The definitive crib sheet on current New-Age thinking
The ‘New Age’ movement has its roots in the sixties,
hippies and beatniks, ‘back to the land’, an attempt
to reforge society into something more flexible, balanced,
responsible, and responsive. Also much more connected and
loving of the earth and its resources. The roots are deeper
though than that – back to the Druids and a time when
pagan people were led by the rhythm of the year, growing crops,
gazing at the stars and planets, yet with their feet firmly
rooted on a ground that wasn’t encrusted in concrete.
A resurgence in the eighties led to the ‘New-Age’
caravans of nose-beringed trendies with bent-wood ‘bender’
dwellings, caravans, Indian-influenced music, incense burning,
and a dislike of societal controls like identity cards and
paying taxes.
In a sense, our deep fear of dealing with ‘the big
questions’ (like ‘Why are we here’. ‘How
did we get here?’ ‘Who made us’? ‘Where
do we go when we die? and ‘Is there anything we can
do about it?’) has led us to effectively cut off from
them, and this is mirrored in the way the ‘New Age’
movement is often deeply threatening to ‘mainstream
society’ – leading to it being ridiculed or attempts
to control by police and governments. Effectively, the movement
itself and the reaction to it is a symbol of the separateness
and denial of the deeper, dreamier, more mystical and feminine
aspects of ourselves and our society.
The ‘big questions’ (above) are, unsurprisingly,
deeply scary. So much so that they’re now almost taboo
subjects – bunched under a heading called ‘Religious
Stuff’ which itself is under a sub-heading of ‘Stuff
We Mostly Don’t Do Any More’. Which is perhaps
what leads many of us to bury ourselves in work that is not
sufficiently meaningful to us, (a distraction) and perhaps
then drives the pursuit of further distractions (the latest
stereo, hatch-back, house, blender, bottle of wine, lay, smoke...)
which are not in themselves satisfying, and tend to create
further separation.
In cutting off, though, we cut off not only the problem (fear
of dying, feeling of separation, fear of our own greatness,
fear of success, fear of lack of control, fear of not having
enough) - but the solution! There’s actually a much
more joyous way of living that grows not out of any controlling
dogma and certainly not out of anyone else preaching, but
rather out of the personal experience of our ‘higher
self’ or the ‘soul’ – Spirit within.
I prefer to say ‘Spirit’ rather than ‘God’
as the latter term has warped into something that often means
‘hairy scary powerful guy somewhere outside of ourselves’
which I don’t think is useful. ‘Gentle loving
inner guide and friend’ might be closer.
Here are some key thoughts of the ‘New Age’ thinking
or ‘Spirituality’:
We can choose our beliefs
Contrary to popular belief (!) our beliefs are not set in
stone! Rather, they tend to be a hotch potch set up in childhood
or through various life experiences. They may not always serve
us, and may be out of date or negative (eg ‘I’ll
never find the man I want’, ‘I never have enough
money’ etc.) Luckily, we can choose to select positive
beliefs at any moment! Hurrah! If I’m struggling in
a certain area, I’ll often scribble down my beliefs
relating to it. It turns out I’m operating on an old
programme. So I simply rewrite my beliefs into new positive
ones, and use those. I frequently update. You can too! We
are a Soul inhabiting a body which is our willing and faithful
servant. The soul is eternal: it never dies, nor does it have
any aims, it just ‘is’. ‘We’ are not
our body – although naturally enough we often identify
with it! The body dies, but the essence of who we are does
not.
Meditation is a process for stilling the chattering mind
(or ‘ego’), so that the ‘higher self’
(or soul) can be heard. Much better to be guided by the higher
self than the ego! (Which chatters ‘Why did I come to
this class, I feel stupid, I can’t do it, I wonder if
I look ok in this leotard...’) Mantras... are usually
Sanskrit phrases repeated mentally, or spoken or sung. They
give the conscious mind (‘ego’) something to focus
on, keeping it busy and making it easier (over time, with
practise) to just witness thoughts that intrude, and let them
go, rather than being driven by them. In time, with practise,
you control your mind, rather than having your mind control
you. In everyday life, this gives you space to make choices
rather than just reacting unthinkingly to a situation.
Breathing... is all, really. The first and last thing we
ever do. Simple focus on the breath is a key technique of
meditation, and yoga uses several different kinds of breathing
to enable shifts of consciousness. Yoga (Sanskrit: ‘unity’)
is a truly remarkable ancient technology for aligning and
balancing the energy of the body and expanding consciousness
so that we can access and express more of who we really are.
(The exercise aspect is perhaps a positive by-product!)
Intention and Manifestation. Before anything manifests in
reality, it must first be created ‘up there’ in
the spirit world above. This happens via intention and will.
You decide what you want or intend first (eg, a new car, a
great relationship, a certain income, etc) and in time, it
manifests. It can’t happen the other way round! The
better you hone your will and intention, the more closely
and quickly your desires will manifest. So, get very clear
on what you want, put out for it, and watch what happens!
Abundance. ‘We are part of an abundant and loving Universe
and there is plenty for all of us’. All you have to
do is believe this and it becomes true for you. This is very
challenging for many of us (coming from backgrounds where
our parents had experience of ‘lack’, possibly
in wartime, which they passed on to us) Which is why the world
struggles and many of us don’t have enough, when actually,
there is really plenty to go round. We also have to stop holding
on to our share, and actually – share! This enables
flow, which is a cornerstone of abundance. The confidence
that ‘more will come’ enables us to give, which
enables the abundance to flow back to us again (having enriched
someone else on the way!) So let go!
Synchronicity (coined by Carl Jung)
‘ Life is but a dream...’ – just as dreams
are valuable pointers from our higher selves, everyday life
too is packed with symbolism and pointers to guide us on our
true path, if we will but listen! For example, when researching
these articles on the internet, I often find certain sites
blocked. I could get frustrated at not reaching the information,
but I’ve noticed that my extended search invariably
turns up some completely unknown bit of information that is
really useful, and which I would never have discovered otherwise!
NEXT ISSUE: Idiot’s Guide to Spirituality. The definitive
crib sheet on current New-Age thinking – PART II
Jeli Lala created the ‘Ashram of Jewellery and Art’
– Gifts, Crystals, Tarot, Art, Healing, Café
- at no. 1, Sukma St., Tebesaya, Ubud, with husband, Putu
S. She has studied yoga and other spiritual practices for
over ten years. She writes “In this column, I share
some of my personal experiences and spiritual methods –
hopefully, you’ll find this interesting, and maybe it
will give some ideas for your own journey. Come visit!”
Jeli welcomes comments and may be contacted on:
Email: jelila@jelila.com
Website: www.jelila.com or www.imagine-retreats.com
