Journal Questions

The journal questions this week are a little wonky to me. Whereas last week, the questions were ones I frequently thought about before the course, this week they are questions I've never really thought about that much.

The second question doesn't apply to where I am right now, therefore I will skip it. During the first week, we were given an assignment to clear off our altars, and meditate in front of the cleared space. If we have no altar to begin with, we were to clear a space, and meditate still. I have cleared a space, but I haven't been around much to meditate in front of it. I've never been one for altars, or meditating, but I have decided to give it a shot. I'll just be a bit behind on that one.

1. Write in your journal about a spiritual experience you’ve never felt comfortable talking about because it seemed too “out there” or “silly.” Does it sound similar to any of those discussed in this week’s material?

(This week talked about finding spiritual inspiration in weird places, such as books or TV shows) I don't generally feel comfortable talking about spiritual experiences with more than a select few people, so this question really applies to all experiences I've had. However, I can think of a few to mention here.

I practiced a system of Japanese Jujitsu during the last few months of my time in New Jersey, and was introduced to an entirely new aspect of spirituality: energy. My teacher is a Buddhist priest, and we had many other priests or Buddhists in the class. I learned basics of manipulating my own energy and that of an opponent, as well as moving meditation meant to balance the energy inside of me and surrounding me. I learned about the different elements, and how each person has an element they are most like. I learned I was fire, but my teacher thought it was very interesting that I had also mastered wind, and made it a part of myself (I'm a brass player... we breathe a lot). He taught me how to channel the energy of all the elements, to balance myself out. I haven't done this meditation in a long time, but I'm hoping to start adding it back into my daily routine. If you had asked me before I started Jujitsu, whether or not I believed in the power of this energy, or balancing of the elements, I would have said no. But now that I've seen it working, that I've seen my teacher harness this energy and hold a black-belt at bay with his little finger, I believe in it wholeheartedly. When I bring it up to people, however, they have a tendency to not believe me... So, I mostly keep it to myself.

Every time I'm on stage playing a concert is a spiritual experience for me. I always feel like there is nowhere else I'm supposed to be, that I'm doing exactly what God had planned. It doesn't get much better.

One thing that was mentioned this week resonated with me: the Kushiel's Legacy books. They have such an open yet sacred view of sexuality that it really made me think about the contemporary conservative Christian view of sexuality, and how I don't think it's what God had in mind. "Love as thou wilt" sounds a whole lot like Jesus talking about the greatest commandment being Love. Everything about those books was inspirational.

3. Imagine you’re at a party and someone asks about your spiritual practices. (It’s
a weird party. Just go with it.) How would you describe your unique flavor of Nomadism in, say, 30 words or less? Are you a Zen Druid of the Cross? Founder of
the Church of the Cupcake Yogini? Ask yourself this same question again at the end
of the Nomad course to see how your path and your priorities change.

Personal Christian, but universal theist and religious freedom advocate. (I bet that would take some explaining, but it's the closest I could think of.)

4. What is one thing a lot of people you know seem to find inspiring that you just
don’t get? Is it simply not appealing to you or are you resisting it for other reasons
(everyone’s into it so I refuse to be; it sounds too childish; I don’t want to sacrifice a chicken every Thursday because I’m a vegan)? It’s just as important to know where you don’t find inspiration as where you do – and if something feels off, it’s
important to figure out why so you’ll know what to look for in future explorations.

CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN PRAISE MUSIC. Seriously, people... just stop. It's painful to listen to, and painful to try to work with as a musician. I cannot affiliate myself with a church whose main form of worship involves a rock band.

I'd say meditation is something I don't really get. Perhaps I just have an incorrect view of what your brain is supposed to be doing, but I can't get mine to focus on anything. If I sit still, I think about everything going on in my life, or the book I'm reading, or what music I have to prepare, how I should be practicing rather than sitting around... I've never found much peace or guidance from meditating. Alas, I'm still giving it a go.