Are You Lost In Woo Woo Land?

I know what it means to get lost in “Woo Woo” land. I’ve been there, and I’ve been stuck there. It feels all fluffy and comfortable…like a cloud. The problem is that, while you are there, you don’t see how far away from living in the physical world you’ve come. You also don’t see how staying there might be the worst thing you can do for yourself. Hey, I’m all for taking time to absorb some spiritual vibes and culture, but this article is about balance. Let me clarify…

This is what the dictionary has to say about Woo Woo Land: dubiously or outlandishly mystical, supernatural, or unscientific

Here’s my definition: It’s when you get out of balance with the three parts of your being: Body, mind, and spirit. You think every little thing that happens is spiritual without regard to the other two parts of yourself. You spiritualize all events, relationships, illnesses, food, and miss the real communication of being a physical being on a physical planet. We are spiritual beings, yes, but we are here to live a physical life. If that were not the case, we wouldn’t have even bothered. I mean why would we come here to be in physical pain, emotionally challenged, and pushed to our limits unless that was  a part of the purpose and goal? Really?

We don’t need to get more spiritual (do not confuse this with nurturing our spirits and learning). Our spirit beings are perfect and quite whole…always have been and always will be. We are here to experience life in all of its messiness, glamour, and ruthlessness. The human thing takes a village. Finding balance with three completely different divisions of ourselves is much like how a corporation or government runs. It relies on all 3 parts to be whole, healthy, and efficient. If one part gets all the attention, energy, money, work, and planning, the others parts become weak and do not perform at optimal levels. A conflict breaks out. War begins. One or more divisions may shut down completely.

We are here to experience life in all of its messiness, glamour, and ruthlessness. Click To Tweet

Here is one example: Miss Chronic Illness constantly asks for prayer and looks for a spiritual reason for her illness instead of listening to her body. She thinks that the devil or some outside negative energy is causing her digestive issues. While she probes ministers, psychics, guides, and “spiritual” friends for clarity and those who will solidify her theory, her body continues to break down. This woman eats horribly. She drinks and smokes like it’s going out of style. She doesn’t sleep well. And, she has a job that she hates. But, she has never once thought that any of this self-abuse is the culprit for her long time health problems. She is lost in Woo Woo land. She is in denial. She doesn’t want to change. This comes close to what I talk about in I Don’t Want Your Excuses. Wake the fuck up!

This health example is really fucking scary because people die unnecessarily every day waiting to hear from an outside source that it’s just some spiritual glitch that they can work out in prayer and meditation. Yes, I believe in prayer and meditation. I pray and I meditate regularly. I even seek greater spiritual awareness. But I don’t sacrifice awareness of my mind and body to do it. I don’t believe we are supposed to separate them. I am smart and spiritual enough to know that, while the MS tagging along on my journey  isn’t all a physical issue, it’s not all a spiritual one either. Its arrival in my life has roots in all three parts of my being. And, guess what? I am addressing it with all three parts of my being. That is my balance. It seems to be working very well this way.

I could, of course, give a hundred other examples of over-spiritualizing life, but I will let you figure the rest out for yourself. This is my opinion and how I choose to live my life. You have to choose your own path. After all, you have a whole being with which to work just like me. I will, however, give you some tips I use to keep from getting lost in Woo Woo Land.

1. Pay attention to how your body feels. Are you in pain? Are you overly tired? Do you feel like the energy has left your body? If you do feel any of these things, it is time to find out why. First, you may need to see a doctor (the type of doctor is your choice, of course.) Start recording your symptoms to see if there are any patterns or correlation between the diet, amount of sleep, activity level, etc. Our bodies are a well-oiled machine and quite capable of letting us know when something is wrong. We need to listen.

2. Use your brain. It is there for a reason. If you keep losing money, health, relationships, jobs, and your self-respect, maybe it’s because you keep making poor decisions and acting like a jack ass. Though this may have something to do with your actual spiritual state, I doubt it has everything to do with it. Create some boundaries and goals for yourself so you can see your progress to a better life.  Self sabotaging patterns and habits will always kick you in the ass if you don’t end the cycle.

Remember, ignoring or limiting attention to body, mind or spirit can be disastrous. Click To Tweet

3. Your spirit is whole…remember that. Though, expressing its wholeness would be really interesting (to say the least) I don’t think we are here for that kind of circus. Again, we are here to be human. We can remember things about ourselves (our spirit beings) but we are still human. Together, our body, mind, and spirit are very powerful. But that power is only useful and serving if we use it in complete balance with life itself. That includes consideration of all three parts.

4. Just as you can put way too much emphasis in the spiritual realm, you can also do it with the mind and body. Remember, ignoring or limiting attention to body, mind or spirit can be disastrous. We need to keep balance. Imagine walking on a tight rope without having your balance. Yep. You’re gonna fall. What is really amazing is how humans will ignore the simple messages that life screams in search of an answer that has nothing or little to do with the issue at hand.

Look, it’s really simple: Pay attention to being human, which means balancing and caring for all three parts.