Learning and Spirituality
The word ‘learning’ perhaps evoke images of textbooks, classrooms and lecturing teachers. Learning to most people seems to centre on cognitive development and a sharpening of the brain-based intellect. The word ‘spirituality’ is perhaps even more confusing in that it evokes thoughts about religion, religious beliefs or sometimes even the spirit or ghost world. Thus a combination of these two words may lead even to further confusion in the minds of people. The purpose of this article is to clarify the concepts of learning and spirituality and help you [the reader] to make meaning of the terms in a way that you are able to apply that meaning in a practical way to your everyday experiences. In other words, through an understanding of the concept of ‘spirituality’ a person will be more able to accept and absorb learning faster and better.Learning is more than information and skills acquired through brain-based functions which simple prepare us to serve the economy through the world of work. In order for learning to develop to the heights of intelligence, it must include both the brain [intellect] and the heart [compassion; feeling; emotion].
Spirituality, on the other hand, is a sense of connection of the inner-self with the larger universe – a connection which often manifest itself through an emotion or feeling. Most people encounter experiences that evoke happy ‘feelings’ or feelings of sadness. For instance, a parent may get a feeling of immense joy at observing a child take their first step; a teenager may get a deep sense of elation at watching their first love approach. Someone may feel a sense of connectivity with something much larger when they look up at a full moon in the sky or watch water cascading over the rock face at Niagara Falls. There is a feeling of awe and mystery in the experience; a feeling of sacredness almost. It is these types of encounters that are referred as ‘spiritual’.
In the Western world, we have learnt to be afraid or ashamed to express our feelings. We are hesitant to share our ‘strange dreams’ or unusual experiences for fear that others may view us as being strange or funny in some way. We do not want to expose our inner-selves because we feel rather secure when we conform to societal expectations that we must maintain a firm composure and a hard external shell. But what happens when we are alone? Away from the eyes of the public? The inner-self begins to surface. Our true being emerges. The soul haltingly reveals itself.
What is this inner-self you may ask? What is this thing called the soul and how can we find it? Parker J. Palmer, an influential American writer and teacher puts it this way: "If we go crashing through the woods screaming and yelling for the soul to come out, it will evade us all day and night. We cannot beat the bushes and yell at each other and expect this precious inwardness to emerge. But if we are willing to go into the woods and sit quietly at the base of a tree, this wild thing will, after a few hours, reveal itself."
So how does this revelation of the inner-self help our learning in the conduct of our daily lives you ask?
Learning depends on concentration, on attention, on mindfulness. The human mind races a million miles per second if you allow it. In our haste, we forget our keys; we forget birthdays and anniversaries of our loved ones; we get introduced to people and promptly forget their names; we go to school and cannot remember our lessons. Why? We fail to live in the present moment. We cease to be mindful of the one thing – that one activity which grounds us in the present; that activity on which we need to be concentrating on fully. Because very often we allow our mind to race in many other different directions. Thus to foster learning, we must first learn to quiet the mind.
Now as soon as you hear about quieting the mind, visions of yoga and meditation springs forward. You ask yourself who has time to sit in a cave or on a mountain- top and meditate in this hustling and bustling world of survival of the fittest? Who will bring the children home from school? Who will cook the food? Who will do the laundry and shop for the groceries? And by the way, who will help me deal with that #@&*% BOSS at work everyday? But the truth is that we all practice yoga and meditation every minute of our lives. Yet we are not mindful of that practice. For instance, Hatha Yoga is the yoga of movement. We walk, sit, stand, and run for the bus or train. What are we doing? The Yoga of Movement. Also, Pranayana is the yoga of the breath. Each day we breathe 21,600 times without even knowing it! By focusing on the breath for just a few minutes every day you will reap rich rewards in your life.
So here is your first practical
exercise in mindfulness. Every morning as soon as you come awake, be mindful
of your breathing. Focus on 10 in-breaths and 10 out-breaths. Allow the
breaths to start and end in that space in your belly about two inches just
below your belly-button – just like a baby’s breathing. Then slowly get
out of bed and start your day. Do the same thing just before you fall asleep
at night. Over time watch how a sense of calmness take over your life.
Watch how your relationship with your loved ones - and your BOSS - get
better and better. Track how your stress levels diminish. If you are a
student in school, college or university, be mindful of your breaths for
a few seconds before the start of every new class. Gradually extend the
time to a few minutes and keep a journal if you can, to track your progress.
After consistent practice over the semester, compare your test grades to
previous years.
Copyright © 2002 RamCharran
