I have always been a clumsy person. My father likes to tell the story of when I was first learning to toddle-walk. I tripped over his foot and fell down. I used his leg to pull myself up. Looked at him smiling proudly. Then promptly stepped forward and fell over his other foot. I have resigned myself to being a klutz. Which is not to say I’ve given up on finding my balance and keeping my center. I took up juggling to help my eye-hand coordination, especially useful for catching things I accidently knock off tables and shelves. I took up hackey sack to help with eye-foot coordination, (useful for catching things I miss catching with my hands.) And I have learned to focus and be aware of my surroundings. All adaptions to help me find my balance and keep my center.

The same is possible when we talk about our mental and emotional balance and our spiritual center. In this chaotic and challenging time, finding our balance and keeping our center is challenging. It may require some new skills or some new practices. It definitely requires attention and intention. That’s where spiritual practices come in. What are spiritual practices? Well, in Unitarian Universalsim, almost anything can be a spirtual practice. What brings you joy? What gives you peace? What calms your nerves? What helps you focus or what helps you let go? Those answers can help you find your own spriritual practice. Buddhism’s Lotus Sutra teaches about Skillfull Means. The concept teaches that each person has a different way of reaching enlightenment and no one way is the right way for all people. Such is the way with spiritual practices. Some people knit. Some doodle. Some swim. Some garden. The important part of spritual practices is not what you do, but that you do it regularly. (That’s the practice part.) So, in these challenging times, make sure to set aside some time with intention for your spiritual practice– and find your center and keep your balance.

Drop me a line and let me know, what’s your spiritual practice? Have you started a new one? Rediscovered an old one?

Cooperatively,

Rev. Craig