There should be a universal warning sign that lights up anytime someone is thinking about writing a non-fiction spiritual book: “

WARNING: You are about to starting LIVING your book!!”

AKA: You’re about to be humbled in ways you can’t imagine.

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An author has the audacity to claim a significant and unique perspective, worthy of being shared with others.

There’s nothing like living the lessons of one’s significant and unique perspective!

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When I started writing my book more than a year ago I would write and refine and refine and write – and finally I shared it with my coach.

She read the first section and said: Ken I’ve been experiencing your work for more than six months, and I have no idea what you’re talking about.

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The disconnect between my inner brilliance (LOL!) and what comes out on paper is humbling. 🙂

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Writing has become a practice in distilling and simplifying. Not my natural talents, nor something I particularly enjoy. Yet as with so many practices that we don’t enjoy, or that don’t feel natural, so much has good has come.

The book I started, became the second book in the series – and eventually I started over again – this time with the basics. The final (first) book became an introduction, an overview.

And ohh the things I learned!

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There are three universal barriers to Spiritual Mastery.

1) The Disembodied Soul.
2) Giving away power.
3) The Illusion of Separation.

One gives way to another. Each barrier has supported us on our journey – indeed each has been responsible for key elements of our survival to this point. Yet here we are at the point when what has got us this far, has become the thing that now limits our growth.

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I had been seeing the three steps of Spiritual Mastery for some time prior to writing the book:

1) Excavate the Soul (experience the Divine within and viscerally experience wholeness – the Beneath the Sand practice)
2) Throw out the Map (surrender).
3) Keep Digging (continue practicing each of the prior two steps).

However, I was getting reports from some of my private session clients as well as people who had enrolled in my Beneath the Sand self study course who weren’t having deep, visceral experiences of their wholeness.

I started realizing that without knowing it, I was going through a process of bringing the soul back into the body at the beginning of each session.

I realized this was true whether I was working with a spiritual messenger wanting to more fully embody their message, or someone struggling with depression.

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One day I realized the disembodied soul explains why one person can have a deep spiritual experience and another person going through the same thing experiences nothing.

One is embodied, the other disembodied.

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Through the first six months of 2012 the three universal barriers presented themselves to me.

The barriers stop us from deeply experiencing our true nature.

I’ve been exploring and living them ever since.

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I take an immune booster any time I start to feel myself getting a cold or a sore throat, or feel off in any way physically.

I’m keenly aware that doing so is reinforcing the illusion of separation. What I mean by this is, it reinforces the idea that I am separate from God – or in some way not whole (if I were, I wouldn’t need this external pill).

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I have been running pretty hard over the last couple of months. Busy calendar during the week – time in the mountains skiing on the weekends interspersed with a talk and workshop – and a variety of other things.

I remember feeling a sore throat coming on – and popping more of the immune booster thinking “if only it will hold off until after this date I can relax.”

Not surprisingly it happened exactly that way – and yet it was a mild experience. I didn’t get very sick.

Then this past Thursday I started coughing and it was a wet cough.

I responded with more immune boosters (more of the illusion of separation).

Where does playing in the illusion of separation get you? Further into the illusion:

By the weekend I was down for the count with a fever, major cough and feeling really horrible.

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In the middle of it I was thinking: “What can I do to feel better?”

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Monday morning rolls around and I’m feeling a bit better, and the thought rolls through my head: come back into the body!

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Funny thing how those barriers affect us.

I’m literally writing the book on them and I couldn’t remember the most basic advice that I teach in the middle of it.

That’s funny.

And telling.

We are all so human.

We’re in the soup together.

It’s a good soup, though it doesn’t always seem to be.

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Dear Illusion of Separation: You are not real, no matter how I dance and play with you. No matter how hard I cough.

No matter how unhappy or frustrated I may be.

There is only one truth, even when I forget it.

I Am.

Humbled.

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I once again resolve to remember that this journey has significant challenges for everyone.

Just because I’ve been given a big spiritual gift does not make the challenges any less significant.

I am most certainly humbled by my brief glimpse into feeling really crappy over the last 5 or 6 days.

If you’re not feeling so great right now, may I humbly suggest the most basic lesson that I’ve just learned again for the Nth time: bring your soul back into your body.

Your embodied soul opens the door to your inner healing power.

I’ve got a fr*ee video on my homepage that will teach you how to bring your soul back in.

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I’m going to work on remembering my own lessons as I traverse the opportunities for growth each day.

1) Bring my soul back home.
2) Call my power home.
3) Pierce the illusion of separation.
4) Practice my wholeness by going beneath the sand.
5) Surrender – not just a little – but completely!
6) Practice – all prior steps.

Whatever the challenges are, the answer for me is in these six steps. Even when I forget. 🙂

That’s it for this week…From My Heart.

Peace,

Ken