Sacred Initiations

The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door. ~Clarissa Pinkola Estes

We are living in a time of great challenge, change and uncertainty. Overpopulation, climate change, and corporate controlled industry are just a few of the social and economic issues that we face today.  Environmental activist Joanna Macy describes the essential adventure of our time as “the Great Turning,” marking a shift from the industrial growth society to a life-sustaining civilization. Macy declares: 

“A revolution is underway because people are realizing that our needs can be met without destroying our world. We have the technical knowledge, the communication tools, and material resources to grow enough food, ensure clean air and water, and meet rational energy needs. Future generations, if there is a livable world for them, will look back at the epochal transition we are making to a life-sustaining society. And they may well call this the time of the Great Turning. It is happening now.” 

We are part of this revolution and our contribution to the healing and transformation of the planet begins with our personal commitment to our own awakening. Sri T. Krishnamacharya described yoga as the process where the impossible becomes possible and the possible over a long period of time becomes easy. If we consider our human development, this process becomes clear—as babies it seems impossible that we will ever walk or run, adolescence and young adulthood highlight the challenge of finding our identity apart from our families of origin, and the tests of adulthood and aging are centered around generativity and continued growth rather than stagnation and regression. Each stage of life presents specific crises to aid in our transformation into fully actualized human beings. The word “crisis” comes from the Greek krisis  and literally means “decision,” such as the time when an important decision must be made or as the turning point of a disease when an important change takes place, indicating either recovery or death. Crises in our lives are actually vital junctures or thresholds to be crossed that cultivate the conditions necessary for the impossible to become possible in our lives. Crisis is often the carrier pigeon of calling in our lives and ushers us into a new way of being or living. We cannot separate our adventures from our ordeals—they exist hand in hand to elicit deeper truths about ourselves and greater meaning for our lives. These challenges act as sacred portals initiating us into an entirely new life.   

Ordeal as Opportunity
The Hero Journey is a motif that was developed by American scholar Joseph Campbell who studied stories from various cultures around the world to discover the one universal story that each myth contains. As a “monomyth,” or the one great story, it represents the archetypal journey of transformation that every person must undergo in order to become a whole human being. It is a cyclical journey where one is called away from the familiar, often through a significant challenge or difficulty that disrupts the status quo, into the wild terrain of the unconscious psyche. The hero encounters extreme difficulty (lifelong saboteurs, past traumas, etc.) and must face and slay the dragon (that which we most fear) in order to recover a lost treasure (our individual “bliss”). Returning to the very place from which we started--home--we must complete the journey by offering the jewel to the world. Each of our unique lives is the myth that we must live out to realize our full potential and bring forth our gifts in service of the greater good. In every adventure story the hero or heroine encounters an ordeal (or several) that test the limits of what (s)he thought possible. 

In the movie The Wizard of Oz, for example, Dorothy is tested all along the way by the Wicked Witch of the West who uses all of her power to scare and divert Dorothy from her quest while seeking to destroy her ability to believe in herself. Dorothy’s greatest challenge occurs in the Witch’s castle when she is forced to choose whether to give up the magic red slippers or her precious Toto. The ordeal that ensues is when the Witch torches the Scarecrow and he begins to burn. In an effort to protect her friend, Dorothy douses the fire and accidentally wets the Wicked Witch who melts into a puddle on the floor. Eventually she is rewarded for her bravery and returns home to Kansas with the knowledge that what she was seeking, she had all along. The heroine had to experience the tests and trials in order to discover the gift—she had to encounter her own crucible challenge to make the impossible possible.

Just like Dorothy, our personal adventures come with their own ordeals. The antagonist may come in the form of an illness, a difficult relationship, the loss of a job, divorce, or death. Mid-life as well as other major transitions can initiate a crisis. In my own life marriage and motherhood have proven to be the ultimate ordeals! While also full of unexpected blessings, these relationships induce great challenge. Nothing can fully prepare us for the ordeals, yet the hidden beauty contained within them allows us to discover entirely new aspects of ourselves that would otherwise remain unknown. Our ordeals will ask something from us; we will have to give something up in order to gain the treasure. Using my own life as an example: the dismantling and of my 12 year marriage leading to divorce was an ordeal that still, almost two years later, I am metabolizing and healing. Going from partnership to single-hood has its many layers and levels of unraveling that confront me with issues around self-identity/worth and personal meaning/life purpose. Discovering a different balance in the home with co-parenting as the new reality is a bumpy ride at best. My continued commitment to be present for my children and develop professionally has presented me with the ultimate challenge that has called for both sacrifice and stepping up in ways I never thought possible. Learning when to let go and when to hang on is a daily and sometimes momentary practice. Our ordeals contain countless opportunities for self-discovery if we are willing to see the blessings in the challenges. It is in precisely the ways we think we cannot succeed, take another step forward, or in the temptation to lose all hope and fall into despair, that we have the distinct possibility of realizing our most hidden gifts and abilities. Navigating ordeals with grace and grit is what being human is all about!

​Allies
Dorothy is not alone in her journey to Oz. Along the way she encounters those with whom she creates an alliance of friendship and mutual support: her dog Toto, Glinda The Good Witch, the Scarecrow, the Tin man and the Cowardly Lion.  

