Yoga and Working the Body

Tonight was a yoga night! It's amazing how good those simple poses and mindful breathing exercises can make one feel. I have missed several yoga opportunities this summer, so it is good to get back into the routine. It's also one way I can experience a metaphysical connection in a group setting - finding my Spiritual Self in the company of others. But that's another topic.

I believe that it is so important for us to take care of our bodies. While we are Spiritual Beings first, we do have a duty - if you will - to maintain the vehicle that moves us through this world. I have talked to those who do not have this belief, and their health is poor because of the decisions they make. They believe that as long as their spirits are healthy, they need not care about the other parts.

I disagree. Whether we choose our bodies and our lives, or whether we land here by chance, the better care with give to our physical half, the better care we can give to our families, our friends, coworkers - the world.

If wellness is not part of your life, are you missing out on the chance to help someone in need? Are you missing out on the opportunity to travel somewhere, or experience something that may take some effort on your part so that can expand your Spiritual Self? Just a couple of questions to ask yourself.

So, while I too struggle to fit in some additional exercise in an already overly busy schedule, as I grow older, I recognize the importance of taking care of the "meat suit" *. We must take care of the whole package in order to have and to appreciate a full human experience.

With Best Blessings.

(*See blog post Spiritual Self and Doing the Work.)

Spiritual Self and Doing the Work

It's great to blog for Witch Basket once again! I did have a small blog back in the beginning (around summer 2006) and for awhile I blogged on both MySpace and Covenspace. While I enjoyed the people I met through both social networking websites, I wanted to concentrate on other aspects of my home, work, and Spirituality, and closed both of those profiles. Yet now, as summer winds down, I find myself drawn to posting here for the purpose of connecting and reconnecting with Witch Basket customers, friends, family, and other Spiritual Seekers.

Lately my thoughts have been drawn to growing my Spirituality and also my habit (and preference) to practice as a solitary versus finding a group of like-minded individuals that I can celebrate with, or work with for a common goal (magick or mundane). I do believe that many of us are solitaries - for various reasons. Some are not out of the broomcloset, some are still trying to define who they are. And still others just prefer to walk their Spiritual Paths alone. And that's ok too.

I do believe, however, that your Spiritual Self is worth the work - and by that I mean worth the work of either doing it all yourself, or doing the work to find like minds as you practice your beliefs. You are, after all, a Spirit. This "meat suit" (I borrowed that phrase from life coach James Ray) is not all that you are. You are more than what you see.

Imagine that you are carrying a lit candle down a long and breezy hallway. Your purpose is to get that candle from one end of the hall to the other without letting the flame burn out or be wiped out by the wind. You would take great pains to protect that flame as you moved forward towards your goal, shielding it when necessary, and then holding it up to light the way when the corners of the hall are too dark to see the next step. Your Spirit is like that candle's flame, and sometimes it is work to grow your Spiritual Self. But it is worth it. At the end of the hall is the next great experience - whatever that may be.

So while I myself fret over the "should I keep on with my candle and my Solitary Path, or join in with others who are moving in the same direction?" debate that continues in my human head, I encourage you to consider the flame of your own Spirit - solitary or not - and decide if you are truly caring for it as you should be. Are you slipping on some of your work?

With Best Blessings!

A New Merle's Musings - Make Your Own Magick

Happy Full Moon Everyone! What better way to celebrate today's Celestial Moment than with a Merle's Musing? Her latest column, Make Your Own Magick, reminds us that to live a magickal life, sometimes you need to make some effort! Please click here for her offering!

Excerpt:

The steam from the fresh brewed spiced tea soon wafted through the air making my senses awaken to the possibilities of the day. Yet, where ever could the Magick be? Where could it have gone? I knew it was there not long ago… I had seen it. I had felt it. It had surrounded me. Could I have simply misplaced it?

You can read all of Merle's articles in The Archives.

About Merle:

I am a solitary simplistic, down-to-earth Cottagewitch practicing the Healing Magick used by the Olde ones. I am particularly drawn to Colonial American Cunning Craft of the 1600's and Romany Gypsy Magick. I nurture a very serious relationship with the earth & every living thing. I am guided by a familiar relationship with the Crow.

I love cats and they love me back, but I'm allergic so my feline familiar is "invisible". I am a mom thymes three beautiful daughters. I am a free-lance photographer & an author/illustrator of children's & witchcraft books. I grew up in Indiana, but the gypsy in me took hold & I now live in the Northeast.

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