Ok, so you’ve had a moment that changes your life. 

Perhaps a fleeting awareness of something greater than yourself. (Alright, who is actually calling the shots here?)

Or an understanding of the subtle order beneath the chaos. (Am I sensing a purpose to this ridiculous chapter of life?)

Maybe an awakening from the illusion of separateness. (Hello God? It’s me, Angela. Hello flowers and squirrels? It’s also me, Angela.)

Or even an experience of surrendering. (Ok FINE, I give up trying to control this.)

Sometimes (often) these moments come in times of great pain, when a tiny light suddenly switches on to illuminate the darkness. 

Sometimes (more pleasantly) these moments come in times of breathtaking beauty, a momentary awareness of our small place in a much grander plan. 

Sometimes we reach for these moments intentionally, through meditative practices or psychedelic experiences – and other times these moments find us, when we least expect or even want it.

But one thing remains the same: we will never be the same.  

Waking Up Takes a Moment. Staying Awake Takes…a Lifetime. 

These epiphany moments are like a drop of light into the darkness. And something changes at a foundational level when we open ourselves to the light. Enlighten literally means: “to cause to be in light.” 

But…unlike the fairytales we’ve been fed, the presence of light doesn’t forever eliminate the dark. It’s not simply a happily ever after from here on out. After the lightbulb flickers on, there is still (inner) work to be done. They say the brighter the light, the darker the shadow…baby, you’re just getting started!

Because, despite what “good vibes only” culture has told us, spirituality isn’t just about perpetually reaching for the light. When we habitually do that, we’re “spiritually bypassing” – a defense mechanism that essentially uses the light to avoid the dark. But the purpose of the light isn’t to avoid the dark – it’s to illuminate the dark, to navigate the dark. Like a flashlight on a dark forest path. 

As much as we’d often like to transcend all the complexities of this giant meat sack we’re living inside, here we are – learning, healing, growing – doing the unglamorous work of simply being human.

So, what comes next? You might be thinking, “Hey, this whole ‘enlightenment’ thing doesn’t sound so great after all!”

It’s true – there’s something about life before the lightbulb moment that almost seems simpler. Or at least, more straightforward. Here are my boxes, here are my goals. Once we “wake up,” our experience becomes deeper, more complex, causing us to question everything we used to take for granted. Who are we? Why are we here? Why do we do what we do??

It’s certainly simpler to be asleep. This is where we dream. Dreaming can be nice (except for those pesky nightmares). But being awake? This is the complex, often overwhelming, sometimes disappointing, mundane experience of navigating life on Earth in a human body.

 

Waking up takes a moment. But staying awake…well, that’s the work of a lifetime. 

Humaning (verb): The Often-Messy Process of Being a Spiritual Being Inside a Skinsuit. See also: chaos. 

So, what follows “enlightenment,” or this oneness with the light? Embodiment. Embody means: “to put into a body.” We bring the light of the spirit back down into the human form. And we begin the messy but rewarding work of humaning.

Spirituality is often presented as a path of the mind and spirit – the masculine energy that transcends the body – where the goal is to leave the body to go up into the sky. But we often forget about the path of the heart and soul – the feminine energy that lives within the body – where the goal is to live your spirituality right here, in this body, on this Earth. 

But of course, it’s both. Transcend to touch the light, descend to re-enter the body. 

To understand the challenges we face in the human form then isn’t about transcending it all with the mind, but encompassing it with the heart. Humaning begins when we enter the heart. The spirit doesn’t feel, it illuminates. And the mind doesn’t feel, it thinks. But the heart feels, and the soul remembers, and the body experiences.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to integrate it all.

It turns out that the spiritual path is a very human path indeed!

An experience of enlightenment can at times be a bit destabilizing. It forces us to think wider, feel deeper, and perhaps question every single aspect of our lives and the very nature of life on this planet. Cue existential crisis.

But the body – in all its beautiful frustrating density – can be a very re-stabilizing force. If we can learn to make peace with this blessed, heavy, snail shell. Yes, it can be a burden (as someone who has experienced intense chronic illness in the past, lemme tell you about the burden of the body). But it can also be a refuge.

So, gaze downward towards that beautiful navel of yours, and reassess – are you currently inside a human body?

If the answer is yes, then let the games begin.