The Moon Goddess – Defining My Spirituality By Sam Merkur

The other day a new client was settling into her yoga practice and as I began my meditative efforts to calm her mind, bring the awareness to her breath, and centre her focus, she said, “You are much more spiritual than I am.” I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or a question and it made me wonder what it means to be “spiritual”.

Spirituality is an individual journey that is unique and comes in all different shapes, sizes, and colours. Sometimes the assumption of being spiritual means that we are not materialistic or superficial but let’s be realistic, we live in a commercial society! Living in a big city means having access to more things faster. So I can’t say that my spirituality is void of all superficiality. Does that make me less of a spiritual person?

Traditionally, being spiritual signified having a relationship to religious or sacred values and matters of the spirit rather than material or worldly interests. Today, our Western world has adopted a New Age outlook on life. By adapting old traditions and learning new cultures, we are creating new cultures, we are creating a form of spiritualism that complements our fast-paced world.

The best part of discovering your spirituality is finding a connection with something. A few weeks ago I went moon chasing—this is a similar activity to hurricane hunting but far less dangerous—and it was filled with cosmic energy and vibrations. The moon’s power, her glow, the sensation of warmth in the midst of dark skies, and perhaps even the fantasy of communication I feel with her has everything to do with my personal relationship with our rotating moon. She follows me everywhere I go. I feel protected in her radiance and I miss her when she’s almost invisible in her weaning crescent stages. I seem to capture her glimpse unknowingly when everyone else around me is oblivious. Ultimately, I find myself craving and yearning to see her full moon beams again.

Having a relationship with a higher power or simply with yourself is what I consider to be spirituality. The connection I have experienced through practicing my yoga allows me to bring my body and mind to focus with the harmony of shapes and sensations I can create, leading me to a path of greater expression and a satisfaction that far succeeds what a monetary possession can provide.

I credit my yoga practice and the clarity it brings to me for the personal relationship I have with the moon. We talk, we connect, we feel each other’s energy and we trust we will see each other the next night. Some might see this as having your head in the clouds, others might just realize this is my spirituality.

Namaste

SAM MERKUR, Certified Yoga Instructor, (CYA-RYT) and Iyengar trained, uses Yoga to assist with healing injuries, aiding in recovery from surgeries, managing chronic and degenerative issues, and as a preventative measure to increase stability and mobility for overall well being. Sam is a mother of two kids, two dogs, and the founder of Yogabodii. Visit Yogabodii.com