Starseed Evolution: Developing Your Own Spiritual Practice

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Step into a space of exploration and self-discovery as we examine the multifaceted nature of spiritual practices in this eye-opening episode. Our host, Shannon, artfully weaves together personal experiences with poetic reflections, guiding listeners to explore their innate spiritual connections. By connecting the wisdom of various traditions—from Indigenous wisdom to contemporary practices—Shannon invites you to find a path that resonates with your soul's essence. 

Have you ever thought about how small rituals, like lighting a candle, can serve as significant markers in your spiritual journey? Delve into discussions on the importance of both individual and communal practice, exploring how they can hold different meanings and foster growth. As you listen, you’ll begin to appreciate how your unique practices contribute to the broader tapestry of spirituality.

Invite yourself to engage with intriguing questions about what spiritual rituals mean to you and how connecting with communities can enrich your journey. This episode is not just about introspection; it is about understanding and nurturing the connections that bind us to the universe. Let this episode serve as a guiding light, helping you to illuminate your path. Join us on this journey of discovery, and don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to keep the conversation going!

Artful Touch Therapies – my professional website

https://www.artfultouchbyshannon.com/ 

 

Shannon Sullivan, International Meditation Teacher on Insight Timer

(Download Insight Timer app. Then click link to my teacher page)

https://insig.ht/dlUov5SHgLb 

 

Link Tree Information:

https://www.linktr.ee/silverlunastarseed

 

10 Day Course for Empaths and Highly Sensitive People

https://insig.ht/38A3CwdPxNb 

 

Blue Heron Creates 

This is my music artist name where I share mantras and original songs from many different faith traditions.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4I0l8GxlFZ0dD5acKgsabs?si=hVSjJSt7Quudh0-yGBQEBg

 

Silver Luna Starseed Instagram Feed:

https://instagram.com/silverlunastarseed 

 

Indie Music Box – Chris Collins

https://indiemusicbox.com/ 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hi, thank you so much for joining me today.
I'm Shannon and this isStarseed Evolution, bringing the
wisdom and insight of thecosmos to you.
I'm grateful that you'relistening.
In Mary Oliver's poem calledPraying, she says this it

(00:27):
doesn't have to be the blue iris, it could be weeds in a vacant
lot or a few small stones.
Just pay attention.
And so this same thing can betrue for developing your own
relationship with a spiritualpractice.

(00:50):
In our last episode, we talkedabout spiritual direction and
being guided internally by yourintuition, your soul, self and
the right questions to move intoa place of reflection and to
develop a deeper relationshipwith yourself, with the world,

(01:14):
with the earth, with theuniverse.
Sometimes that reflection cancome through your own spiritual
practice, which you have theability to create in any way
that you'd like.
I wrote a poem called the Treeof Faith, which is how I myself

(01:37):
connect spiritual practice.
Under the arc of the blue sky,mind of Buddha grows a sacred
tree of life Rooted in thehistory of all, that is.
The branches of the sacred treecarry the stories of all the

(02:03):
spiritual traditions andreligious practices of the whole
world.
All these branches of thesacred tree can be celebrated as
a canopy of faith sheltering usif we allow it to.
So some of the faith,traditions, religions, spiritual

(02:27):
practices or ways of connectingwith that which is greater than
us can reveal themselves in allsorts of practices around the
world.
We have indigenous or firstnation connection with the earth
.
The Celtic, pagan practices,Christian, Buddhist, Muslim,

(02:52):
Taoist, the Baha'i, the Jewish,the Hindu, the Quaker, being
eco-spiritual, being an atheist,All of these branches of the

(03:12):
tree of faith that canopy ourworld can become these sources
of inspiration to us if we allowthem to, and those which draw
you into deeper relationshipwith yourself and understanding
your connection with the worldbecomes your spiritual practice.

(03:35):
None of these are better thanthe other.
Just how you connect with theworld, so it becomes part of
your journey to decide whatdraws you in and what you
connect with, and those thatdon't connect with you just
allow them to move to thewayside, but knowing that they

(03:59):
still exist and are stillimportant for many other people.
When I was studying spiritualdirection in my program, what I
enjoyed understanding in boththe Baha'i faith as well as
Quaker traditions, it was intheir cultural tradition to

(04:21):
celebrate young people when theymoved into adulthood, that if
they felt called to move outsideof the spiritual practices that
they were raised in.
This was celebrated for them togo and journey, listen to what
was out in the world, discoverthemselves and then see if they

(04:45):
were drawn back into theirBaha'i or their Quaker practices
.
If they felt called to othertraditions, this was honored.
If they came back into that inwhich they were raised, this was
honored as well.
But neither is seen as beingbetter than another.

(05:08):
Just honoring our own path andhow it unwinds, unfolds and how
we use that ability to exploreour innermost self in different
ways.
So a question of reflection foryou at this time might be

(05:31):
something that you can journalwith later time might be
something that you can journalwith later.
So when we think about MaryOliver's home prayer or about
devotion and what it means toconnect with your higher self or
the energy of creation, whatdoes prayer or devotion look

(05:52):
like or feel like for you?
So I'll give you some examplesof all the different ways that I
bring a spiritual practice intomy life.
So one of the things that I do,first in the morning and then at

(06:17):
the end or close of the day, isto light a candle.
The candle represents manythings to me and so as part of
my spiritual practice in themorning, when I light a candle,
I'm connecting in different waysto myself and to creation.

