Native American Spiritulity - Essay Example

They are in essence moving with the natural flow of life to stay in balance. They also understand that when they are n this rhythm, life goes well; when they are out of the rhythm, the world does not seem to go as well. This is one of the reasons why many Native American people seem to be very quiet and balanced. Metaphysics has adopted many of the truths that Native Americans have always known. This paper will compare metaphysics and Native American spirituality to show how they are similar.

2 To Everything there is a Season A Bible verse that I remember from childhood began with the sentence, “to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven” (King James Version, Ecclesiastes 3.1). This particular bible verse to me talks about balance. The full verse talks about the fact that there is a time for doing everything and in life and that we should acknowledge that each of these things must be done. Native Americans have always understood that there is a time for everything and they learned to work with the seasons to plant, hunt and to migrate from place to place.

The medicine wheel was central to everything they did because it was symbolic of many things. They use the medicine wheel in many stories and to teach many lessons. The medicine wheel symbolizes, “life, afterlife, rebirth and the honouring of each step” (McCann 1). . This is possible because it is all about wholeness and the fact that everything is part of the medicine wheel. This allows people who are studying metaphysics to begin their studies by becoming more balanced. 3 The Importance of Energy Many people who practice metaphysics talk about the importance of Energy.

As an example, Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks explain that the entire world that we live in is based on energy. This means that everything from plants to animals is affected by energy flow. Native American spirituality also understands this energy and how it works with the seen and unseen. A Lakota friend of mine taught me to always honour everything in the world because of this energy. At every meal, we would make a small spirit plate and sit it outside. This was a way to give thanks to the energies that are part of nature that included the nature spirits.

Another concept of metaphysics that uses energy is learning how to focus it. This is taught in many ways. In the movie, “The Secret”, the various presenters talked about creating an intention of something you want and then holding the focus until it shows up in your life. Many people reviewed this movie and were upset because it did not seem to work for them, but those who used it, found that it worked every time. Native Americans have always used focus and understood its meaning. Before they went into battle, they focused on winning the battle and they did rituals honouring the spirits that would help.

One way that Lakota’s do this is through the seven rites. Chris O’Brien states that these seven rites include the “sweat lodge, vision quest, ghost keeping, Sundance, making