Starseed Evolution with Shannon Sullivan
Join me on this star-filled adventure as we raise our vibration to uplift our human selves through spiritual direction, Reiki, ceremony, mantras, guided meditation and stories for the soul. Thank you for joining me on this cosmic adventure!
Starseed Evolution with Shannon Sullivan
Starseed Evolution: Developing Your Own Spiritual Practice
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)
Link Tree Information:
https://www.linktr.ee/silverlunastarseed
10 Day Course for Empaths and Highly Sensitive People
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
Hi, thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Shannon and this is Starseed Evolution, bringing the wisdom and insight of the cosmos to you. I'm grateful that you're listening. In Mary Oliver's poem called Praying, she says this it 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 be true for developing your own relationship with a spiritual practice. In our last episode, we talked about spiritual direction and being guided internally by your intuition, your soul, self and the right questions to move into a place of reflection and to develop a deeper relationship with yourself, with the world, with the earth, with the universe. Sometimes that reflection can come through your own spiritual practice, which you have the ability to create in any way that you'd like.
Speaker 1:I wrote a poem called the Tree of Faith, which is how I myself connect spiritual practice. Under the arc of the blue sky, mind of Buddha grows a sacred tree of life Rooted in the history of all, that is. The branches of the sacred tree carry the stories of all the spiritual traditions and religious practices of the whole world. All these branches of the sacred tree can be celebrated as a canopy of faith sheltering us if we allow it to. So some of the faith, traditions, religions, spiritual practices or ways of connecting with that which is greater than us can reveal themselves in all sorts of practices around the world. We have indigenous or first nation connection with the earth. The Celtic, pagan practices, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Taoist, the Baha'i, the Jewish, the Hindu, the Quaker, being eco-spiritual, being an atheist, All of these branches of the tree of faith that canopy our world can become these sources of inspiration to us if we allow them to, and those which draw you into deeper relationship with yourself and understanding your connection with the world becomes your spiritual practice. None of these are better than the other. Just how you connect with the world, so it becomes part of your journey to decide what draws you in and what you connect with, and those that don't connect with you just allow them to move to the wayside, but knowing that they still exist and are still important for many other people.
Speaker 1:When I was studying spiritual direction in my program, what I enjoyed understanding in both the Baha'i faith as well as Quaker traditions, it was in their cultural tradition to celebrate young people when they moved into adulthood, that if they felt called to move outside of the spiritual practices that they were raised in. This was celebrated for them to go and journey, listen to what was out in the world, discover themselves and then see if they were drawn back into their Baha'i or their Quaker practices. If they felt called to other traditions, this was honored. If they came back into that in which they were raised, this was honored as well. But neither is seen as being better than another. Just honoring our own path and how it unwinds, unfolds and how we use that ability to explore our innermost self in different ways. So a question of reflection for you at this time might be something that you can journal with later time might be something that you can journal with later. So when we think about Mary Oliver's home prayer or about devotion and what it means to connect with your higher self or the energy of creation, what does prayer or devotion look like or feel like for you? So I'll give you some examples of all the different ways that I bring a spiritual practice into my life.
Speaker 1:So one of the things that I do, first in the morning and then at the end or close of the day, is to light a candle. The candle represents many things to me and so as part of my spiritual practice in the morning, when I light a candle, I'm connecting in different ways to myself and to creation. It also reminds me of connecting with in the yoga tradition, about inner illumination. In the Buddhist tradition it reminds me of the mind and enlightenment and having that connection with more than what I'm seeing in front of me. In my Reiki practice of energy, the candle reminds me of that light connected with my higher self, or my soul self. Lighting the candle is like calling that part of myself that's eternal in. When I light the candle I'm also calling the energy of the archangels and guides that surround me. When I light the candle it's also a connection my ancestors, thanking them for the road they traveled before me. So part of my spiritual practice of lighting that candle becomes important to me in bringing all these different reflections and energies in as I begin my day In my spiritual practice, one of the other things I bring in is Buddha sitting in silence and stillness.
Speaker 1:In Buddhism there's the idea of the middle way, staying in the center. The middle path allows us to come back to that center, come back to that mindfulness of approaching life with a gentle heart of compassion. And yet there's strength in this as well, so that we aren't turned to anger too quickly or we aren't turned to despair too quickly when you remember that Buddhist path of the middle way, coming back to that center, allows you to become grounded again. Another part of my spiritual practice is yoga and the asanas, which are the poses that are found in yoga. Those different poses of the physical body then allow us to connect with the energy of mindfulness and finding strength of connection through our body. Each asana allows you to connect with a different part of yourself. Another part of my spiritual practice is mantras. I love teaching mantras and singing 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 from all these different practices to create my own spiritual connection with how I move in the world, all of them giving me strength and voice, giving me the ability to also connect more deeply with my soul self and also be able to listen and be in space of honoring others as well when they're on their journey.
Speaker 1:And a spiritual practice can be both individual as well as community-based. So what I shared with you earlier is the different ways that I individually create my own spiritual practice so that I have these tools with me throughout the day. I also practice with three spiritual communities one that's online and two that are in person. One of the communities I regularly connect with at least once a week is one that I've created online on the platform Insight Timer, and each week I bring teachings around the moon and ceremony and honoring our connection with earth. Another community I connect with in person is that of a faith-based community that I'm a part of and have been for 13 years. This allows me to meet in person at least once a week with people that I care about and am connected to, knowing that there's that support for one another. And a third community I connect with in person is a women's group led by a friend of mine, and it's based in drumming and mantra and Celtic practices that allow us to use our voices to come together and sing.
Speaker 1:Over time. In your 50s as an elder, you will also change inside yourself and how you connect with your spiritual practices as well. When we can take that love, compassion, connection and divine wisdom that we have grown into with ourselves, being able to be present for others in helping them on their journey becomes an important part of having that spiritual practice, so that we can be kind to others and be present for them when they're going through things and they need help. The most important part of this episode today is understanding that your spiritual practice becomes an exploration of your inner self, the inner wealth of connecting with the divine, with your higher self, with that energy that connects you to both the earth and also to the stars and the divine mystery that surrounds us. Allowing yourself the space to explore all of these questions becomes part of the practice.
Speaker 1:I'd like to close our episode for today with a poem by Teresa of Avila, who was a Carmelite nun in the 1500s and a mystic reformer. Here is her poem the Soul. Soul, if by chance you forget where I am, do not rush around here and there. If you want to find me, seek me inside yourself. Soul, you are my room, you are my house, you are my dwelling. If, through your distracted ways, I ever find your door tightly closed, do not seek me outside yourself To find me. It will be enough simply to call me and I will come quickly. Seek me inside yourself. The sacred tree of knowing is inside yourself. It's connected with the wisdom of Mother Earth and your roots that you connect to from the past. It's in the present moment that trunk of the tree that grows now. It's also in the future of the branches that reach out and create new ways of being, new leaves of exploration and allowing these leaves to grow and then to fall, and then new life in your spiritual practice, connected to the sacredness that is you to come forward.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Shannon and you've been listening to Starseed Evolution. If you'd like to join me live, I teach on Wednesday evenings on Insight Timer Live. All you have to do is download the app Insight Timer and follow me on the program, and you'll get notifications on whenever I teach. In our next episode, I'd like to share a story with you that I wrote about Raven. Stories are creative ways for us to connect with the metaphors of life that surround us, and so I'll be sharing a story called Raven Brings the Light, and I look forward to sharing that with you next time. I'm wishing you a beautiful day, Namaste.
