Yin Yang, Sun and Moon, Day and Night, Good and Evil, Feng Sui, Yoga.

All of these terms are centered around the art of balance. In just about all, spiritual practices the goal is balance, stability, "groundedness", permanence, a solid foundation, a rock of balance.

Now I know what I'm about to say may sound crazy, but the truth is revealed in (at least to me) in the most unexpected and non-traditional ways. On one of my personal retreats, I had just finished sadhana in one of my favorite places, the meditation room. After my session, I was completely relaxed. I wasn't eager to do something else, I wasn't trying to fill my time. I was just enjoying myself in the present moment in that room. When I noticed a millipede or maybe it was a centipede, who knows, crawling on the mat. For some reason, I was amazed. I leaned over and just began watching this creature crawling on the mat.

Let me give a brief description of this mat. The mat was a natural beige color with some sections being a darker beige. The weaving of the mat was in rows. Each row kind of reminds you of little bubbles or bundles and in between them are little ditches. In either case, each row is as straight as can be.

This millipede was just crawling this way and that. It was going down, down, down, then up and then straight, back down and then up. It was hard keeping up with the direction that this creature was going. I was sitting there thinking, "man where are you trying to get to? What are you searching for?" All the while the rows stayed the same, not fluctuating, not moving with the millipede.

Then it made its way off the mat onto the concrete floor. Its movement became even crazier. Now off in the distance was a spider. I was thinking, "surely this spider is going to pounce on the millipede for food or something." As the millipede continued with its crazy movements and unpredictable direction, the spider did not move once.

It stayed in its spot, just as still and calm as it could be. One might have thought it had passed away or perhaps it was even in Samadhi J But it never moved, never followed the millipede or tried to chase it.

Life is the millipede. It is always changing. It will give you times of peace and happiness and constant success. Other times it will take you so far into the darkness, that you feel as though there is no way out. Other times it will leave you stagnant, stuck in the middle of no where.

Your soul is the rows in the mat, the spider that stays grounded, still and calm in their spot.

In life, one must remember the true nature of the soul. Grounded, still and calm no matter the situation, in times of lows AND highs.

Acharya Shree Yogeesh once said to me that problems are blessings. Problems keep the truth seeker seeking. They also make or break the truth seeker. Like all things, in the beginning, one is excited and eager to engage in the fresh activity. It is not until the "honeymoon" stage is over, that an outsider can see, if the freshman was genuine in their attempt or simply going with the trend.

I have been trying to find my spiritual path for about a year and some change. I wavered with this and that, and never tried or stuck with anything for more than a month (if that). It was not until the first of this year, that I believe I truly found it. Now I'm being tested to see if my interest is pure in origin or just out of vain.

Luckily, I can honestly say that I have been more dedicated to my sadhana than ever before. Since January 1^st, I have either done yoga, pranayama, meditation and meditative writing or a combination of the former every day. Some days I do all, other days I only write, other days I only sit down in my meditation corner and just sit in silence and others I do multiple spiritual practices at a time. But in either case, I'm trying and I'm putting forth an effort towards my spiritual progress.

There are times where I feel as though I'm doing this out of habit, out of an obligation to Acharya Shree. It's kind of weird. I have this overwhelming sense to do whatever he says to do with no hesitation. I feel like he's my father and I'm the overly obedient child.

But any who, I digress. I wrote all of this to say that when a truth seeker truly begins their journey spiritual warfare is sure to ensue. Why you may ask? Because you are beginning to break down an entity that has been with you since birth, growing with you as you get older, getting stronger with every year, every month, each day and every moment, your mind.

When your mind knows that it's about to go bye bye, it is going to do everything in its power to keep that from happening. This is where the tests come in. Tests of your strength, dedication, courage, will, faith and motivation. Every thought and action will be questioned and tested.

The only way to pass these tests is to remember your motivation, your inspiration for beginning your journey. Stay dedicated to your spiritual practices. Every truth seeker will waver in the beginning, but a true truth seeker will remember their reason for wanting to start their journey. They will remember what awakened their soul to their path. This and only this will allow you to soar with flying colors.

This year I have but one New Years' Resolution:

1. Be disciplined and follow my spiritual path wherever it may lead me!
   

I know for some this may seem quite simple and…uhmmm…whats the word I'm looking for…basic. But when one truly thinks about spirituality, it's far from basic. It requires one to do what a majority of the world is deathly afraid of, changing yourself. It requires one to sit down and get to know their soul, their true nature. Most of us would rather try and change others or allow someone else to analyze us and change us versus us changing ourselves.




I have been on this rollercoaster ride, this cycle of ups and downs, of trying to find myself, trying to find God. I have bounced around from one religion, philosophy, tradition to another. But I have come to one realization….




My spiritual path is pathless. It does not require me to adhere to a list of rules or guidelines like most religions or have to engage in certain activities every week for fear of being punished. My spiritual path simply requires me to seek the truth, to trust in myself, to trust in my soul to lead me.




Unlike most, I did not bring in the New Year at a club, house party or a bar. Rather I brought it in chanting and meditating at a place filled with good energy under the direction of an enlightened soul.


He gave us a message for 2011:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aamyRBDbdE8




    *If it doesn't show up, just copy and paste the link in your browser to view the 2011 Spiritual Message that I received.




One that spoke to me in a very simple and somewhat obvious way: be disciplined, be positive. That's what I plan on doing. I know it will be rocky. I know it will be rough. I know there will be times where I want to quit and give up, but I can't and I know I won't. This year is going to be different. This year I have direction, I have support, I have myself.