Return to The Sacred: Ancient Pathways to Spiritual Awakening

by Jonathan H. Ellerby

Are you looking for inner peace? Do you seek a deeper understanding of yourself and the spiritual world? Have you followed the popular prescriptions for enlightenment and still found yourself unsatisfied? Return to The Sacred is a fascinating guide that will help you understand the importance of spiritual practice and the great diversity of paths that are available to you. This is a book that does more than provide philosophy and inspiration; it gives you the freedom to find a path that works for you and the knowledge to experience the answers for yourself. You’ll learn about the time-tested tools of spiritual growth that will help you discover extraordinary depths of wisdom, power, and peace. Return to The Sacred will introduce you to the 12 Master Paths and Practices that have transformed the lives of countless saints, mystics, masters, and sages since the beginning of history. In this book, you’ll find what you need to discover your spiritual personality and choose the path that will lead you toward the realization of boundless joy and a lifelong journey of meaning. Jonathan Ellerby, Ph.D., weaves threads of personal growth and comparative religion into captivating true tales of spiritual adventures with teachers and healers around the world. Through colorful stories and clear reflections, he presents a perspective that reveals the rewards of spiritual practice, and a realistic understanding of the deep commitments and challenging steps along the way. Return to The Sacred is an inspiring journey around the globe and into the furthest reaches of Spirit.

Genres: Spirituality, Self Help

259 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about the author’s pathways to his own spiritual awakening. However, he gives the reader a lot of options, suggestions and pointers as to how and where to start his or her own spiritual path. Now, if you want to follow his footsteps you will need a very considerable amount of money to travel around the globe and work with masters and gurus around the world and learn all kinds of spiritual practices.

But, if you really want to start walking the path of your own spiritual awakening and don’t have many resources at the time being, you can start reading books on the subject, there are many wonderful authors out there regarding this subject. You can join a local group that shares your interests, learn to meditate, get involved in some of your community activities. Sooner than later you’ll find yourself working on your spiritual life without much effort. Although it does take discipline and patience to walk that path, because your ego will fight back when you try to silence it.

They say that when you are ready the teacher shows up, and I know this for a fact.
There is no right or wrong path, it’s only important that it’s your own path and that it feels right walking it. Just choose your spiritual adviser wisely. Like the author says, no matter how many degrees or credentials a person has, if you have a “bad feeling” you should walk away. Not all paths are for everyone, you have to find your own. Not all guides are fit for us all, we each have to find our own mentor and guru. But I personally think that it’s important if not imperative that we work in our spirituality to heal humanity and the planet as a whole.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's many experiences shows that there is no "one way" to awaken the spirit, and it does not always come from the things that we think will awaken it. Awakening the spirit is just the start of the journey though, not the end so every experience builds on those that came before giving new understandings and insights. Again, having the insights is not enough - you have to then take action and make them part of who you are. Some insights are small and some can change who we are in an instant.
I found this book a good reminder to keep up a spiritual practice of some sort - sometimes it can be something big, sometimes just as small as a daily prayer to (insert chosen recipient here), to act as a constant reminder of our true nature.

[Annette Summerfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously not a person who grew up with poverty and lives in poverty or understands it.
I've never had the money for a passport, let-alone the money to be joining yoga classes and such.
I got tired of reading about his trips all over the place. As someone who is ill and has been, over all, a lot house bound over my life I can't relate at all to this. He needed to encourage those who are unable to go out and join classes. If you can't afford to join a yoga class, and/or due to an illness, anxieties, social phobias, Agoraphobia and so on, do what you can at home. Single moms with children and someone with a family to look after, so many different situations, not everyone can be out visiting spiritual healers, herbalists, yoga classes and traveling all over, or have the means to.

I started skipping over his stories of "I went here" and "I traveled there"...really, never known anyone who could just spend life doing all this. I went through all these and found the parts I thought were of use and enjoyed those parts.
It's sad though to tell people they can't learn on their own. It discourages those who are unable to get help. I have to block that negativity out now and realize, that though I can't go out and join this and that and be social, I will continue to do the best I can home here.

[Jenn Raley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know that "spiritual adventure book" is a genre, but that's what Jonathan has brought us here. His stories depicting various spiritual practices are truly engaging.

The overall structure of the book is truly helpful, outlining various types of spiritual practice, the details of which can be nonsectarian or specific to one's faith tradition. This book is suitable for a range of individuals, from a spiritual practitioner who feels stuck and is looking for something new to a seeker who doesn't know where to begin.

I found the last chapters to be most encouraging personally. Even when specific spiritual practices seem difficult to fit into the daily "time budget", living in one's own integrity, with compassion and intention, is truly its own spiritual practice.

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this a while back but forgot to tell GoodReads. Haha. I absolutely loved it with my entire sacred soul. This is a book that I could read over and over again. It resonates on such a deep level. Heck, I think I might even try to get in touch with the author who is from Manitoba and got a degree in my hometown of Regina just to thank him for this beautiful book. He feels like a beautiful, wise, kindred spirit.

[Jen Bosen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise, annoying execution. The author writes from a place of EXTREME privilege, loves name dropping, and his tone is often a little condescending. That said, the 12 spiritual paths he discusses are fascinating, and I appreciate how he introduces them, shares different options along each, and doesn’t seem to favor one over the other. I rolled my eyes a lot, but I learned enough to make the eye rolling worth it.

[Corrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan has an amazing ability to take the spiritual and bring it into everyday life and language - to take it out of the "sacrosphere" and make it comprehensible and doable. He gives you so many tools and stories and ways to think about and look at things that are just delightful ways to remind yourself to be present again and again and again. I enjoy his writings and talks so much for this. Sometimes we think that remembering the sacred in us is such a struggle in every day life, and it can be, but then there is Jonathan, sharing a technique or a small ritual that we can do, reminding us not to make it too hard, to come back to presence, to face what is and go from there.

[H. Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. I was looking for some ways to better incorporate my spiritual practice into my daily life and the master paths detailed in this book gave me a lot of inspiration. A bit heavy on the personal anecdotes but otherwise very informative.

[Lindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is to give spiritual direction and add to the journey you are currently on and offers many connections to offer the spirit to nourish and guide you along this adventure.

[Narelle Clauscen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read and reminder of the steps to take to live a life of inner peace. A great introduction to the beginner in self-development and discovery.

[Scott Leuthold]

Good book written by my friend Jon.