As I continue this series about the mind-body-spirit connection, my hope is that you will be able to open your awareness to your own body and spirit connections. I think for most people this is a foreign concept and requires an entirely new way of thinking. For me this new perspective took time to form and began first by recognizing the evidence that already existed in my own experiences.
Mind and body are aspects of ourselves that are easy to identify. We all think and process things in our minds, and we all have physical bodies. However, the idea that we are also spiritual beings can be harder to grasp. By growing up in a Christian home and progressing in my own faith journey I have always known that I have a soul or spirit. But knowing in my mind that I am spirit and experiencing and connecting with this spiritual aspect of myself are two very different things. Your background is likely different from mine and you may still be unsure about the concept of spirit. As I share some of my personal experiences, perhaps you can evaluate your own moments to identify if a spirit connection has surfaced in the past.
Possibly the simplest and most common example of a spirit-mind connection is that of your conscience. Have you ever felt an inner pull towards or away from something? Aside from the stereotypical “angel on your shoulder” telling you not to do something you know to be wrong, this inner voice can also prompt you to take positive actions. I have had many experiences where an unexpected thought will enter my mind to do or say something that I normally wouldn’t.
Several months ago I was reading another blogger share about her own health struggles and how insurance wouldn’t pay for certain things. I didn’t know this woman personally and had only once communicated with her via email, but I had the idea to offer to pay for one of her physical therapy sessions. When I let my mind focus on this idea, I felt a wave of emotion. This emotional response has often been a sign of a spiritual connection for me. I have learned that when I get a flood of emotions with no obvious trigger, I should stop and take notice because my spirit is trying to get my attention. (Sound familiar? Last month I described how my body can communicate with my mind through an increase of pain with no physical trigger.)
One of my favorite examples of a spirit connection goes back to the day I received the vision for this website. You can read the full story on my previous post, How hope began in the darkness, but here is an excerpt.
“…I realized everything had changed. The day before I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. I was so distraught, devastated, hopeless. And in a single day (a single moment, really) everything was different. I was still sad and discouraged, but I had peace. I didn’t know yet whether my marriage would end or be saved, but I did know that no matter what I was going to be okay. I had hope.”
I experienced a peace that day which couldn’t be explained by anything my mind could understand. In my mind I saw the difficulty of the circumstances which led only to despair, yet it was peace and hope that dominated my outlook. The Bible describes this in Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I had a peace in my spirit which spread throughout my entire being and allowed me to walk confidently through the most difficult season of my life.
What about you? Have you experienced something that your mind couldn’t understand but you knew deep down that it was real and true? I believe I have missed out on a lot over my life because I was too stuck in my mind to recognize the spirit connections flowing within me and around me. Luckily that time has passed and I am just now learning how to be open to experiences that are beyond my mind’s understanding. I want to experience this life to the fullest and I believe that includes a free-flowing mind-body-spirit connection. I also believe it is the way toward complete healing of my pelvic pain–and yours too!
Your writing is inspirational. Thank you. I had a similar experience as you- in the depths of despair, there was a switch in my perception that was completely opposite to my mindset up until then. I felt intense tingling roar through my body and I had hope that there was more to me and to my experience than the very real pain I was enduring. This was my first palpable experience of Spirit and it was also the start of my healing journey. Now I know that I’m not alone- and some call this “spiritual awakening”. Just like you.. the notion of spirit moves from an idea in your head to a lived connection. How awesome is that!