The discovery of allies is an important part of the journey. Very often the particular adventures that we undertake will also include the helpers that will provide the aid we most need. Allies are distinctly different than someone we may consider more casually as a friend. Very specifically, allies are the ones that can really be in it with us. One of my teachers, Michael Mervosh, explains that an ally is someone who has been through similar trials and ordeals and yet “is able to have a differing perspective from our own, which we will need as we journey through life.” It is foolish to think that we can make the journey on our own. We need those who help us. Allies can come in the form of visible and invisible aid. Benevolent strangers that appear when we are most in need are our allies. Angels, ancestors and spirit guides can assist our walking from the other side. The natural world and all of its beauty can act as healer for us. Even animals can provide companionship and unconditional love when we are struggling. Our allies appear when we are in need; we must be open to receiving the help!  

Useful Tips for Navigating Ordeals
When we are in the throes of an ordeal it can be very difficult to maintain our connection to center and the challenges can induce fear and self-doubt causing us to believe that there is something wrong with us that must be fixed. Do your best not to take your ordeals too personally—remember that they are part of the universal experience of being human—everyone experiences them! I encourage you to do your best to practice self-care in the following ways:

• Grounding--we all have access to daily rituals that provide the grounding that we need during difficult times. Some of my favorites include standing or walking barefoot on the earth, cleaning my home, cooking or baking something delicious, journaling, dancing, making art and going to bed early. What are the daily rituals that ground or center you? Make them a priority.
• Gentleness--it’s easy to default into judgement and self-criticism when we are in the midst of deep change or challenge, but being hard on ourselves only makes things worse. Instead, practice self-compassion by speaking to yourself just like a loving friend would respond if you were to tell them the truth about what you are feeling. What would you most like to hear? Write down the response that would encourage or uplift you and post it somewhere visible as a reminder to be kind to yourself.
• Prioritize--When experiencing certain ordeals we cannot always be expected to perform our regular roles and responsibilities with the same kind of dedication and commitment. We become more easily overwhelmed and depleted. As I mentioned, sacrifice often comes with ordeal—we might be asked to give up something that we cherish in order to allow for something even better. Instead of trying to do everything or keep it all together, be willing to let something fall apart. Ask yourself daily: What is most important today?  Let the rest go.
• Find the Blessing--Begin to cultivate the instinct to look for the blessing hidden within the challenge. Get curious rather than critical. Call on your connection to Greater, the Divine, God, Source and ask “What is the teaching?” Listen from a higher power perspective rather than your ego self. Crisis is the perfect training ground to strengthen your spiritual muscles of discernment, humility, patience, trust, forgiveness and surrender. 
• Gratitude--Research has shown that the benefits of thankfulness and appreciation are all encompassing: those that practice gratitude regularly enjoy elevated moods, stronger immunity, higher rates of productivity and better relationships. No matter how bad things are, we can always find something to be grateful for. Shift your focus to your immediate surroundings at least 3x a day and take note of your blessings or spend the last minutes of each day recounting its gifts.

Self-Reflection:
What seems “impossible” for you now? Rather than engaging your logical mind, answer this question more intuitively by practicing stream of consciousness writing for ten minutes or longer. Simply write the question at the top of your page and then commit to writing without stopping or censoring your words. Just let it flow and see what emerges.

Reflect back upon the span of your life. Revisit that which has been the “Supreme Ordeal” of your life's time, to date. What was it about the experience that made it feel like such an ordeal for you? What have you learned from this profound life experience that moved you closer toward your authentic self?

What is the most significant or meaningful adventure/ordeal in your present day life? What is it that makes it such an adventure or ordeal for you? As you reflect on your answers to the previous question, what opportunity do you see lying before you, for your unfolding future, from here?
Who are your allies? Who is able to be in it with you? What places or people feel supportive for you?

What kind of self-care do you most need now? Is there a particular practice that you would like to emphasize at this time?

​We Are The Ones We Have Been Waiting For
As the Great Turning is underway and we are in the process of our own transformational growth process, we can call on the wisdom of those who have gone before us to help us find the way. The Native Americans considered the impact of their choices by the 7 generation principle: for every personal, governmental or corporate decision made, it was taken into account how it would affect the next seven generations into the future. A generation is thought to be 25 years—so that’s 175 years impact to consider. “Sustainability” for the indigenous people meant living in balance and harmony with the world around them. Mitakuye oyasin is the term used by the Lakota that means “we are  all related to, and respect, everything in life.” Take to heart this message from the Hopi Elders as a timely reminder for you, who have been called on a sacred mission as artists, yogis, helpers, healers, and light bearers to make the impossible, possible through your commitment and courage to the realizing the essential teaching of the path—we are that which we are seeking; only ONE exists and we are the individual expressions of that Unity. We need not feel small and insignificant in the face of the world's problems. We are the ones we have been waiting for. . .    

Message From the Hopi Elders:

You have been telling people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered…
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for your leader.
Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, “This could be a good time! There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.
And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt.
The time of the one wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word ’struggle’ from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

​We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
--Hopi Elders' Prophecy, June 8, 2000