I use my connection with guidance every day, I think, but I find it most useful in times of extreme crisis. Not even personal crisis, I’m talking about global disasters. Things so large that I can’t really process them. 9/11 was a biggie. The tsunami in Japan would be a more recent example. Strangely, the assasination of Osama Bin Laden falls under this heading, too. I witness these things, and my brain just shorts out. There is no way for me to process it in the moment.

So I take it to Spirit. Sometimes my question is specific and eloquent, and sometimes it’s not much more than “WTF?” But it always comes from a place of mental surrender, a place of static, a place of “I don’t know.” I think this mindset I bring to the table is more important than you might suspect because, in that space, I’m already out of my own way. The ego is quiet. I’m out of answers. Which makes room for Spirit to speak to me, with little to no preparation. I’m ready to listen.

I can get out of my own way at other times, but it’s harder, more of a stretch. Surrendering to the process when I’m not in a moment of crisis is not my natural inclination; I don’t think it’s anyone’s really. I have found, however, that mustering up the willingness to get out of the way is pretty effective all on its own. Even that, though, may not be as easy as it sounds. In most of us, the ego is strong; it is used to being in charge.

This is why those tools which help us get out of self need to be practiced on a regular basis. Meditation, willingness, seeking, surrender, focus, discipline; the more you consciously use those tools, the stronger the muscles of your spirituality get, and in this way, spiritual tasks get easier over time. This is why I try to offer at least one meditation class a month, why I wrote a book of action-oriented daily reflections, and why I record guided meditations. The more tools in my toolbox (and yours), the better everyone’s chances at making it through whatever life tosses in our direction.

The focus of my meditation this month at Everyday Zen Relaxation Studio is, in fact, connecting with guidance. We’ll be spending an hour or so getting out of our own way and listening for the small, still voice within. It is from that place that inspiration and brilliance come; it is from that place we reach true understanding. Even if you can’t join us, take a little time on your own to find the willingness and courage to say “I don’t know,” and experience the strength that comes from your surrender.

Ayamanatara will be leading a guided meditation to help connect to your own guidance on Wesnesday, June 8th, at 6:30pm in Long Beach for only a $15 investment. Please call 562-424-2444 for more information or to reserve your space.