A-wá-ciƞ Practice

When I was in my teens, I loved going to our Methodist church. I would go even when the rest of my family didn't. Over time, I began to sense that something just didn't feel right. I observed that the people in my church spent a lot of time talking about, and talking to God. But very little time actually listening to God. 

Today, my practice is grounded in other forms of spirituality including Buddhism, Indigenous, and Shamanic traditions. Once in a while, I still enjoy visiting a Christian service. Forget the sermon. I go because I enjoy being in the presence of Spirit in a way that grounds me in my heritage. I don't take communion, and I usually don't sing the hymns. I just sit quietly in the back. Eyes closed. Basking in a blissful state of awareness as Spirit reveals herself to me.

This practice of listening is something that I've developed over time. I call it awáciƞ. Awáciƞ is a Lakota Sioux word that means to meditate upon, to believe in, to trust. awáciƞ is a state of mind that I use to connect to, and to listen to, the natural world, the spiritual world, or to whatever medium I wish. This form of listening is both meditation and mindfulness combined.

I use awáciƞ when I'm being creative. I use it to enter into the synergetic “flow” of creativity that is Spirit. I use it when I'm hiking, listening to the elemental spirits in the woods. I use it when I need to be empathetic. l use it as I go through my day observing my inner dialog. I use it when I'm messing up. If for no other reason than to be aware that I'm messing up. Truly, awáciƞ has become one of my super powers.

Love yourself, you're amazing!

Steven sometimes Wyse