“CHANGE IN ACTION” by Christine Lavoie, M.Ed., C.Hyp. – December 2020

Greetings fellow Seekers!

Merry holiday wishes to you and yours! As we approach the season of light and giving, it’s natural to assess our spiritual health. Last month I referred to the four areas of coping: physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual. Well, t’is the season to talk about ‘spiritual’ coping!

To help us cope with this most unusual of holiday seasons, we can go within to discover (or re-discover) our most meaningful spiritual values. What will touch our hearts and transform us most endearingly this season? Perhaps these discoveries will help us cope beyond the holiday festivities. How do we begin?

Consider the words of Shakespeare: “go to your bosom, knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know”. Put aside some quiet time. Eliminate distractions. Set the scene. For some this might mean going to a place of worship, or a sacred place in their home or outdoors. Could be your garage or your cozy chair in the living room. Wherever you go for your “me” time. Some of us feel closest to our spiritual selves out in nature. If this is the case, dress warmly and head out. But take your body to the spot where you know your spirit can speak. This is important; all the parts are connected: body, mind, heart, spirit.

When you get there, if you can, light a candle. The spirit loves fire. The flickering light appeals to our primordial selves, gathered around the fire at night, cooking, eating and drinking communally. Everything was shared; private ownership unknown. This was a time when our world was ruled by that which is Greater than Ourselves, and everyone knew it. We all felt vulnerable in those ancient times, when a hard winter could mean extinction of ourselves and all our families. And death and disease walked hand in hand. But we also had faith to sustain us: whatever happened, we were all in this together.

Today that Power has been replaced by Science and Tech. Turns out, though, science and tech don’t have a cure for everything. They can’t seem to save us from a world dying from over-consumption and a pandemic that is stalking us. This season we can take time to acknowledge the spirit: that sense of connectedness we feel when we take the time to really listen to others, to notice that homeless person huddled on the sidewalk, to give what we can without thought of recompense, to our families and communities. Even if we can’t be together in-person, we can be grateful for so much: we’re alive, we have food to eat, and our hearts are aglow!

I invite you to submit your health-related questions (physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual health) to me at: [email protected] No need to include your name; all published questions will be anonymous. I’d love to hear from you!

Christine