by Pete Bengry
The process of spiritual awareness continues to grow internationally in many forms. Numerous different pathways and practices invite us, whilst enticing our thirst with information for personal development.
Some may hold sacred ancient traditions at their core, passed on through generations, and others are potentially created through visualizations or deep meditation. The most important factor is
do they work? What are their benefits and how can we integrate the practices into everyday life?
Nature is, in my opinion, the most incredible teacher of all, and as humans we can search for healing methods that fulfill our desire to evolve. We can become expansive explorers navigating spiritual communities, or we can immerse ourselves in one method and refine this over many years of practice. Whatever we decide, it is important to remember that a deep yearning for emotional well-being and happiness often guides us. This desire is completely normal, but the spiritual seeker needs to be aware of the true challenges of personal awareness.
Spiritual and personal development is not always an easy ride, as we often face numerous challenges along the way. Positive resources within spiritual practices are absolutely fundamental to healing, growth and awareness. Preparation and practice is key to anything in life, and one of the most grounded is self-awareness. We can perceive many patterns in our life that require healing from both the present and the past. Often the weaving is so complex in the tapestry of our lives that finding a successful route is potentially overwhelming.
To begin, we are alive and if we so wish, we can celebrate the presence of this life. It is indeed a miracle, and we need to remind ourselves that
we are a miracle. An incredible living organism, living on a living organism that we all call the earth. We breathe and we inhale the richness of the air. As the trees breathe, they provide the air for us to inhale. There is a sacred balance of harmony, which we often do not witness. Our conditioning from society has influenced our awareness towards other directions, which results in our spiritual blindness. What is interesting is that we breathe something we cannot see, and yet we trust it. We have no idea what is in the air unless we test it, but we know that it sustains our own life. As we breathe there are many biological processes that occur internally, providing essential energy for the body.
Having personally studied biology within my healing work, I became more and more in awe of the power and potential of the human body. I also began to witness how many people often do not witness the act of breathing as a miraculous movement. These may include politicians and other people in places of potential power. When we allow ourselves to witness the magic of breathing, we welcome the awareness to the ‘walking miracle.’
The awareness to the miracle of our own presence is the beginning of the journey both internally and externally. This awareness leads us to a place of witnessing the magic around us, as well as the magic within us. We often search for a spiritual practice because we are yearning for change. This seed of change can begin by witnessing the presence of the miracle in our lives and all life around us. When we begin with the simplicity of awareness, we are more prepared to unweave the complex threads within the tapestry of our lives. Nature is forever supporting our presence on this planet, and as she supports us, we can support ourselves. As we are a miracle, nature is a miracle. It is this awareness that will support our search within the numerous opinions as we remove the layers to discover our true existence.
Just imagine a world where all people were conscious of their breath. This would begin such an incredible wave of awareness towards life itself. Our presence upon this planet – and more importantly, our behaviour – could be effectively challenged by potentially every human being. The awareness towards the miracle would no longer remain something mysterious. It would exist within the witnessing of the self and this word could become self-is rather than self-ish. We can begin to ask ourselves the question: what is the self when we witness the self in relation to all life on earth?
This is the beginning of the healing journey. It is here that we find our truth and as we walk, we wake. From the very first breath we received when birthed from our mother’s womb, we are a wonder to the world. We crawl, we fall, we walk, we run, we become. And at the very end of our journey, we return to the earth when we die.
Surely, while we are alive, we can walk upon the earth as a miracle?
About the author
Pete Bengry is a shamanic practitioner, musician, sound therapist, composer and author. He has dedicated his entire life to using the drum as a musical instrument and healing tool. He teaches and performs internationally, sharing his gifts that have been refined over many years and remaining present to the voice of the drum.
Pete offers workshops in shamanism, but his primary skill is working with and witnessing the visible and invisible energies within sound healing. He is endorsed by Meinl Percussion, Sonic Energy, Roland, REMO, Paiste, Zoom, Protection Racket and Shure microphones. When he is not traveling and teaching, he composes music and writes short stories and poetry.
