September 5, 2024Soul Inspiration from Yogacharya
Dear Ones,
Times are urgent; let us slow down. When I first heard this African proverb, I resonated deeply with its call. Over the years, this need has only grown stronger, and I suspect I am not the only one who feels this. When I listen to others, I hear the call as soul-searching questions about how to live a deeply meaningful life today. Singular among the questions is this: how can we faithfully tend to what matters most in life while meeting the responsibilities and demands before us? How can we possibly slow down when it seems that everything around us is speeding up?
For many of us, the requirements for our time and attention are more than are humanly possible. As spiritual practitioners, we sometimes turn to spiritual teachings to try to become ever more efficient. Surely, we can become more skillful at what we do. But what if what we really need is to slow down and learn how to simply be?
This question is worth asking, and I am inspired by what will come from it. I know this soul quest is different for each of us according to our inclinations, stage of life, and responsibilities. But one thing is clear: we all must slow down, make space, and claim time for the soul to stretch out. It is there that we find the resilience, clarity, wisdom, and compassion to meet needs before us.
Many of the world’s religions and wisdom traditions have a Sabbath practice of some kind—a way to unplug from worldly demands to do more, and instead tune into the spiritual call to be. Be with yourself. Be with family. Be with friends. Be in nature. Be. Just be.
This call has inspired me personally to take a sabbatical year—like a kid with a gap year, taking time to explore, learn, and listen deeply for divine direction. I will make space to attune with my soul, my teachers, our tradition of Kriya Yoga, and the presence and power of Spirit calling me to take this step. A Year of Attunement! And it will bring me great joy to share it with you.
As I embark on this sabbatical, I will use this sacred time to reflect on and open to the vision for the Center for the next ten years. My guru, Roy Eugene Davis, much like his guru Paramahansa Yogananda, taught us the importance of setting aside time to reflect on possibilities for the future and envision our role in it—what we must do or become to participate in it.
Where do you see yourself in ten years? How do you envision your divine life unfolding? In November, along with our CSE Ministers, I will share with you some of the inspiration and resources that will become available as part of the Year of Attunement—your 2025 guide to slowing down, tuning in to your soul’s call, and tuning up your life to what matters most deeply.
I invite you to mark these important dates so that together we can explore this unfolding vision and be part of something truly transformative.
Stay tuned, and prepare to embark on this journey of deep attunement together.
With infinite love and blessings,
Yogacharya O’Brian
