SALT and Spirituality

[Nathalie Legros]

A few days ago, a friend suggested the idea to write an article about 'SALT & Spirituality’. That may become a reality, depending on what you think or feel about it. To frame the topic, I quote below the introduction of the Journal of Appreciative Inquiry (kindly sent by Rituu :-)) which has issued a special edition (November 2014) on 'Spirituality and AI'.

What is ‘spirituality’?

As editors, we did not explicitly define “spirituality” for authors, but instead invited expressions that fit within a broadly existential understanding of the word. Most simply, we think of spirituality in terms of ultimate goals and values. It refers to individuals’ relationships to one another, to self and to the sacred (whatever that might be). Spirituality is concerned with the fundamental human pursuit of meaning making. When deeply engaged, spirituality promotes practices that help individuals and communities to both appreciate “what is” and to transform themselves into “what can be.” Spirituality, for us, is earthly and transcendent, particular and universal. It nurtures and realizes wholeness, community and transformation. 

Would you have any opinion or experience about the relation between SALT and Spirituality (as defined above)? Do you see a connection between the two ‘concepts’ or practices? In your experience, is one influencing the other? Or do you experience them as separate 'issues’? 

I would be grateful if you could share (here or in a private message) your experience, thoughts and ideas about this.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Hi Nathalie,

I am doing the 21-day online meditation of Deepak Chopra and Oprah https://chopracentermeditation.com/experience Today I listened to day-five of the meditation. What Oprah mentioned reminded me of SALT and dream building. She said worthiness is your birthright, you are whole and complete simply because you were born. When we come to manifesting the life we most desire , when we start from a place feeling fulfilled and abundant, not from a place of lack, we are likely to realize our dreams as strongest forces align to fulfill what we desire. Think a moment of how law of attraction works. Like attracts like, energy of deficiency brings you more deficiency, when you start from your true self, from abundance, you connect with the source energy.

My personal experience- similarly if we see this goodness/worthiness in others, when we keep our title and external differences aside. the more you see this similarity, the less you judge, the more you feel aligned, connected. And sometimes I feel I am a drop of this ocean, other human beings are separate yet we are part of each other and together we make a whole. I also at times feel this connection with nature, with eco-system:-) I am not sure I make sense. I don't have the capacity to explain it I think in words, it has to be felt during a SALT visit or meditation. Group meditation or SALT visits I find are more powerful as a large number of positive energies come together. 

Warmly,

Rituu

[Jean-Louis Lamboray]

Yes, Nathalie, please, do write that piece! 

To me SALT is a way to live our spirituality. Why? Because SALT unleashes the energies that are dormant in people. Once unleashed, those energies transform the people and the communities they belong to. That experience of transformation inspires them to share what they have learned with members of other communities. Hence the start of a positive epidemic.

What is others' experience? 

Warm regards

JL

[Kaj Voetmann]

Hi Nathalie

Diana Whitney and David Cooperrider has made a bridge between AI and spirituality, that might be unknown to most people.

As part of the United Religions Initiative http://www.uri.org/ they made a workshop for 100 leaders from many different traditional relegions and new religous movements.  

The opening question that the relegious leaders had to answer in mutual interviews between two of the leaders was:

"What has been you best spiritual experience?"

David wrote a small article called 'The Surprise of Friendship' based on what happended at the workshop. Let me know if you want me to find it for you. I think it was only published in a Danish translation in a Book I edited.

[Kaj Voetmann]

Here is the article by David Cooperrider

[Nathalie Legros]

Oh, wonderful! Thank you Kaj! I was about to express my wish to receive it :-)

[Nathalie Legros]

thank you all for your answers, inspiring :-)

let me share my own experience:

when I was a child, I was fascinated by the immensity of the sky and in contrast, by the intense life at a microscopical level (vegetation, small animals, the perception of my own body activities); I felt somehow strangely placed in between these two extremes: the very big and the very small; I felt also strangely situated between what I perceived as 2 other extremes: birth and death; in the middle of this mystery, I was sensing the importance of the connection with all elements, and most important, with human beings; it felt that what would be left at the end of my life would be all these relationships...

this is, I guess, the source of my experience of spirituality; if I see a link with SALT, it is because I experience SALT as an art of living which invites me to connect with my fellow human beings, and beyond, with the world, authentically, deeply, simply, in joy and appreciation