One of the most popular foods on the planet is pizza, and it goes all the way back to 997 AD. Like everything else, there has been a battle for the bragging rights to pizza from Chicago to New York to Italy. Now everyone has their own opinion on pizza, and when you think of it, your version of pizza may be different than others. They have thin crust, thick crust, wheat crust, you can get a white pizza now, and even pizza’s that look like a garden went and threw up all over the top of it. But, when you are asked the question, “What is the most basic pizza?” The answer is almost always a cheese pizza. Why? Well, cheese pizza is what most people think is the base pizza, before you start changing it or specializing it. So what is my point, and how does this relate to spirituality? I will tell you as I need to finish this article because I have made myself very hungry!
There are so many versions of spirituality and so many people egoically fighting for the rights to it. Spirituality started out as basic as a cheese pizza and, surprisingly enough, way before you might have thought it did. People were living spirituality long before it became a gourmet item at a 5-star restaurant. Today’s spirituality can be so dressed up and priced so high that most people feel it is unreachable.
Spirituality needs to be as accessible as a slice of cheese pizza on a New York street corner. Quick, easy, and cheap, three of my favorite words! It needs to be broken back down and simplified. Now, I know people like to make it something fancy because it makes them feel good about themselves, but all they are doing is separating themselves from the whole. In their mission to bring people closer to spirituality, they are actually pushing them away.
I will break it down for you. Spirituality is as simple as closing your eyes and feeling your body from head to toe. Acknowledging its existence and the energy that is flowing through it. For some people, the energy is simply the blood flowing through the veins and arteries. Where that energy comes from and what it looks like is up to each individual person to decide. When I close my eyes and go deep within my body, I can feel all the little parts happening at once. Then, I turn my attention upward and imagine waves of white light coming down assisting me in my energy flow throughout my blood stream. It takes about 15 minutes for the mind to slow down enough for you to experience your whole body, so a one minute try isn't going to cut it. Once you have mastered this, then try to create the experience with your eyes open. This is the ultimate goal, as you will be in enlightenment throughout every task you do without having to stop and create space for it.
It really is that simple, but for those who want to dress it up, fine. Do it for yourself though, not for others. What I am saying is, if the first time I tried pizza someone gave me one with fennel, broccoli, arugula, onions and mushrooms with a pesto basil sauce I may not have ever wanted to try another pizza again! Every time I saw the word pizza I may have been turned off and never wanted to enter another pizza shop. For those who are speakers or motivators in the spiritual movement, you may be turning people off just as much. So when someone walks into your spiritual restaurant, just share with them a cheese pizza. Once they like it, feel comfortable with it, and come back as a regular then share with them some of the fancy stuff.
You are ready to live spirituality in the normalcy of life and every skill you need to do so, you already have. It is for everyone at every level. The barista at the coffee shop, the plant worker on the assembly line, farmers, housewives, boys, girls, anyone! What you do does not matter, what you know does not matter, and what you have experienced in life does not matter. Just go within, and then go upward with a simple breath in full awareness of your body and you will BE spirituality.
