Integral Spirituality is a perspective of spirituality that honors the truths of modernity and postmodernity—including the revolutions in science and culture—while incorporating the essential insights of the great traditions. Integral means comprehensive, balanced, inclusive, and essential for completeness. Integrity means to integrate all parts of our nature; to cultivate body, mind, and spirit in self culture, and nature. Gandhi said, “One cannot do right in one department of life whilst occupied in doing wrong in any other department. Life is one indivisible whole.” How do we feel part of something larger than ourselves? How do we love with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength? How do we grow, evolve, and become more mindful toward abundant life? Integral spirituality provides a map of the territory Oneness, love, and abundant life. Through Integral Spirituality we can learn to open up, wake up, grow up, clean up, and show up to life.
View Integral Practices HERE.
Learn more about CI’s Integral Life School HERE.
Clean Up –
Healthy ego
Moral behavior
Shadow Work
Do the inner work of processing our own repressed, disowned, and denied aspects of self (positive and negative)
Grow Up –
Stages of consciousness
Capacity for multiple perspective
Relationships
Communication
Power differentials
Spiritual, emotional, & psychological maturity (see Open Up)
Wake Up –
State of consciousness
Overcoming thought of separation
Spiritual awakening
Contact True-Self
Radical Freedom
Dis-identify with ego attachments
Let go of explanation of failure/success
Open Up –
Tune-in to all areas of development
Aesthetic
Cognitive
Emotional
Interpersonal
Kinesthetic
Moral
Motivation
Needs
Psychosexual
Sense of Self
Spiritual
Values
Show Up –
Give back
Grasp unfolding/flowering nature of all 4 quadrants
Connect to all of life
All levels of reality
Be present to our inner life (I),
outer behavior (IT),
collective culture (WE), and
systems of society (ITS)
…where the fruits of our labor truly begin to ripen, where all of our accumulated knowledge, personal growth, spiritual practice, and shadow work become a limitless source of strength, presence, and wisdom, allowing to us engage the many dimensions and challenges of our world in a far more meaningful and impactful way, from becoming a better parent, to becoming a better leader, to becoming a better citizen of the world.
‘Wake up’ involves achieving higher states of consciousness through spiritual practices, transcending ordinary awareness to experience deeper truths about existence. This awakening allows individuals to connect with a sense of universal consciousness, fostering a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of all life. By waking up, people can access deeper layers of wisdom and compassion, which can transform their perception of reality and their place within it.
“Grow up” refers to the development of personal maturity and psychological growth, which includes evolving through various stages of cognitive and moral development. Wilber emphasizes that individuals must progress through these stages to attain a more integrated and balanced personality. Growing up involves recognizing and overcoming ego-centric behaviors, expanding one’s capacity for empathy, and cultivating a more complex and nuanced understanding of the world.
“Clean up” focuses on the process of shadow work, where individuals confront and integrate repressed parts of their psyche to achieve greater wholeness. This involves acknowledging and healing unresolved traumas, negative patterns, and unconscious biases. By cleaning up, people can release the psychological baggage that hinders their personal and spiritual growth, leading to a more authentic and harmonious existence.
“Open up” emphasizes embracing a more inclusive and compassionate worldview, fostering a sense of interconnectedness with all beings. This openness requires individuals to transcend narrow, self-centered perspectives and cultivate empathy and understanding for diverse experiences and viewpoints. Opening up leads to greater acceptance, love, and solidarity with others, enriching one’s spiritual journey and enhancing collective well-being.
“Show up” is about engaging in the world with authenticity and purpose, actively participating in societal transformation and contributing to the greater good. Wilber advocates for individuals to live their values and spiritual insights through concrete actions that promote justice, compassion, and positive change. Showing up means being fully present and committed to making a difference, embodying the principles of awakened living in everyday life.
