Jeffrey Alan Hall - Spiritual Guidance

An intimate conversation with Author, Speaker and Spiritual Life Coach
Jeffrey Alan Hall

We caught up with Jeffrey at his secluded mountain home, high in the foothills outside Evergreen, Colorado. His new book, "An Awakening Within—Stories and Reflections to Rekindle Your Spirit and Awaken Your Soul!" was about to hit bookstores later in the month. As always, Jeff was filled with a contagious excitement and passion for life—all the upbeat characteristics we have come to know and admire.

The rising sun began to light up the mountains as we relaxed in a couple of well-worn leather chairs and basked in the inviting warmth of a massive stone fireplace. Jeffrey served up a couple of picture perfect lattes, put his feet up on the hearth and reflected on the moment. Just the kind of setting you would expect from a self-described hopeless romantic who strives to live the spiritual principles he writes and speaks about.

Colorado Serenity - It's a Book! Interview With Jeffrey Alan Hall

CS: We love your new book! You just keep getting better and better. An Awakening Within is a must read for the spiritually minded. It's very well written!

JAH: Thanks! The book kind of wrote itself. It's actually a collection of my short stories and essays—many of which have appeared in Colorado Serenity, I might add! I really appreciate the support you've given me over the years.

CS: Well, the appreciation goes both ways. Your writing has touched the hearts of so many people in our community. It's an absolute privilege to have you as a monthly columnist. We can't tell you how many hundreds of emails, letters and phone calls we have received since your column Higher Ground first appeared four years ago. People seem to really connect with your work. That has to feel good.

JAH: It does! The spiritual connection I share with my readers has truly been a blessing. Like many writers, I started writing primarily for myself. Then, when the column started to take off, I thought perhaps my words might connect with a reader or two every month—get them to think about spirituality for a change—perhaps even consider their life's purpose. I had no idea that so many people would identify with the things I write about. I am so very grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support I have received from the mountain community. Is this a great place to live or what!

CS: In the introduction of the book, you mention that you feel very spiritually directed when you write. Can you tell us more about that?

JAH: Sure, absolutely. When I prepare to write, I rise very early in the morning and meditate for about an hour. There is such a peaceful tranquility in the silence that exists just before the sun rises and the world begins to wipe the sand from its eyes. The sacred space that lives within the silence, allows me to connect to Spirit with total surrender and great expectation. I can't imagine beginning the day any other way.

There's a line from A Course In Miracles that says, "Infinite patience produces immediate results." What it means is that when you have infinite patience you have a peaceful knowing inside—an absolute surrender to a higher power in the universe. You feel connected to it and know that it will channel through you the same way it flows through every living thing. The immediate results or in my case the words that fill the page, begin showing up because I have a clear knowing that they will. I just take my hands off the handlebars and trust the universe to deliver. She always does.

CS: You mentioned A Course In Miracles. How has it affected your life and your work?

JAH: Like a lot of baby boomers—and many of my coaching clients—I arrived at a place a few years ago where I knew in my heart that I was not leading an authentic life. As a successful businessman I had accomplished a good deal—acquired a bunch of possessions—but deep in my soul I felt distant from God, unhappy and completely out of balance. I had searched for the missing pieces within organized religion, even ran a large church in Denver for a while. That's where I realized that like many other people, it wasn't religion but rather spirituality that I was searching for.

At that point, someone suggested I read A Course In Miracles. I did and it was like a two hundred pound weight had been lifted from my chest! Suddenly, all of the guilt laden "you were born in sin" stuff that had formed the religious teachings of my youth, gave way to the refreshing revelation that each of us was born in love. I came to know Spirit as the infinite power living within us and that we're not separate from it at all; we just think that we are. This perceived separation from the God force is what causes most of life's problems including guilt, worry and the inability to love our selves.

I began to see that our current life situations are merely the result of our past choices and that by working with this infinite power instead of against it, we can recreate with God, the life that we desire. The Course taught me that this divine power—a power we all share—is based on love not fear. Through this power of love we are able to transcend our differences as human beings and understand that we are all connected to each other in a very metaphysical way. It truly was "an awakening within"—a very freeing experience for me.

CS: So you feel that The Course changed your life?

JAH: Yes! So much so, that I began teaching The Course to others. It now forms the foundation for my work as a Spiritual Life Coach. But it's really only the first step on the path to enlightenment. Since I embrace universal spirituality and the belief that all spiritual paths lead to the same destination, I work with many of the ancient teachings as well—the Bible, the Koran, the Tao, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Dhammapada, the Tao-te Ching—it really depends on the client and the spiritual path they choose to walk.

