Did you know that elephant dung can actually be used for 25 different things?  I know, right?  Seriously, you can even make soap out of it!  (Though personally, I’ll have to pass on that one.)  But I have come to understand that a spiritual dark night of the soul is no different.  It’s an incredibly useful and important part of spiritual development, it also stinks! And to make matters worse, it doesn’t take long before you realize you’ve invited its manufacturer into your living room.

 

Most of us have approached the elephant from the front, perhaps gently touching the trunk as we begin to explore yoga or meditation.  Others come in from the side with an energy art such as Reiki or Qigong.  Some find themselves at the heart of it all, with Bhakti yoga or the Course in Miracles.  And a few, for better or worse, are simply stepped on by a restless elephant during a sudden and spontaneous Kundalini awakening.

 

However you arrived here, it doesn’t take long for the blind men and the elephant fable to kick into full swing.  Initially we practice our individual arts and explore one tiny piece of the whole.  The majority of people will stop there.  In someways perhaps, they are the fortunate ones.

 

But for those that move on, the elephant inevitably becomes larger and more complex.  The big picture begins to form and just as we find our way into the highest levels of understanding, our egos find themselves standing in dung. 

 

I know first hand, this is not a pleasant space to be! (Trust me, I spent nearly six years there!)

 

But you don’t have to shovel alone!  Humor, help and support are here.  Join a community of fellow dung beetles and keep your spiritual progress rolling.