If you have trouble committing to a spiritual practice, you are not alone!  Sometimes we need to re-evaluate what a spiritual practice actually means and what we are committing to. Here are eight spiritual practices and the meaning of it all so you can easily commit to you!

Aligning with our Spirit creates some of the most powerful energy and spiritual practices like meditating, yoga are a common theme in this day and age, but what if I told you that the method of the practice is simply a means to get us to PRACTICE.  And It’s very easy to put our spiritual practice to the side in a world where there is always something that needs to be done, always busy with the hustle and bustle of daily life and our families and work. But what if I really don’t have an hour a day to do yoga? Or my to do list is so stinking long that I’m going to be ‘to doing’ for the next decade?

I’ve come to realize it’s the practice that matters, NOT the method.  It’s a daily consistent action or intention of taking the time to connect with our higher self, the Great Spirit within each of us, our bodies and our minds.  Without this, we tend to neglect the most important part of we are - Spirit.  To neglect this aspect of ourselves, makes it more difficult to be in this world and be content, fulfilled and at peace.  Without the awareness and connection to our own Spirit and Soul within, it is even more difficult to weave our dreams into reality.  For how does one weave a dream into the fabric of reality, if they have ignored the part of their soul that dreams? How does one think clearly without taking the time to clear the mind? 

A spiritual practice is intended to support everything we do in the physical world, by bringing us into the present moment. It is a devotion to the self. Which in essence, is a devotion to Spirit, Creator. It is a consistent action with intention that we take to be in the moment which ensures a clear connection to our mind, body and spirit.  And when we cultivate a practice of any kind, tending to our Spirit within with loving care, reverence and patience, our day to day lives become easier, clearer, filled with more joy, more energy and more peace.  That to me is worth the practice part of Spirituality. It’s worth the peace, the flow, the vitality. It’s worth the moment.

Here are eight simple yet powerful spiritual practices that when done on a daily basis have the power to change your energy and your life very quickly:

1. Meditation - This will always be a common practice. It quiets the mind and allows the Spirit to be.  Whatever style of meditation you choose whether it’s a walking meditation, stillness, transcendental, you are going within and that’s the point!
2. Yoga - I love yoga because it combines movement, breath and focusing the monkey mind. The word yoga means union. It’s the union of the mind, body and spirit one all working as one.
3. Journaling - A daily question or writing prompt each day is an incredibly powerful way to have clarity of mind and understanding. It allows the inner world to be written outside of us, which ultimately provides us with more space to hear our inner voice, our higher self.
4. Cleaning - Really?! It sounds crazy, but cleaning anything outside of you also has an effect of clearing out what’s inside of you. When we declutter or clean our homes, workspaces, our exteriors, we are cleaning and clearing our inner landscape at the same time. Cleaning your home, doing the laundry or dishes with the intention of clearing out old energy can make you feel ten times lighter energetically and not to mention a clean space! 
5. Mantras - Speaking, singing or listening to mantras is one of the most powerful ways to focus your mind and energy. They can be done anywhere, anytime, whether in your car, in the bathtub, while you’re walking or making dinner. Mantras used in repetition can swiftly and powerfully reconnect you to your inner knowing, even if you just repeat them for 5 mins a day.
6. Oracle Cards - Divination tools are both incredibly affirming and excellent for reconnecting to the inner self through an outer object. They are designed to act as an intermediary between you and Spirit. In other words, they bring you into a dialogue with your higher self. Taking the 5 mins to settle your mind and pulling a card for the day, amplifies your awareness of the Spirit within, which comes through without via the oracle card.
7. Daydreaming - The very thing we are taught not to do, is actually one of the most powerful manifesting muscles we are equipped with. Not to mention that dreaming is often your soul feeling, visioning and sensing what makes our soul sing! If you took ten minutes before bed every night to day dream fully and completely, you are both moving your Spirit to what brings you joy AND you are connecting with your higher self wishes and dreams. Daydreaming puts you in happy mode, a frequency of joy and guess what frequency your higher self resides in - Joy.
8. Breathing - The simplest and also the most effective. Breathe is the beginning and the end. It is something you already do naturally and every one of the spiritual practices you’ve just read, all require breathing - duh!  Did you know when we intentionally focus on our breath, we can sense every nuance in our body? Did you know that breath is in essence the breath of life, of Spirit, of everything? Every time we inhale, we are inhaling the life force energy of the divine Creator. The breath connects the body and the Spirit, the seen and the unseen, the physical and the spiritual. Intentionally breathing with the divine, naturally relaxes the body and the nervous system, both calming us and connecting us to the stillness within. And come on! No one can say they don’t have time for this one!

Anytime I neglect my spiritual practices, my higher self gets quieter, my monkey mind takes over and goes all over the place, things get a little cloudy and chaotic, my body gets tensed up, sometimes my emotions get the best of me and I generally end up feeling like I’m a slave to time and the daily grind.  BUT, when I carve out and devote time to my spiritual practice, man does that change things - I think with greater clarity, I have more energy, my creativity flows abundantly, and the divine guidance is loud and clear!  It is worth the commitment to myself!

Listen. You could turn brushing your teeth into a spiritual practice of peace rather than a worry fest. (I’ve done this and it helps a lot!)  It’s not about the method, it’s about intention married with an action, to be in the moment, deepening your connection to your Spirit, higher self, the breath of life. So whether you shy away at the thought of a downward dog that might take you a year to do properly, or can’t sit still to meditate in silence for the life of you, know that there are many other types, ways and methods of connecting and spiritual practices. So if you need to, take everyday tasks and make them your own unique spiritual practice with one of these eight practices - then I invite you to do it and then watch how your life can change within a short period of time. 

The point of a spiritual practice is to develop a consistent habit of connecting to the Spirit within you, in the present moment. The method in which you practice this awareness, is simply an action with an intention that allows that connection to be seen, felt and heard.  And remember, you are Spirit. You cannot be disconnected from that which you are, I AM that I AM. You are always in the present moment, whether your awareness is on the past or the future - You are STILL in the present moment. It’s where your focus is. Your spiritual practice is simply your small self  inviting in your higher self more fully so that you can consciously feel your I AM presence in the moment. You are Spirit. You are the present moment. You are the Great Spirit within us all. 

So what is your Spirit needing to practice this year to anchor your light, energize your manifestations and to bring you fully into your I AM presence and power?  What will you choose as a spiritual practice for the year of the Dragon to make it your best year yet?

Much love,

Erin

PS…Want to take your spiritual practice to the next level this year?  Join the 21 Day Spiritual Expansion for a daily spiritual practice of energetic clearing, light code activation and conscious expansion, so that your Higher self can start taking the wheel in 2024!  CLICK HERE to join this powerful guided Spiritual meditation practice!