In Search of Spirit
In Search of Spirit
There are certain experiences that we can’t really define or explain. It’s like being an outsider and you find yourself in a group of people that make you feel more at ease and safe to be you. It’s hearing a song that kind of hits you right in the feels, blasts your heart open, and makes you cry in the middle of the street. It’s the book you can’t stop reading late at night with drowsy eyes thinking ‘just one more page…one last chapter’. It’s the way your breath stops when you see someone you love. Most likely, we’ve all had these experiences and more. And isn’t it funny when someone asks us to describe a certain thing, and we just stand there dumbfounded at a loss for words - because at that moment - words are simply not enough?
It is in the Unknown, the Unexplained, the Vastness of Being, That We Find This Elusive Thing We Call Spirit.
It might sound esoteric and woo-woo to some. And most likely, if you ask ten people how they define spirit, they will give you ten different answers. And so, does it have to be defined? Is there a right answer? More importantly, does it really matter?
If you do something that makes you feel so connected, so attuned, so magically enraptured in the moment, isn’t that spirit? The way that you tapped into feeling something so much, so alive, so abundant, that nothing else matters at that moment? Isn’t that catching the spirit of things?
In Norse mythology, it is said that everything surrounding us has spirit, all inanimate objects as well, that it is all animistic. And so looking at the cultures of first nations, they have a lot of similarities in this regard. Therefore, looking at modern cultures, in some ways having “lost spirit” we find allure in travel, seeking inward with different cultures and ways to connect deeper to ourselves, in search of spirit.
Maybe you have found yourself in a village or town elsewhere in the world, meeting people who approach the world differently, and listening to their stories, observing their ways, it has you sitting in awe and wonder at life itself, wanting a similar connection to spirit. You bought the small figure deities, were gifted a handmade necklace, you bathed in the sacred waterfall with the locals, met guides and teachers on your way, and had wonderful epiphanies during delicious dinners.
The spirit we search for in profound books, exotic adornments, or ancient cultures can certainly create the setting and direction, but they all came from within ourselves at some point, and that essence of spirit can’t be denied, they merely act as interpretations of a creative force that took shape. And so, the spirit is not only found in the number of things we acquire or the travels we’ve been on but in the simple acts every day, in the deep connection and appreciation of the here and now. Ironically enough, the most spiritual people we might meet are the least traveled and lead the simplest life.
It is most likely a journey we all take at some point in our lives, for some of us longer, and for others a few more journeys. I am talking about the spiritual journey, and while that interestingly leads us to different countries and cultures in a search for ourselves, this thing we call spirit was never missing, it was never somewhere else outside of us, it was here all along, and maybe the journey outward is what made our journey more inward.
Spirit is Found as Much in the Office Space as in the Forest.
It is as much alive in the car drive as it is sailing the open seas. Because spirit is within YOU, within everything that you do, everything you create, everywhere you breathe, and everywhere you stand. It is in the pause of a hectic day, it is in the smile you procure from a sip of coffee, it is in the moving hips to your favorite song waiting for the bus. You see, the spirit is everywhere, all the time.
Spirit is infinite curiosity, an innate drive, and passion for tending to one’s internal garden, to plant the seeds of thoughts that sprout into dreams and realizations of our deepest desires. It’s the nourishment of our feelings unfiltered and unshackled that lets us express ourselves without bounds. It’s the fascination and appreciation for our body, feeling free and powerful in the way we move. It’s in the bookshelf where you collect memories, it’s in the hand-me-down shoes your grandparent left you, it’s in the scar on your elbow from that summer you fell on your bike riding around with your crush.
In the search of spirit, let us look more for the unnamed feelings, the obscure pull towards the unknown, the tickling sensation of ‘what if…’, the echo in-between our thoughts, the soft sigh surrounding our emotions, the fine art of letting go, and the unwavering desire for connection to ourselves. This is spirit. This is you.
About the Author
Chris Fox is a mobility specialist and movement coach focusing on joint health, body awareness, and how to reduce pain with active bodywork. With the Fox Method, he helps people to get a stronger connection to their body, by isolating joint awareness, activating body control, and integrating healthier movement habits.
If you want to work on your mobility and stability, increase more body awareness and reduce pain to feel more light and alive, you can contact Chris for a session: thisischrisfox@gmail.com
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