Pursue what our inner world demands

Rohr, my favorite modern monk, writes about how the church often does not really encourage an inner life. It substitutes belief systems and belonging systems and moral systems for interior journeys toward god.

And religion is not alone, either. Most organizations and institutions in this world don’t have a vested interest in our population taking time for practices like reflection.

The powers that be would love nothing more than for our own inner worlds to be shrouded in impenetrable darkness.

Hell, why do you think drugs are so illegal? Because the government would be screwed if citizens expand their minds and gain new angle on the game that’s being played on them.

All the more reason to be conscious of what we do to nurture a positive inner life. Because nobody can take that away from us. It’s our psychological and intellectual property. And it’s perhaps the greatest weapon we have against the maddeningly cruel nature of reality.

My yoga teacher used to say that each time that we breathe our way to stillness, it’s money in the bank of the soul. That’s the basic currency of our inner life. Inhaling, pausing and exhaling. Our breath unites the conscious and autonomic parts of ourselves, reminding us that we are okay and our inner worlds are comfortable places to inhabit.

Think about somebody you know who consistently does some kind of meditation. Odds are, they can suffer through even the most mundane of experiences, right? And what passes for banality to the rest of us actually ignites their vibrant inner life, right?

It’s not an accident. Every deep breath those people take expands their sense of self and their confidence that they can manage they existence. Even when they precious material things are stripped away, they have their inner life to undergird them.

Are you pursuing what your inner world demands? The journey is worth it. If we develop our ability to experience our inner world without running from it, the world can’t hurt us like it used to.

Or if it does, we can recover faster. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do you have an intense awareness of your active inner life?