Why I’m Becoming Convinced Authentic Spirituality Is the Key To Autistic Liberation

I (virtually) turned to a friend a few months ago as I was trying to think things through regarding my own goals and what I wanted to do. And I asked, if so many people are trying to coach autistic and neurodiverse people to be more neurotypical, who is helping them find their spirituality and connect with themselves? The answer from my fellow neurodivergent, long-time friend was that seemed like something I’d be good at. I tended to agree, but I also took more time to think about it. I knew from my own life, that until I connected with myself–REMEMBERED WHO I AM–that I couldn’t really clear out the dissonance in my life so I could hear my heart speaking.

You see, I’d been growing increasingly uncomfortable with a lot of the autistic/neurodivergent pages and coaches out there. So many wanted to teach us neurospicy people to do more/blend in more/be more productive under the guise of “working with our brains”. It struck me a lot like the current, western view of yoga as fitness or wellness, because no, that’s not right either.

Honestly, I suspect a lot of us are in the same boat that way. Even as we talk about autistic and disability liberation, our society, our culture, even the very neurodivergent communtiy around us, is asking us to still try to blend in. I began thinking about the masks I put on to get through the day, and they started to get really uncomfortable.

I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted after 48 years of masking, trying to blend in, trying to “be more like everyone else” just to get through the day. And more and more I’m vowing to make a life for myself that doesn’t’ require that.

I’m also becoming more comfortable with the fact that I say things that other people think should be left unsaid. I am unafraid to examine the sacred cows of our society, even my own neurodivergent community, and point out where there are flaws or how they’re harming us. I mean, about 20-25 people are killed by cows each year. Those sacred cows? They hurt a lot more people than that, I’m sure.

So as I mentioned in my newsletter there’s going to be a shift in focus. Less yoga and wellness, though certainly I’ll be offering yoga sequences and talking about yoga, especially in Coop Dharma, but more a focus on general spirituality with a goal of reconnecting with yourself, remembering who you wanted to be before the world told you that you were wrong.

I look forward to sharing this with you and hope you’ll join me on this journey. After all, there are a lot of people telling us how to be more productive and fit in with the neurotypicals. Very few are talking about creating the spiritual connection we all need in our lives.