MIND-BODY-SPIRIT
Black Spiritual Wisdom
an unspoken spiritual understanding of each other and all life. This VSLULWXDOLW\XQL¿HVWKH%ODFN'LDVSRUD²DWRSLFPXFKWRRFRPSOH[IRU WKLVDUWLFOH5HFRJQL]LQJ WKLV OLPLWDWLRQ ,SUHVHQWDYHU\EURDGRYHU - view of my own Black American spiritual tradition to exemplify the importance of the Black tradition to the spiritual path. 7KH%ODFN$PHULFDQVSLULWXDOWUDGLWLRQUHFRJQL]HVWKDWD'LYLQHDQG ORYLQJHQWLW\ ZKHWKHUGH¿QHGDVWKHXQLYHUVHQDWXUHPRQRWKHLVWLF SRO\WKHLVWLFHWF H[LVWVDQGSURYLGHVEDODQFHWROLIH7KLV'LYLQH6SLULW is omniscient, omnipotent, and worthy of reverence. We acknowledge the mystical power of Spirit, peacefully accept it, and make no attempt to deny, challenge, or control spiritual matters. We also understand ourselves to be a personal embodiment of Spirit with direct access to spiritual wisdom.
BY DEA LOTT
I have frequently struggled with how best to describe my work in spirituality and wellness. While I call myself a Yoga teacher and I have :HVWHUQ WUDLQLQJ DQG FHUWL¿FDWHV LQ <RJD , DP QRW VWULFWO\ D <RJD teacher. This is because my spiritual understanding is grounded in WKHVDFUHGLQGLJHQRXVVSLULWXDOWUDGLWLRQVRI$IULFDDQGWKH%ODFN'L - aspora. And, since one’s personal spiritual connection is manifested through their thoughts and actions, my work in spirituality and well- ness has become a fusion of both Black and Indian spiritual traditions. 0\SXUSRVHKHUHLVQRWWRPDNHDQ\FODLPWRRUUHQDPHDQ\DVSHFW of Yoga. I am aware of and refuse to participate in the Western world’s GLVWRUWLRQDSSURSULDWLRQDQGFRPPRGL¿FDWLRQRIVSLULWXDOWUDGLWLRQV I take a strong stance on this because Black spiritual traditions have
Our spiritual tradition has no hier- archy or rigidity in the transfer of its teachings. There are no bloodlines, trainings, or assessments required for one to possess or share spiritual wis- dom with their family and community. 5DWKHU LW LV XQGHUVWRRG WKDW HYHU\RQH is spiritual, everyone has spiritual ex- SHULHQFHVDQGJLIWV ZKHWKHUUHFRJQL]HG RUQRW DQGHYHU\RQHFDQR̆HUVSLULWX - al wisdom and guidance — particular- O\ZKHQ WKH\DUHDWWXQHG WR WKH'LYLQH Spirit. With respect to spiritual occurrenc- HVZHSHUFHLYHQR¿[HGERXQGDULHVEH - tween the spiritual, dream, natural, and material worlds, and the presence of each is important to acknowledge. We XQGHUVWDQG WKH 'LYLQH 6SLULW DQG RWK - er spirits can reach us in any of these UHDOPV WR R̆HU LPSRUWDQW OHVVRQV IRU
endured the same fate — to the point WKDWWKH\DUHDOPRVWXQUHFRJQL]DEOHWR - day. Those of us who work to preserve these spiritual traditions are aware of KRZWKH:HVWHUQZRUOGKDVGHPRQL]HG Black spirituality. Yet, we are equally aware of the spiritual wisdom our tra- GLWLRQVKDYHWRR̆HUWRWKHZRUOG For this reason, I take this opportu- nity to publicly uplift African and Black 'LDVSRULFVSLULWXDOWUDGLWLRQV,QGRLQJ so, I honor the existence, sacrality, and importance of Black spirituality for our collective morality, healing, liberation, and unity. The broad philosophy and practices of Black spirituality I intro- duce here are available for all to learn to achieve spiritual connection and growth. However, it is necessary to note,
