Those who follow a spiritual path are often considered to be selfless. It is true that the spiritual service of others is high on the agenda of those who have received so much that they want to share their spiritual good fortune. However, it is impossible to give what you do not have, so taking care of the self is a priority for spiritual service.
Yet even then, some feel uncomfortable with taking that time for the self. Spiritual power, though, comes from that quiet internal strength filled with silence. This has to be accumulated by spending time with the self, and with the Supreme. It is true spiritual wisdom to be aware of this and to take care of our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. If we think about it, anything we consider to be of value to us will receive a great deal of care from us. There will be no excuses – that object will receive our cherishing attention. What, then, could be more valuable than our own well-being?
This well-being requires our attention and awareness. We are often on the lookout for signs of unhappiness and discomfort in those we serve, but we need the same alertness when it comes to our own needs. Our bodies need exercise, nourishing food, and rest – things that we often neglect as we get caught up in our busy days. Our bodies often give us warning signs that we ignore to our cost. If we are heedless to those signs, we can put ourselves in danger. Spiritually too if we ignore the dis-ease, or unease, that the soul is feeling, we can be in spiritual danger.
Our minds and hearts also require this kind of vigilance. Is my heart holding on to something from the past? If I am reacting to someone’s behaviour, then I am locking that into my heart and so my heart is then unable to expand and reach others with love. Self-care means cleaning out the subconscious, and that means spending time in meditation each day. It is then that we can re-focus, re-energise and re-align. It is caring from the inside out, and not trying to care for the self from the outside in.
To become spiritually resistant and robust, we need the motivation to keep on caring. This requires knowing the method, and the method requires practice. When I learn the method and practise it well, then all runs smoothly. Until I have perfected the practice, I may not always get it right, but that too is okay, because I am still in the process of constructing a better me. I have a whole universe within me, and I am also part of the greater universe which holds me. I belong.
Life is like a dance. I can perfect the steps little by little, and step in and out of life – making the correct movements without stepping on the toes of others. A dance of happiness, fast or slow, with the perfect, controlled movements. This is a beautiful way to live, and it is only possible when I take care of each part of the self.
Alka Patel is based at the Brahma Kumaris International Co-ordinating Office, London.