Conversations these days have centered around a few core questions…

How can we support ourselves, with the cold of winter upon us?
Can we stay warm and nourished while we’re stuck inside during long, dark days?
How can we stay resilient and sane during a time that still seems SO insane?

Lately, I’ve been playing with the idea of trying on the suit of a warrior.

When this first came to me, I had two reactions…

1. I’m not a fighter. That’s not how I live.

2. Then, right on the tail of that, I thought WOW, I can be a warrior like Wonder Woman. Someone who is strong and resilient.

The term Spiritual Warrior was coined by Chögyam Trungpa over 30 years ago, when his book, Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, was published.

I’ve recently been involved in an in-depth study group where I was reminded of the power and brilliance of the Spiritual Warrior.

Let me be clear that a Spiritual Warrior is not the same as a “spiritual gangsta,” a popular term that I hate. 🙂

So what is a Spiritual Warrior?

A Spiritual Warrior is someone whose superpower is bravery.

As a human being having a human experience, a Spiritual Warrior isn’t afraid to sit or stand tall in the middle of the mess.

Even when things are falling apart, the Spiritual Warrior is resilient. This is someone who is not afraid to meet themselves exactly where they are.

They are open, kind, wise, and fierce.

The path of the Spiritual Warrior isn’t namby-pamby. It’s not without heartache and trials.

In fact, the vulnerabilities of life are our invitations to step into warriorship, and broken-heartedness is one of the very core qualities of being a warrior.

This type of broken-heartedness isn’t about a romantic broken heart, but when your heart is broken open, and you are raw, vulnerable, sensitive, and willing to be with it all.

When we “Feel the feels,” as Sharon Salzberg would say, we show our warriorship.

It’s in that moment, when our hearts are broken open, that we realize we can work with ourselves differently. We can meet ourselves exactly where we are.

When you decide to be a warrior, you begin an inner journey with yourself, where you get to know who you really are.

Through it all, you lean on your tools of self-care and self-honoring.

“Warriorship is a continual journey. To be a warrior is to learn to be genuine in every moment of your life. That is the warrior’s discipline.” – Chögyam Trungpa

My meditation practice has helped me meet my challenges, particularly in these days of isolation.

Maybe it sounds funny, since meditation is yet another solitary activity, but it’s through this practice that I’ve committed to working with my own mind.

I find myself more intimately connected with my feelings, and more able to meet myself where I am.

There’s a larger sense of an expanding inner life.

This inner life is a reservoir that helps me hold excruciatingly painful moments with as much love and grace as joyful moments.

It’s not easy, but I have learned that the alchemy of this process is what allows me to show up for others, even when it’s challenging.

This isn’t an exact recipe, and as I write this, I can’t even explain how that alchemy happens, but it does.

I’ve grown to trust myself, and to trust my meditation practice. There’s something so special and intimate about it, that it feels magical.

Not magic in the “woo-woo” sense, but magic because there is so much potency in it.

Whether you have a meditation practice or not, expanding your inner life is the ultimate gift to yourself.

Your inner life is what will support you through this season, and help you walk the path of the Spiritual Warrior, if it calls to you.

I am sending blessings of love, ease, and good health to you and your family for the holidays, and a very special THANK YOU, for supporting me during this time.

I look forward to continuing this journey together.

With love,
Michele