In this interview Ian White Maher talks about devotion andpraise. When I prepared for the show I was asking myself, what doesthis actually mean? It also brought back memories of rebellingagainst anything and everything devotional in my adolescence whichled me to a phase of being an atheist.

The concept of resisting devotion and praise is an experiencecan feel anti-intellectual. Both Pol and his guest Ian had a periodin their life where they resisted these concepts and practices. Ianin his youth was simultaneously living in a Buddhist temple livingdevotion in the morning while questioning it in the afternoon. Whodoesn’t resonate with the impression of living a double life?

Ian mentions that moving forward towards your calling can bescary as there is a fear that nothing will ever be the sameafterwards. The divine for him is very demanding, in the sense thatit gives us a reflection of our life. Having worked in a cubiclefor 9 months of his life he has the awareness that this way ofgoing through his days was painful. How did he know? He was seekingall sorts of external stimulations that were not healthy.

Our guest mentions that being in divinity is a hard experiencewhich he associates with having a strong ego. He notices that hisego is fighting to be separate and when he sinks into the truth ofit admits that it is NOT hard to live with the divine. As you cansee this interview exposes polarities and will help you betterappreciate and understand your personal journey.

How do you reconcile the tug of the ego and the flow of thedivine? Ian goes in more details about the usefulness of techniquesas well as the fact that there are no true techniques. His approachconsists in being in a dialogue with God every day which iscreation speaking to him.

As our conversation evolves Ian invites you to consider that ifyou have come across The Spiritual Voice it is not a coincidenceand that there is a longing inside of you. You are here because youare loving it, even if at times you may not like what it means yetyou still love it. This is followed by an acknowledgement of thestate of the current world, the spiritual crisis and we will canrestore balance within and outside.

This interview teases you with the meaning of praise. Thisnatural evolution of our exchange will stimulate your ownunderstanding of what this means for you. Listen to the interviewto join us for this adventure!

'Havens Above' theme music taken from 'Aural Architecture' byalucidnation. www.alucidnation.co.uk /www.fabermusic.com /www.interchill.com .

If you're interested in buying CDs and/or digital then you coulduse the 'gift' facility via BandCamp:http://alucidnation.bandcamp.com/album/aural-architecture.

To learn more about The Spiritual Voice and our global communityvisit www.thespiritualvoice.com .You will also find all the show notes and our guest’s contactinformation.

Technique / Practice for DirectExperience

Ian extends an invitation for you to practice devotional singingor dancing. You can do it at home although this tends to be easierin community.

Find people to do dance and devotional singing in your area is agood first step before doing it by yourself. This will make youstronger by doing it with others. Look for a meetup group in yourarea that does devotional singing and you can even make a post onFacebook saying that you are interested in trying this.

As you sing the important thing is for you to pay attention tothe poles within your own body. Let go of the intellect and if younotice your ego, simply take a moment to recognize that this ishappening. Listen to your body and let yourself be guided by howyour body wants to be moved. Am I in touch with the longing thatbrought me here? Am I in touch with the divine’s desire for me?Then there is no right or wrong and I can just dance or sing anduse my body as a form of praise.