Why is spiritual bypassing so captivating?
Why is spiritual bypassing so challenging to recognize?
At one point in our lives, we will realize that the old way of doing life will no longer supports ourselves, the people we love and our heart. In this inquiry we will move away from the pain of what is not working and begin to search for feeling good. During this time, as we search various spiritual practices along our journey we will often skillfully learn techniques trying to outwit our minds, emotions and bodies into feeling good. We begin to chase the feeling good all the time, chasing happiness, or wealth, or appearance, going from community to community wanting to always feel good. During this searching we can actually be distracting ourselves from our feelings and thinking we are spiritual because we do spiritual things. These distractions can be glamorous, sparkly and make promises of a life of bliss with no pain. We believe we are spiritual because we have all the language & appearance of “Spiritual” yet underneath, we are sitting on anger / judgement / preferences / criticism, unaware of our feelings and how to be with them.
When we embrace only the bliss or good feelings then we disable the fullness of our hearts, and wholeness of being.
This is Spiritual Bypassing.
Spiritual Bypassing is a defense and protective mechanism, it blocks us from truth, disconnects us from our own feelings, and helps us avoid our life picture. We check out instead of checking in ~ We use spiritual practices to avoid instead of accept ~ disconnect instead of connect ~ repress instead of expressing ~ believing in separateness (broken) instead of wholeness.
We have a belief or judgement on what we are feeling and think “we should not feel that emotion.” In Spiritual Bypassing we are “grasping” towards or “waiting to arrive” instead of “being”. When we are Spiritual Bypassing we are unable to create change within ourselves and the world. We become the product of the problem instead the movement and creativity of the solution.
When we Spiritually Bypass, we are actually dissuading our own hearts from opening, to feel ourselves, and our environment. Over time our lives begin to narrow and we may feel scared, numb, disillusioned, and alone.
Spiritual Bypass signs:
Only going towards – Bliss
Hyper consciousness – ego ( only one way to enlightenment/wealth/Spirit/God)
Distraction at all cost to avoid the emotional body
Looking outside self for approval, attention & appreciation.
Feeding the minds need to control, maneuver & manufacture the appearance of heart opening.
Unable to access are own inner being (truth)
Use practices to avoid and disconnect
No matter how hard we try or do we still feel deep pain & loneliness when we are alone or in the quiet.
So now what?
Once we are aware that we are spiritually bypassing, we can begin deeper healing within. We can embrace the emotional body that is in movement for the birth of Compassion, Gratitude & Divine Love. The opening of the heart guides the healing and transformative movement. The movement is the invitation to be love, to be compassion and to grow into the fullness of a human being.
Why embrace pain?
The moment we recognize the emotional body (self awareness) it is the beginning of your invitation to receive support, to move through the pain, grief, and fear.
When we have accepted this movement, all of creation supports and absorbs our movement. We are ignited and invited into one’s heart and souls movement to wholeness of being. When opening beyond the pain, a natural unwinding begins. It is a releasing of the old into the new expression of ones opening heart. Through these deep thresholds, support and practices are learned to nurture this movement. By staying present and “being” with the emotion, allowing the healing of this emotion, you are moving beyond spiritual bypassing and into heart opening. Check in to see if your practices support you being present? Do they support you accepting your feelings? Do the practices allow the movement and opening your heart? What are you feeling?
How is your heart at this moment?
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