Solitude and the Challenge of a Constantly "Plugged-In Society

Solitude is one of the most important spiritual disciplines we can practice. When in solitude, we come home to our relationship with the cosmos - and more specifically - to our union with God and Goddess. They in turn then bring us home to our true self by emptying themselves continually through love and bliss into the very core of our being. That core self is not defined by any social expectations or by the fickle praise of society, but by our calling to contribute a unique, one-of-a-kind perspective to the Divine Source's self-awareness and self-appreciation.
By contrast, our tech-oriented society would try to convince us that our true home is in our internet connections. In this regard, I'd like to suggest an experiment. Ask yourself: "Do I feel most at home in solitude or in my internet connections through social media and email?"

When you get up in the morning, is checking your email, Facebook or Instagram the first thing you think about? As you move throughout your day, do you feel a persistent hunger to check your messages? If so, then you may want to spend more time in solitude away from your phone, tablet or computer. Having a natural area nearby where there is no cell phone service available can definitely aid in experiencing the richness of your true home in the communion of solitude. It is one of the things I appreciate most about our Western wild areas.

Photos: Various scenes from Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, October 9 and 16, 2015

I am available for one-on-one spiritual direction / mentoring via phone or Skype. You can contact me at canyonechoes@gmail.com if you are interested. The rate is $65 per hour-long session. You might also want to check out my Spiritual Direction with Stephen Hatch Facebook page.
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Many of my photos are available as prints, either mounted or unmounted. Here is a link to the pricing and various mounts available:

http://www.stephenhatchphotography.com/#!mounting-prices/cpr6