Young children are already near to the light as they have an intimate and intuitive awareness of the world that is still fresh. In actuality, it is the children who are our teachers. They remind us of our spiritual selves by being wholly in the moment. Children are already in their spiritual beingness. They teach by example through their innocence, purity, and their natural connection to the divine. They are truly in the moment. Their spiritual experiences and capacities shape their lives as the innate awareness of their own spirituality models for us a reminder of our spiritual nature. It is not about helping them reach up and transcend, it is more about drawing out the spirituality that is already there. Our task is to give them space and time to explore their own sacred inner world.

As we make practices to nourish the spirit within ourselves, we teach our children to do the same by example. We are providing children with an opportunity to develop a connection to a higher power, which increases their sense of security, confidence and well-being. We are here to help them to see the bigger picture of life and show them that there is a spiritual place to turn for comfort and protection.  At the same time, it is vital that we be open to being the student and enable the child to be the teacher. There is great wisdom that comes out of the mouths of babes.

We can create spiritual awareness in our children by using everyday occurrences as teaching moments. One of the greatest lessons children have to teach adults is the energy of awe, which brings a spiritual attitude to the wholeness of life. Adults can use some lessons on how to be more open and appreciate life with fresh eyes, without expectations or judgments. Children learn early to protect themselves from the world, to judge, and manipulate it. We must encourage them to stay open to the moment as they inspire us to do the same.

A spiritual life includes wonders of delight through the senses. Delight is an affirmation of spirit. It nourishes our spirit, like taking a daily dose of vitamins nourishes our physical body. Children show us delight effortlessly, as they feel it with their whole body naturally. We can take their lead and join in on the joy of being alive on this planet. This spiritual awareness unfolds with wisdom in the direction of love, creating moments that open the heart and allow it to tune into spirit.

Activities that celebrate aliveness such as dancing, singing, laughing, and playing can facilitate an opening of the heart and establish a spiritual dialogue within one’s self and beyond. We can monitor ourselves by asking: have we had our dose of delight? Taking the time to notice beauty, laugh and sing daily are expressions of joy and delight. They are the moments that nourish our spirit. Spiritual connections come through these moments of wonder, and set the stage to explore and see beyond the physical realm.

We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Tobin Hart says in his book, The Secret Spiritual World of Children, “Spirituality is an intimate influence of the divine in our lives […]. Spiritual moments are direct, personal, and often have the effect, if only for a moment, of waking us up and expanding our understanding of who we are and what our place is in the universe. It involves an invitation to dwell as near as possible to the channel in which our light, or spiritual essence, flows.” Spiritual direction is not only of the mind, but is understood as a matter of the heart.

Spirituality entails reaching from inside oneself to something transcendent. Some come near that light through service or devotion. Some find incomprehensible oneness in nature. Others find the spiritual in everyday moments with children. Spirituality may be seen as a worldview and as a process of development. How we address the answers to the questions of “who am I and what am I doing here?” affect the way we live in the world. Asking the deep questions can form the core of spiritual identity and one’s purpose in life. The pursuit of spirituality in these simple and joyful ways empowers our children as well as ourselves.

Course Continued…