As I shared in my last post, Spiritual Lessons from the Grand Canyon, my visit to the Grand Canyon moved me in ways I wasn’t expecting. In particular, it reminded me of what being human is all about.
The Canyon holds many parallels to other natural phenomena and uncovering these connections has been synchronous. I look forward to upcoming trips to see what more I will learn!
But first, I’m using this time to continue unraveling what I received from the Grand Canyon. As I best summarized to my mother after the trip, here is the message that I would like to share with you as well.
Takeaways
The Canyon appears still and desolate. But, in reality, it is teeming with life of all sizes and is always changing.
It is so massive that it’s hard to comprehend it’s full size. But, at the same time, the Canyon is unassuming in nature. It is not grand for the sake of affecting others.
It existed long before mankind, has survived through the rise and fall of countless civilizations and traumas endured within, and will continue to exist long after we leave this earth. But even then, it doesn’t struggle to persist. It just is.
With every passing moment, the Grand Canyon continues to grow, shift, and change. It neither rushes nor delays. What is meant to happen happens in its right time.
The sense of stillness that pervades the Canyon took me some time to comprehend. Most of what makes up the Canyon is empty space. At first it called to the gaping space within myself, but I found that that space within me isn’t empty for no reason.
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Even the darkest corners of my Self have a purpose and this realization shifted my view on the open air between the canyon walls. That still openness can be a reminder either of the loss of movement, or of the grander connection that persists through it all.
What moved me most though is seeing how the Canyon is like each of us, our souls. We are not wholly one way or another. We are multifaceted and balanced in our Being.
Meeting the Grand Canyon was like meeting another person. The time we spent together here on Earth is fleeting compared to our overall existence spanning infinitely in all directions, and to the shared connection we hold with everything else.
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Interpretations
In general, many perspectives around the world approach life in duality: Black and white. Good and evil. Yes and no.
However, I believe some of us have shifted into defining the world in either one way or the other. Maybe this is because it’s easier to define reality when the terms are cut and dry. It becomes harder to accept and navigate life when we approach it from somewhere in the middle, the gray area.
This in-between adds a level of complexity to the world. No longer are things clean cut. This way of thinking may not seem to come naturally at first. Or rather, it isn’t as widely accepted and promoted in Western society so this leads to that gray area being uncharted territory for many.
All of my takeaways though highlighted for me how the Canyon wasn’t just one way or the other. In my attempts to comprehend what was before me, the Canyon persisted in contradicting my initial impressions. When I thought it was one thing, it showed how it was also the other. The Grand Canyon wasn’t “this or that,” but “this and that.”
Approaching the Grand Canyon with duality, it equally balanced both parts and created a sense of Oneness. It’s in this way that the Canyon provided another reminder of a spiritual truth that I believe is held within us all.
Being Human
There is a duality within each of us that allows us to choose two separate approaches, either by the ego or the soul, but both are a part of who we are in our human experience. I believe being human is about finding the right balance between these two parts.
Our ego is often the more dominant approach while we are growing. It helps us to understanding our relation to the physical world around us, but it has limitations. It is through quieting the ego and letting our soul shine through that we come into balance and fully relate to the world around us on more than just the physical plane.
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This is still a watered down understanding riddled with limitations, but I find it has helped to broaden my mindset another tick. I am forever thinking on this topic and looking for new experiences to offer other interpretations so there may be more of these down the line!
What are your thoughts on what I’ve shared and what are your own takeaways? Please share in the comments below!
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Spiritual Lessons from the Grand Canyon
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