Stephen and Cedar Powers on a hike. |
Parenting the Spirit
by Tigris Powers
There is no correct way to be a parent. There is no guide book written that could possibly make parenting an effortless practice. And would we want it to be, effortless that is. Afterall, it is the effort that keeps us committed and connected to our children.
It seems that all pursuits of the soul require much effort, according to our human nature. Would we enjoy the beautiful view of the ocean as much, had we not traversed the rocky path that lead us to the mountain's edge?
It is our spirit that both drives us to and carries us over the rocky paths of life. The spirit can be described as the true self, that which leads us to our passion, our purpose and our highest potential. Do you know your own spirit?
I believe connecting to a child's spirit is the most powerful action that a parent can take to establish a beautiful parent-child relationship. |
For if the parent is not connected to the spirit of the child, isn't it true, then, that the parent is not connected to the child's true self. To create this connection, the parent must first know their own spirit, their own true self. It sounds natural, but in our modern society it has become a foreign idea. This is where humanity has been stuck for decades, in a disconnect.
A disconnect with ourselves and, as a result, each other.
To disregard the spirit is to disregard the person. The spirit is an integral part of the whole person. What makes you, you, and what makes me, me, is the spirit, the essence. The spirit is what survives death and continues on to other dimensions and lifetimes. The spirit is what carries the memories of each life. Knowing this, can we continue to parent only part of our child?
The physical, mental and emotional bodies make up only a portion of a child, a person. The etheric body and the casual body, or spirit, complete the puzzle. This is the anatomy that we didn't learn about in science class, but it is taught in spiritual texts the world over. The energetic field that surrounds the human body is comprised of four layers*:
- the casual (the spirit)
- the psychic, or etheric (the soul)
- the mental-emotional (the mind)
- the physical (the body).
I believe that parents can help their children be whole by recognizing all that comprises their children. We can do this by bringing our awareness to the spirit in each of us on a regular basis. The more we are familiar with connecting to our own spirit, the easier it will be to connect to our child's spirit. I can envision the day when all families sit down around the dinner table and talk about the intricate ways in which spirit spoke to them that day.
Spirit breathes through each one of us. It tells a story and wants to play a part in the sacred drama of human life. As a parent, you are fortunate to have a front row seat in the audience in addition to being an actor on the stage of your child's drama. The challenge is to remember who plays the lead role.
©Tigris Powers, 2006-2008
* Alberto Villoldo, PH.D., Shaman, Healer, Sage