(06:37):
It also reminds me ofconnecting with in the yoga
tradition, about innerillumination.
In the Buddhist tradition itreminds me of the mind and
enlightenment and having thatconnection with more than what

(06:58):
I'm seeing in front of me.
In my Reiki practice of energy,the candle reminds me of that
light connected with my higherself, or my soul self.
Lighting the candle is likecalling that part of myself
that's eternal in.
When I light the candle I'malso calling the energy of the

(07:25):
archangels and guides thatsurround me.
When I light the candle it'salso a connection my ancestors,
thanking them for the road theytraveled before me.
So part of my spiritualpractice of lighting that candle
becomes important to me inbringing all these different

(07:47):
reflections and energies in as Ibegin my day In my spiritual
practice, one of the otherthings I bring in is Buddha
sitting in silence and stillness.
In Buddhism there's the idea ofthe middle way, staying in the

(08:08):
center.
The middle path allows us tocome back to that center, come
back to that mindfulness ofapproaching life with a gentle
heart of compassion.
And yet there's strength inthis as well, so that we aren't
turned to anger too quickly orwe aren't turned to despair too

(08:33):
quickly when you remember thatBuddhist path of the middle way,
coming back to that center,allows you to become grounded
again.
Another part of my spiritualpractice is yoga and the asanas,
which are the poses that arefound in yoga.

(08:54):
Those different poses of thephysical body then allow us to
connect with the energy ofmindfulness and finding strength
of connection through our body.
Each asana allows you toconnect with a different part of
yourself.
Another part of my spiritualpractice is mantras.

(09:18):
I love teaching mantras andsinging mantras and using my
voice in a way that's uplifting,that no other energy can do,
like music and song and voice.
So, as you can see, I draw fromall these different practices

(09:39):
to create my own spiritualconnection with how I move in
the world, all of them giving mestrength and voice, giving me
the ability to also connect moredeeply with my soul self and
also be able to listen and be inspace of honoring others as

(10:02):
well when they're on theirjourney.
And a spiritual practice can beboth individual as well as
community-based.
So what I shared with youearlier is the different ways
that I individually create myown spiritual practice so that I
have these tools with methroughout the day.

(10:23):
I also practice with threespiritual communities one that's
online and two that are inperson.
One of the communities Iregularly connect with at least
once a week is one that I'vecreated online on the platform
Insight Timer, and each week Ibring teachings around the moon

(10:49):
and ceremony and honoring ourconnection with earth.
Another community I connectwith in person is that of a
faith-based community that I'm apart of and have been for 13
years.
This allows me to meet inperson at least once a week with

(11:10):
people that I care about and amconnected to, knowing that
there's that support for oneanother.
And a third community I connectwith in person is a women's
group led by a friend of mine,and it's based in drumming and
mantra and Celtic practices thatallow us to use our voices to

(11:33):
come together and sing.
Over time.
In your 50s as an elder, youwill also change inside yourself
and how you connect with yourspiritual practices as well.

(11:54):
When we can take that love,compassion, connection and
divine wisdom that we have growninto with ourselves, being able
to be present for others inhelping them on their journey
becomes an important part ofhaving that spiritual practice,

(12:15):
so that we can be kind to othersand be present for them when
they're going through things andthey need help.
The most important part of thisepisode today is understanding
that your spiritual practicebecomes an exploration of your

(12:37):
inner self, the inner wealth ofconnecting with the divine, with
your higher self, with thatenergy that connects you to both
the earth and also to the starsand the divine mystery that
surrounds us.
Allowing yourself the space toexplore all of these questions

(12:59):
becomes part of the practice.
I'd like to close our episodefor today with a poem by Teresa
of Avila, who was a Carmelitenun in the 1500s and a mystic
reformer.
Here is her poem the Soul.
Soul, if by chance you forgetwhere I am, do not rush around

(13:28):
here and there.
If you want to find me, seek meinside yourself.
Soul, you are my room, you aremy house, you are my dwelling.
If, through your distractedways, I ever find your door
tightly closed, do not seek meoutside yourself To find me.

(13:51):
It will be enough simply tocall me and I will come quickly.
Seek me inside yourself.
The sacred tree of knowing isinside yourself.
It's connected with the wisdomof Mother Earth and your roots

(14:13):
that you connect to from thepast.
It's in the present moment thattrunk of the tree that grows
now.
It's also in the future of thebranches that reach out and
create new ways of being, newleaves of exploration and

(14:34):
allowing these leaves to growand then to fall, and then new
life in your spiritual practice,connected to the sacredness
that is you to come forward.
Thank you so much for joining me.
I'm Shannon and you've beenlistening to Starseed Evolution.

(14:55):
If you'd like to join me live,I teach on Wednesday evenings on
Insight Timer Live.
All you have to do is downloadthe app Insight Timer and follow
me on the program, and you'llget notifications on whenever I

(15:15):
teach.
In our next episode, I'd liketo share a story with you that I
wrote about Raven.
Stories are creative ways forus to connect with the metaphors
of life that surround us, andso I'll be sharing a story
called Raven Brings the Light,and I look forward to sharing

(15:39):
that with you next time.
I'm wishing you a beautiful day, Namaste.