by Dr. Tina Marcantel
A few months ago I was in a place of unrest. I was over-thinking some things, and that in turn was causing me to worry, and with the constant worrying came fear. As I became more aware of the thoughts that were causing that fear, I knew that I needed to spend some quiet time alone so I could release those worries and allow peace to come back into my soul.
As I sat quietly in my back yard and let the “mind chatter” subside, I received a comforting inspiration: we are all equipped with a GPS system! We are Guided, Protected, Provided for, and Supported by divine order. With that idea came the knowledge that everything was going to be all right, and I felt a real sense of peace. With the peace came trust, and with the trust came the release of knowing what to do next. Just as I can trust the GPS system in my car to give me turn-by-turn directions that will eventually lead me to my destination, I knew I could trust this divine GPS to lead me step-by-step to my goals even though I might not fully understand the path I was following.
I like to think of this type of experience as a “spiritual download.” Just as we can receive information or tools when we connect to the Internet, when we allow our minds space we can receive knowledge and guidance from our souls that are connected to the Divine.
To be clear, when I talk about quieting the mind I’m not talking about what we may traditionally think of as prayer. This is not about petitioning for help or answers: “please get me that new job” or “tell me what to do.” There is a time and place for that, but what I’m referring to is not thinking, quieting the chatter, and allowing space. In that space there’s an emptiness in your mind that makes room for inspiration.
What I don’t want when practicing this type of meditation is expectations. There are times when I go to my quiet place and I don’t receive anything. I just clear my mind, and that’s peaceful to me. But if I fill my head with expectations and I receive a download that doesn’t conform to my expectations, I may just dismiss it. On the other hand, if I simply allow room for inspiration I find that I often get thoughts that take care of a wide spectrum of things that I can apply to my life—not just things I’m currently worried about, but ideas that bring peace and answers to questions I may not have even asked yet.
An important part of receiving these inspirational ideas is trusting that it is the divine speaking through your soul to you. I believe that we are all connected to God and that wisdom and guidance are available to us all if we honor that divine connection in ourselves.
Trust is important, because a lot of us say, “Well, I think that might be right, but I’m really not sure…” When I get a download of information like this—something I may have never thought about or heard of before—and with it comes a sense of peace, I know it’s from the higher part of myself, my soul.
By taking time to quiet my mind on a regular basis I not only experience the mental and physical rest I need, I also allow for the knowledge and guidance from the divine—my spiritual downloads—that I require, as well.
