Reflecting upon one year of 'cave exploration'
January 7, 2016
Hosted by Gilles Asselin
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Episode Description
Spelunking is not an easy word to understand for those of us whose mother tongue is not English. As I was explaining the meaning of "spelunking" to a friend in Sweden, she exclaimed,
"Oh, you are a cave man!"
To which I responded,
"Yes, I am, and I am encouraging people to explore caves as well; that is, their own caves!"
Please join me as I reflect upon one year of "cave exploration!"
In my opinion, it is not so much a question of what we have explored--or possibly achieved--thus far, but rather a challenge as to "how can we go deeper!?"
Happy New Year!
Nurturing the Spiritual Spelunker in All of Us
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There is a reason why every human is born in this world; and as many reasons as there are human beings thriving on the planet. These reasons for BEING are there to be explored, nurtured, owned, and harvested, in the depth of our unique beingness.
There are a number of religious people, gurus or masters who claim to know and teach THE truth. Yet, once we reach a certain level of mature curiosity, we realize that we can’t be told where to look for it. It is entirely up to us, and us only.
In the end, it is our responsibility to acknowledge and listen to the little voice that calls from within and forge on the path of “spiritual spelunking.” It takes courage and confidence not only to start, but to assiduously continue on the journey, knowing the most beautiful inner vistas are ours to savor once we reach deeper levels of awareness.
It is my privilege to invite you to walk the journey within. It will be my pleasure to be your host and companion on the path.
Gilles Asselin
From a childhood in Western Europe to a few years of working in Africa, my life journey has taken me across several belief systems. Searching for a new educational frontier, I crossed the Atlantic and ended up studying psychology in Wisconsin. My curiosity for people led me to work in the field of intercultural relations. For 20 years, I trained people in cultural self-awareness and understanding.
My spiritual path has taken me through various routes. At the end of 2007, I decided to leave the religious organization I had been practicing with for a number of years. I was confused as to why it happened so abruptly. I later had a profound realization while reading a quote from Anne Hillman’s book, Awakening the Energies of Love.
“It wasn’t until my mid-forties that I mentioned my dilemma with the church to a colleague who’d once been a Dominican priest. He told me the story of a beautiful tree in the center of a garden, surrounded by a high stone wall. He likened the tree to a person searching for the sacred and the wall to the boundaries defined by her religion.”
“The tree needs to grow out of the garden. Its branches need room to expand and spread wide. They need to reach far outside the garden’s walls for they cannot be contained by the wall’s limits. But the tree always remains rooted in the garden.”
I am committed to spreading the branches of my tree and providing guidance and companionship to those willing to explore their inner lives.