A Course In Miracles is a wonderful place to begin because, as a Buddhist might say, "It allows us to remove some rice from our rice bowl so that new rice can be put in." To grow in our spirituality, we must often unlearn many of the religious teachings of our past and get back to a neutral position. By doing so, we can then freely choose for ourselves which spiritual direction to take and walk our own unique path—-the path that feels right for us.

CS: You call your Spiritual Life Coaching practice Soulworks ®. How did that name come to be and how does it relate to your work and your new book?

JAH: I believe that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience-not the other way around. And so it is that I founded Soulworks ® based on three underlying principles:

1) There is a spiritual solution to every problem.
2) True and lasting change must take place at the soul level.
3) Life was meant to be a sacred and meaningful adventure.

With these three principles as a starting point, I work one on one with individuals to address life issues from a spiritual perspective. By helping to create a sacred space within the heart of the soul, I assist others in tapping into guidance from their higher self and lead them further along the spirit trail towards remembering and ultimately becoming their highest gift.

You see, life is all about remembering what it is we were put on earth to do and then going about the business of doing it. It was never meant to be that difficult. It only seems like a struggle because we spend so much time looking for the answers outside ourselves. But because the solution is always spiritual, we need only to awaken and look within—within our souls—for that is where our truth has always been.

The stories and reflections in An Awakening Within celebrate the victory of the soul—our spiritual triumph over the challenges of life. It calls upon each of us to awaken and remember that our only true purpose is to give love, live love and be love. Love is the only solution. I think at some karmic level, we all know that to be true.

CS: I am interested in the kind of issues clients bring to you as a Spiritual Life Coach? Is this a type of therapy?

JAH: No. Spiritual Life Coaching is never a substitute for therapy. My clients are mentally healthy, well adjusted individuals who have reached a point in their lives where they would like to better understand their own spiritual energy and more closely align themselves with their true calling. Many are seeking to make a job change, start a new business or explore their vocational options. Rather than take the traditional approach, they want to utilize Spirit and open a channel to their higher self through meditation, prayer or receptive visualization.

Others simply want some spiritual guidance along the path of light. I tend to attract a lot of people who, like myself, were unable to find everything they were looking for within the framework of an organized religion. They want to experience God first hand and transform their lives into a sacred and meaningful adventure. I help them embrace spirituality, listen to the voice within themselves and get comfortable with their own truth. By doing so, they are able to tap into the infinite power of the universe and co-create—with that power—a life more in line with their true purpose.

CS: Talk to me about meditation. How much of a role does it play in your work? I've tried it a few times, but I just can't seem to get my big toe behind my ear!

JAH: (Laughs) Meditation is an integral part of my coaching program and depending on the interests of the client, is often combined with hand drumming and the deep breathing exercises of Hatha Yoga. The power of meditation lies in the power of silence. Meditation is a spiritual tool that allows us to quiet our minds, connect to Spirit and receive direction from the universe. Have you ever noticed that during times of great tragedy, someone will always say, "Let's have a moment of silence?" The reason that we turn to silence in times of crisis or when we need solutions to problems or to simply reduce our stress levels is because within the silence we are able to return to our source—to God, to Spirit.

Eugene Pascal wrote, "All of mans troubles stem from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone." To connect to our souls and discover a spiritual solution to all of our problems, we, indeed, must learn to be still and "sit quietly in a room alone." Only in the stillness can we hear the voice of Spirit and only through meditation can we learn to be still. I teach meditation in a "user friendly" way that leads to an enhanced ability to relax, greater equanimity, improved self-assurance and increased physical and mental energy. Trust me, it has nothing to do with putting your big toe behind your ear!

CS: This is exciting stuff! Where can people get your new book?

JAH: An Awakening Within will be available at all major bookstores including Evergreen's own Stories and Hearthfire by April 1st. Or you can visit my web site at www.jeffreyalanhall.com or www.soul-works.net and click on the Barnes and Noble link.

CS: It has sincerely been a pleasure speaking with you Jeffrey. You are truly one of Colorado Serenity's special friends, one of the core group.

JAH: Thank you so much.
CS: Oh, and Jeffrey?
JAH: Yes.
CS: Just one more thing.
JAH: What's that?
CS: All the best!
JAH: (Laughs) All the best to you too!

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