Sometimes, it seems that the modern world focuses only on the importance of materialism, and the monetary values of ‘things’. We are offered images of abundance, beautiful houses, elegant clothes, perfectly formed bodies, all of which we are encouraged to aspire to. Women are exposed to this barrage of advertising; are especially under pressure to do the best for their families, and look beautiful for their husbands. The old credit card slogan was “take the waiting out of wanting,” the sub-text is that you CAN have it now. The life styles on offer have the air of impossible dreams, and we max out our cards chasing this delusion.

Holistic approach
In the rush of consumerism, the crises and joys of family life we lack the time to reflect on what this materialism is actually offering us, or to find out and whether it has actually made us truly (spiritually) happy, making us feel inadequate in the race of life. This can create a ‘disconnect’ or ‘break down’ between our personal values and our expectations; we are uncertain what to do, and how much is enough. So, how do we reconcile our wants and needs? Indeed how do we reconcile either with our spiritual growth and discover how to create a more balanced way of live?

The recent images of global disasters, the Tsunami in Asia, the London bombings and Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, don’t fit in with a “life-style” view of the world. Their devastating human and material realities force us to question our existence from a higher perspective- a spiritual perspective: what IS our relationship to the material world? How do we evaluate or react to such catastrophes in a world that we imagine we can control? Spiritual schools from time immemorial have highlighted the universal connection between everything that exists in our world, and today science is increasingly demonstrating the deep inter-connection, in the complex universe we inhabit.