sense of time. From this place soul consciousness comes on line and we can connect to the Divine cleanly.
Soul consciousness is with us through eternity. It is not worried about definition, standing or survival because it does not die. It is looking for ways to evolve. Each time it gets into a body it steps into cause and effect. Without a body there are no interactions and without interactions we cannot grow and evolve consciously. The glitch comes in that each body has its own operating system already in place with an ego at the helm. There is always this dance between these two forms of consciousness as we navigate each lifetime.
Even on a spiritual path, the ego gets involved. It will identify itself as a spiritual person, and look for validation and ways to affirm and express its prowess. It wants to to do the hardest asanas, wear the right clothes, eat the right foods and drive the right vehicle to let the world know it has arrived. As soon as we give in to identifying ourselves as spiritually adept, however, we have collapsed into what Chögyam Trungpa calls spiritual materialism.
The question is always, who is driving this bus? In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras he says that the practice of getting out of ego is a daily one. Enlightenment, that place of divine connection, comes from being able to hold an egoless state of consciousness but it must be refreshed and reinstated daily because we default back into the body’s voice for survival daily. Enlightenment is not some final resting place of the spiritually elite, it is a profound state found and sustained through daily practice!
Christina Allen’s work as an Intuitive, Healer, Teacher and Founder and Director of the Austin Shamanic Center, combines a strong science background (BA Physics, MS Neuroscience) with decades of applied ancient spiritual wisdom (Master Yogi, Reiki Master, and profound Shamanic Healing based on Q’ero Indian traditions of Peru). Available by private appointment. Learn more about sessions and upcoming classes at www.AustinShamanicCenter.com or (512) 391 9829.
© Austin All Natural, October 2015