Everyday Spirituality

Sometime ago, I mistakenly added a post here that I had meant to post on my travel blog. When I realized my error, I decided to leave that travel-related post here, on this blog about health, spirituality and overall well-being.

Because, after all, travel - especially leisure travel, or any travel that we enjoy - is related to our happiness, our sense of joy, and the expansion of our spirit. It is, quite often, a metaphor for our spiritual journey.

Travel that expands the mind and strengthens our connection with our fellow human beings is part of the spiritual journey. In such cases, a love of travel is a reflection of our spiritual seeking – an aspect of that within us which seeks knowledge and understanding, which reaches out to make connections with our fellow spirits across the world.

And it’s not just travel that has a spiritual dimension. I have already included some paintings and poems on this blog (not my own, alas). Anything that lifts the spirit is spiritual and can bring us closer to that supreme spirit to which we are all connected.

On my other Terataii blog (on the Multiply network), I’ve included some music that I really like and that I consider spiritual because it helps me go within to touch my own spirit.

Nature has both a healing and an uplifting effect on most people. Those of us who live in a city aren’t exactly surrounded by nature, but there are parks and trees and flowers in most cities. One can keep potted plants at home too.

I am fortunate to live in a beautiful old house in Manila, Philippines, with a small but lovely garden and a small swimming pool.

Every morning I wake up to the sound of birds and look out of my French doors type of window to see trees, water, a few beautiful flowers and, very often, a bird or two. One thing you don’t see often in the Philippines is a squirrel – I’m told they are not indigenous to the country. Yet, for the past week, one has coming by the tree outside my window at precisely 7 o’clock every morning!

I missed my squirrel this morning and wondered if it had moved off to brighten someone else morning from now on.

No matter. I fully expect some new, wonderful creature or plan to come by my window soon. For a while it was a lovely orchid that greeted me when I woke up. Then some beautiful pink flowers. Then a bird on the tree just outside my window. The bird was ousted by the squirrel. Wonder who or what will be next?