Fitness Inside and Out

I came back from my annual Shamanic retreat last Saturday evening. This past week has been around me getting used to my life and world again. There are many spiritual paths out there and I think they all approach things differently. The shamanic bent I would say is very physical as it relates so closely with nature. While on my retreat I started to think about marketing strategies one could launch for the Spritual Path I follow. I decided "Fitness Inside and Out" was the best description and one that could be leveraged for busy people who want to make the most of their time. Which is get physically fit and flex their spiritual muscles at the same time OH and LOSE WEIGHT TOO! Really, its a recipe for success. Some of us coined the phrase "Shamanic Fat Camp". Over the course of years you go from fasting for one day to fasting for 3 - 4 days while on certain ceremonies. Not to mention the physical labour often involved out there creating medicine wheels, building kivas. And then of course there is the actual *point* of the ceremony which is in most cases that time is devoted to each person dialoguing and connecting with themselves and spirit. Uncovering the areas within themselves that need to have voice or need to be let go of or a little of both.

What comes of this often, is a leaner, stronger and more aware person. Now if we can only get some spots booked on an infomercial we'd be set! :-)

For me there is no separation from my spiritual side and my love of the outdoors. That I can hike and run and climb and also be experiencing life with a perspective of reverence and kinship with the natural world is really a gift and I couldn't imagine it any other way.

The challenge comes in though when, after being immersed in that world for 10days I suddenly find myself in an elevator being shot up to the 18th floor of the glass enclosed high-rise where I work and there I am in my office. My teacher has said "if your shamanism doesn't work in the city its not much good to you" and of course that's true. But often I find the integration of the 2 worlds challenging. I know that spirit lives in concrete and plastic just as much as it lives in the trees and the soil. I know this intellectually, but DAMN it feels different to be listening to the hum of the airconditioning rather than the hum of the bees outside.

My response to this is usually to hang out with myself for a while and "cave" as I call it. Its an inward time when I don't feel like chatting much and quiet time & sleep is important. I've found myself beginning to be more social again so things are beginning to integrate. The biggest challenge I find is to take the learnings and the magic that I experienced on my ceremoninal weekend and bring it into my world here. After all if your shamanism doesn't help you in the city, what good is it......