Commitment to the Self
One of the things that I have really been working on and thinking about recently is my own daily spiritual practice. It can be easy to get caught up in the everyday things to do and not make time for my own spiritual growth, then when things get tough it can be harder to bring myself back to that calm and peaceful place within. Having a daily regular practice deepens my meditation experience; helps me to make my reactions to situations more gentle and relaxed; helps me to keep my vibration high and unaffected by the maelstrom of other people’s emotions or my own and generallycreates a happier, healthier me who is more committed to looking after myself on all levels.
So what do I mean by a daily practice? When I first started meditating nearly 20 years ago I meditated every morning at the same time (early!) for 30 -60 minutes and the focus was on having a connection with the Divine. However this soon got a bit dry and boring and then the tendency was to want to stay in bed or find something else to do. Twenty years on and I am still developing the daily practice I want to be committed to – one that nourishes the soul, the heart and the mind.
Some days I use affirmations and mantras, some days I sit and watch the sunrise and some days I use reiki on myself and send it out to the world. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it motivates, inspires and keeps you awake and aware spiritually.
It is also essential that you find a time of day that will work for you – one when you aren’t too sleepy or hungry and when you are not going to be distracted by all the things you have to do for other people or are going to be disturbed by other family members. This will be different for everyone. I find it helpful to stick to roughly the same time every day so that it becomes part of my routine – so this is the time of the day that I put aside for my spiritual practice and nothing else. I find a minimum of 15 minutes is usually needed for me to really feel the effects on a long term basis.
Here are some ideas of things you can incorporate in your daily practice.
- listening to and following a guided meditation
- chanting mantras – either by oneself or along to a recording
- writing and repeating affirmations
- making a list of 5-10 things you are grateful for each day
- reading a chapter of a spiritual book and spending some time reflecting on it
- breath awareness meditations and pranayama practices
- chakra awareness meditations
- writing in a journal – either reflecting on something you are working on in your spiritual growth or automatic writing exercises
- using recordings of sound healing such as tibetan bowls or shamanic drums and using them to take you into a meditative state – or playing these your self if you have them
- creating a ritual that has meaning to you where you connect with Nature or Goddess energy or whatever you feel drawn to
These are just a few suggestions, there are many other things you can do. Play with a few things and find what feels most comfortable and natural for you – and what moves you in your heart to want to repeat it on a daily basis. Also I like to stick with one combination of practices for a little while and then change them so that I don’t get stale.
Making the commitment to a daily practice is all about making a commitment to yourself, but it will also affect your relationships, work and everyday interactions in a positive way as you raise your vibration and become energised.
Louise Kanjee is a Natural Health Practitioner, Reiki Master and Meditation Facilitator who holds meditation classes and workshops on a regular basis. For more details check out the relevant pages on my website: awakennaturalhealth.info