Have you ever found yourself asking questions like, “Can I make it through? Can I handle this? Will life be okay? Will the practices give me refuge in the experiences of the darkness?" If so, you might be experiencing what is sometimes referred to as "the dark night of the soul." This term is often used to describe a spiritual crisis that can happen to anyone, at any time, regardless of their faith or beliefs. It can be a time of deep questioning, doubt, and uncertainty about one's path and purpose in life. And it's something that many people experience many times in their lifetime.

For some people, this crisis can last for minutes or days. For others, it can go on for years. We get trapped in deep and dark doubt, and we don't know how to move forward. In Buddhist psychology, doubt is one of the five hindrances. It's one of the five energies that so distorts reality that we can get paralyzed. And the big challenge with doubt is that it can paralyze us so we don't engage in the very ways that could help us wake up through that grip of fear and doubt.

​The good news is that we can work with doubt. One of the most simple and powerful things we can do is to acknowledge that doubt is universal. We're not alone in this experience. We can name our doubt and frame it. "OK, what's going on now is doubt." When we name it, our identity is not so hooked into it. There's more of an opening to the awareness that's witnessing the doubt.

Another powerful tool is to intentionally turn our attention to whatever might inspire us or remind us of a larger belonging. This could be the people in our lives, the teachings we follow, or the beings in the natural world. We need a way to touch the ground when we get confused, when we forget. It's like calling on a larger belonging to bear witness to our doubt and to reach out for connection.

In the story of Siddhartha's awakening to be Buddha, he faced doubt when Mara, the Shadow God, brought out all the challenges. When he experienced doubt, the final challenge, he touched the ground in a prayer and called on the whole web of life, the Earth Goddess, for support. He reached out for connection to a larger belonging.

Ultimately, the dark night of the soul and questioning can be an opportunity for growth and transformation. It's a time when we can delve deep into our doubts, face our fears, ask a lot of questions and come out stronger on the other side.

And as we celebrate Earth Day, we can also remember that we are a part of something bigger. Mother Earth is always here to support and offer us anything we need. We can draw inspiration from the natural world around us and remember that we are not alone.