It’s a great relief to discover that transcendence is not always a matter of overcoming of worldly limits via a flight to the heavens, or some other kind of transport to an off-planet haven in the skies. We can also discover great realms of freedom within, through careful attendance to bodily sensations, to the rising and falling of phenomena in this physical field – to the earth. We go beyond our bodies when we concentrate on breath, which enters and leaves through the portals of nose and mouth, which connect us to the world around us, to all else that breathes, from mice to whales to trees – and those who live in them …
When we sense the breath of the earth, through our muscles and nerves, in our viscera, or the magnetic pulse of place, or the feeling of being home in a familiar landscape or building, or our connection to the ancestors that enabled our being here now, or the celestial intelligence that fires our minds, or the life of other beings and our communication with them (linguistic, symbolic, psychic, somatic – any way we carry out conversations in the Dreaming) … in any of these ways we can discover a sense of transcendence through immanence. Immanence is the direct path to experiencing embodied spirituality – something beyond the individual self, something greater than the limits of reductionist rationality is capable of entertaining, something sometimes more-than-human, connected to a greater sense of mind, which arises from within, keeping us aligned with Earth Wisdom (when we allow it) and Celestial Intelligence and all the other creatures between and around and within us.
It ain’t so hard. We just have to stick at it. See Part ii), coming soon: Practicing Embodied Spirituality.
Images: a rock wall along the Darebin Spiritual Healing Trail (story to come); a Tawny Frogmouth at CERES Environmental Park (story to come); candlelight in Notre Dame cathedral, Paris (i don’t have that much of a story from there, it’s just a majestic palace of worship, where the old Gallic Catholics bow in fervent and sincere prayer, priests incanting ancient rituals while shaking incense to the sky, billowing thin clouds of creamy smoke that rise against the kaleidoscopic stained glass windows in this otherwise gloomy, immense space).
White Fella Dreaming 
Thank you , perfect timing. I’m just beginning to discover the beauty, power and joy in being fully embodied spiritually. From a long journey flying around the upper ethers, which was also very powerful and transformative , its now time for me to experience the body more completely. I had no idea how deep, how wide and how rich that inner world can be, until now. Blessings on your sharings . Astrid
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Wow, what a beautiful comment Astrid, a great accompaniment to the sentiment, many thanks for sharing.
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A friend of mine calls her blog ‘Inscendence’ after Thomas Berry coined the word. “He made up the word “inscendence” to describe a way of belonging to reality. He invited us, on behalf of the Earth community, to lead soulful lives of connection, reverence, mystery, grace, and wholeness.” http://inscendence.com/about/
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Inscendence – another great word! And his explanation sounds like just what i’m working with also. Thanks Kiri. Somehow it feels both a little uncanny and a little right to be following in the same surname footprints as Thomas and Wendell. In different ways, i feel indebted to the two of them, pretty much equally. I’ve been meaning to add thanks to those who have taught me at different points along the path; in an upcoming post on Ancestors, i will make sure i do just that.
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What wonderful technology this is. Truly.
I love the post AND the comments. Grounding words and uplifting ideas in both. Thankyou Kiri/Astrid/various Berrys/Internet/Universe.
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(And, as the child of devout Catholics keen on denying, ignoring and escaping the physical selves they view as hindrances, I look forward to adding Part II to my always expanding understanding of the body and it’s environment as divine and connected. We are made of star stuff, after all.)
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Yes, we are so lucky to have this opportunity to move beyond the prejudices that came before us. I’m really glad you’ve found that path, to the all through the self. We are all part of a magnificent manifestation of mystery, right down to our fingernails!
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