Black spiritual traditions are not up for critique, dissection, or debate. There is a long history of Europeans who “studied” Black spiritual tra- GLWLRQV LQ WKLVZD\ IRU WKH SXUSRVH RI GHKXPDQL]LQJ DQG SURMHFWLQJ WKHLU VSLULWXDO GH¿FLHQFLHV RQWR %ODFN SHRSOH WR MXVWLI\ WKH HQVODYH - ment, rape, oppression, and murder of our people. For those who question the wisdom of Black spiritual traditions, I encourage them to consider whether that inquiry stems from a need to acknowledge and heal from white supremacist and anti-Black conditioning. Spiritual ZLVGRPVLPSO\H[LVWVDQGHDFKFXOWXUHR̆HUVDQXQGHUVWDQGLQJRIWKH 'LYLQH6SLULWWKDWLVLPSRUWDQWWRVKDUHZLWKWKHZRUOG 'HVSLWH WKH KLVWRU\ RI YLROHQFH DQG RSSUHVVLRQ RI %ODFN SHRSOH¶V spiritual and physical freedoms, we have remained privately and deeply connected to our spiritual traditions. But given history, we re- tain a healthy dose of suspicion and practice discernment in matters RIUHOLJLRQDQGVSLULWXDOLW\)RUWKLVUHDVRQ,R̆HUDQRYHUO\VLPSOL¿HG GLVWLQFWLRQEHWZHHQUHOLJLRQDQGVSLULWXDOLW\5HOLJLRQLVDQLQVWLWXWLRQ that uses spiritual teachings to direct and guide human behavior to advance a social or political goal. In contrast, spirituality is the per- VRQDOUHODWLRQVKLSWRDQGLQWHUDFWLRQVZLWKWKH'LYLQH6SLULW7KLVGLV - FXVVLRQRI%ODFNVSLULWXDOWUDGLWLRQVHPSKDVL]HVWKHODWWHU Honoring Black Spiritual Traditions It is a beautiful testament to the spiritual reverence, strength, and resilience of Black people that our spiritual traditions have transcend- ed violence, time, and location. While Black people have diverse cul- tures and practice many religions, we have remained united through
the individual, family, and community. We also value the spiritual JXLGDQFHRWKHUSHRSOHVKDUHZKHQLWLVR̆HUHGIURPDSODFHRIDXWKHQ - ticity, humility, and truth gained through personal experience. For WKLVUHDVRQZHWU\WRUHFRJQL]HDQGXQGHUVWDQGGDLO\VSLULWXDORFFXU - rences for the guidance they provide to us. 0RUHLPSRUWDQWO\ZHXQGHUVWDQGZHKDYHRXURZQVSLULWXDOSDWKV DQGPXVWUHO\RQRXUVSLULWXDOGLVFHUQPHQWWRUHFRJQL]HUHODWHWRDQG VWD\FRQQHFWHGZLWKWKH'LYLQH6SLULW6RWKHUHLVQRQHHGIRURYHUUHOL - ance on the spirituality of others. We embrace our spiritual nature and trust in our personal relationship with Spirit to navigate our paths. Historically, our spirituality was viewed as the most essential and centering aspect of Black American daily life, and many of us still ad- here to this in some way each day. Because of this, we have a pro- foundly holistic spiritual tradition — our philosophy and practices are intertwined with, and inseparable from, our day-to-day activities. We don’t typically regard them as formal practices because it feels so nat- ural to practice them as the need arises throughout the day. Of course, many of our spiritual practices (prayer, meditation, etc.) overlap with worldwide traditions, but our practice requires no formality. Spiritual practices of importance include: authentic and truthful communication with ourselves and others for spiritual growth; humor and laughter for uplifting the spirit; engagement with the universe and nature for spiritual connection and study; communication with the deceased for spiritual guidance; dance for energetic and physical EHQH¿WV GUHDP LQWHUSUHWDWLRQ IRU JXLGDQFH DQG ZDUQLQJV LQWXLWLRQ continued on page 27
PATHWAYS—Spring 22—9
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