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Nights can be hard. Sometimes it seems like time is standing still. All we have are our thoughts, the thoughts that refuse to be suppressed when all distraction is removed. What if nighttime never ended? What if the journey from daylight to daylight went on for so long that we eventually forgot what it was like before we went to sleep and awoke in the dark? It’s nighttime right now. The whole human race is on a Hero’s Journey.

If you know your Joseph Campbell, you have heard of the Hero’s Journey. The classical example is The Odyssey by Homer. Think also of any of the Tolkien books or Harry Potter. The Hero is cruising along, doing their thing, when an event occurs that forever alters the course of life, and they embark on a journey into the unforeseen and unknown. The transition from what went before to what will come after is called the liminal phase. Campbell refers to this as a sea journey at night. There is no turning back, no knowledge of what will come next, and no idea of where now even is. The only option is to keep going. The beauty and power of the journey is that the Hero returns from the dark sea at night having learned lessons that inform and reform the whole community. Life will never be the same for anyone.

In case you were in any doubt, we are in a liminal phase right now.   It is the dark season of winter, and the rebirth of spring seems far, far away.  Many of us are experiencing challenging times of physical pain, grief, loss, and metamorphosis.  The planet is aching with sadness from our neglect.  And let us not speak of the incomprehensible political situation in which we find ourselves. No wonder we lie awake in our beds at night drifting in the dark sea.  No wonder anxiety levels are high, patience is thin, tempers are short.

How can we find ways to comfort ourselves in dark times?  

Meditate on your personal Hero’s Journey. Think back to a time of transition in your life, and chronicle it in a journal.  Bring it to life through a craft or an art project. Tell your story to a trusted friend, partner, grandchild, Spiritual Director, or Stephen Minister.  Celebrate how you emerged from the challenge, however difficult it may have been, with tools that you carried into the next phase of your life.

Notice your breath.  Every breath cycle is a mini journey. When you find yourself lying in bed at night unable to drop out of your thoughts, visualize the inhale as it starts in a tiny spot behind your navel and opens into your body in all directions until it pours out your fingers, toes, and the crown of your head. As you exhale, follow the breath as it gently recedes back to its point of origin. Repeat this wave of breath as many times as you like. Notice how your body and mind begin to soften. 

If you practice yoga, you know that everything you do on your mat is a rehearsal for life. A yoga practice is a journey. Often we come to our mats carrying baggage from life with us. Practicing makes us a little stronger, a little more flexible, a little more centered and better able to see those things that weigh us down with a different perspective.  Even if you don’t practice, you can bring awareness to the significance of “seed” pose. Curl up into a fetal position on your side cradling your head with your lower arm.  This asana (pose) is a reminder that every moment of every day and every breath you take is a new beginning. Everything you need and are is already inside of you, just like a seed. If you sleep in this position, take a moment as you fall asleep to remind yourself of the deeper significance of your sleeping posture.

If you have a religious practice, approach your worship time as a Hero’s Journey. Reformed Liturgy, the style practiced by many people in the Protestant faith tradition, is structured to receive us where we are, take us on a journey, and send us out with a renewed sense of purpose and fresh perspective. Ponder this a little more closely next time you enter the worship space, either in-person or online.

We may struggle to remember what the light looked like before, but history, literature, life experience, faith, and practice, assure us that we will see it again, even though it won’t look the same, and really, thank goodness for that!

Namaste.

(Edited from an original post, October 10, 2020)

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