My Spiritual Awakening

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written by Gillian Olivia Witter

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was no longer a full-time employee of the YMCA, after working there for thirteen years! I had aggressively pursued a career of General Manager at the West End YMCA, but it was now clear that my Life Purpose had changed and there was something greater for me to do. Months after not working full-time, I still needed to sit with those uncomfortable feelings of not having a full-time job. What would I do now? Those feelings were short-lived, after I spent that entire summer doing what felt good. I was a teenager again! I went to High Park pool, the Toronto Island, biking all over, yoga, and seeing Toronto with new eyes.

 

 

At the end of the summer, I decided to fulfill a big yearning desire to go to Spain. Ever since high school I’d been drawn to Spain. In the times of rave parties, Ibiza was the Mecca of the all-night raves. I secretly wanted to experience Ibiza but didn’t hang around with anyone wild enough to go. When the freedom of not working full-time became a reality, I packed my bags and booked a flight to Malaga, Spain. Initially, I picked Malaga for the weather and beaches. More importantly, I wanted to go somewhere different than Barcelona and Madrid. Somewhere that wasn’t consumed by tourism. I believe that everything happens exactly in alignment. Things are lined up to connect you to things that your soul needs. Almost like a contract for the soul. And Spain would be the contract for my soul.

 

 

And so, the awakening began…

 

 

I arrived at my assigned “home-stay” with all sorts of feelings: excitement, nervousness, hyper-awareness and happiness. My home-stay Mom, Margot, showed me around, speaking only in Spanish. I caught a word here and there, but I really had no clue of the details she was sharing. But understood the rules, and the information about my room. I was quite happy with where I was staying. It was in a beautiful four-storey home with marble floors. Not too long after I got settled, two women introduced themselves to me. They were both from Sweden – Ana and Nina. Ana was very welcoming, but Nina had a mean look on her face. They were both attending the same Spanish school as I would, and they invited me to go explore our new neighborhood. As we walked, we got to know each other and both women were absolutely lovely. We spend a lot of our time together. Ana was fluent in Spanish. Nina and I were at the same beginner level at school.

 

 

During my time with Ana and Nina, we also met Viktor, a Russian guy from Latvia. We sat together on the bus when we toured Malaga. Turns out he’s an Aquarius, which is one of my most compatible astrological signs for friends and romance. We all seemed to get along famously. At one point, I am pretty sure I started to have a crush on Victor, but I would never say it. He was easy to talk to and we got along well together. The four of us, Ana, Nina, Viktor and I, would hang out quite a bit together. I was amazed at how our connection grew so quickly. So, in my eyes we were an eclectic group.

 

 

Within two weeks, we’d become close friends. We went to the beach, practiced our Spanish, did our homework together, ate most of our meals together, and went on excursions, too. The two weeks flew by and I didn’t even realize it until they were waking me up in the middle of the night to say goodbye, as they were ready to head back to Sweden. I was so incredibly sad because I got close to them so quickly, and didn’t want them to leave. A week later Viktor went home, too, and I was left to my own devices.

 

 

This was my first trip alone. I didn’t know the language, or much of the town, but I seemed to get along well. I actually felt incredibly free. I did what I wanted. No one really knew me, but I felt like I was 100% my authentic self, emerging from as the way I was known to be in Canada. I felt that the people around me saw the real me.

 

I did many wonderful things in Spain. I went to Granada to see the Alhambra and the Generalife. I went to Valencia to see the family of an international student who had lived with me briefly two years earlier. I went to Ibiza by myself and celebrated the last night of the season by going clubbing on my own. It was so different and freeing. What a rewarding experience! I also took a trip to Morocco where I was “jokingly” being bought for eight goats in the market to be a man’s wife.

 

 

During my last days in Spain, my home-stay sister (the daughter of the family I was staying with), Nuria, took me to my first film completely in Spanish, without subtitles. We went to go see La Cara Oculta. I loved it so much! My last night in Malaga, Nuria took me clubbing so I could leave Spain with a bang! I had a great last night in Spain.

 

Maybe all of this doesn’t seem to fit into what might be perceived as a spiritual awakening, but it was! I met my soul sister, Nina. Initially this mean-face woman from Sweden seemed like another person on my lovely time in Spain, but our friendship blossomed over thousands of our words through e-mails. We become e-mail pals. We confided in each other in a deep way, connecting, without judgment. Nina helped me open up my soul. She suggested doing Reconnective Healing, and The Reconnection, which aligned my spirit to the direction that I am taking now. We wrote each other almost every other day for well over a year. There are not many people out there to whom you can bare your soul, without judgment or criticism. Turns out we both LOVE astrology, and she’s my opposite/complementary sign – Aries. She’s into alternative healing, crystals and gemstones, yoga, painting and art.

 

 

It’s been four years now, and I am proud to call her my good friend. We have gone through a lot of life together. We still talk often on Skype or message each other on Facebook. I consider her a great friend! Without her support, I might have been more insecure with my spiritual development. I was shedding parts of me that no longer served me, and Nina was my sounding board.

 

 

What changed for me?

 

 

• An increased tendency to let things happen rather than trying to make them happen

• Frequent attacks of smiling

• Feelings of being connected with others and nature

• Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation

• A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears or based on past experiences

• An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment

• A loss of the ability to worry

• A loss of interest in conflict

• A loss of interest in interrupting the actions of others

• A loss of interest in judging others

• A loss of interest in judging myself

• An increase in the ability to love without expecting anything in return

 

Source: Unknown 

 

 

Have you been spiritually awakened?