 |
Deepening Your Spiritual Practice
by Laura Grace |
|
Religion means
‘to bind back together.’…Your spiritual practice
brings you back home to a realization of the presence
and the power of God [Love]. Today, be sure to allow ‘practice’
time. –Mary Manin Morrisey.
We always have the choice to experience
a greater life. We can either keep repeating the same
self-limiting patterns, or, we can move more
deeply into the spiritual practices that change us on a
core level. Peace, joy and abundance are our birthright
and are achieved as we practice quieting and centering
our mind. This however, is often challenging in our
attention-diverting society. Amidst the noise and
confusion of the world, the voice of our deepest self,
that "still small voice," is easily drowned
out. It's akin to listening for a songbird's harmonious
melody against the backdrop of a busy highway.
However, meditation and prayer provide a
gateway to calm our minds and access answers beyond the
level of the problem. Just as our bodies require regular
workouts to maintain its strength, our minds need
consistent practice in order to quiet its erratic
thoughts and feelings. Silencing our minds through
prayer and meditation allows us to connect with our core
being so we may experience the peace and fulfillment
within.
Prayer is most useful for communicating
with our Source, for expressing ourselves. A Course
in Miracles teaches, "Prayer is the medium of
miracles. It is a means of communication of the created
with the Creator. Through prayer love is received, and
through miracles love is expressed." Prayer allows
us to talk, to ask that we be aligned with a Divine Will
and be used by a Divine Instrument. Ideally, it's a time
to ask for clarity about a situation, or for sending
light and love to someone in need.
In Illuminata, Marianne
Williamson explains, "We can learn to speak to
God as we would speak to a combination therapist / lover
/ teacher / best friend /
One-we-trust-more-than-anything /
One-who-loves-us-no-matter-what /
One-with-all-the-power-to-heal /
One-with-the-power-and-desire-to-help, for that's what
God is."
Meditation, on the other hand, involves
quieting the mind so we can receive inner-guidance.
Sogyal Rinpoche, in The Tibetan Book of Living and
Dying, teaches meditation by emphasizing,
"Bring your mind home," and clarifies,
"In its deepest sense, to bring your mind home is
to turn inward and to rest in the nature of mind. This
itself is the highest meditation."
People often get confused about the
"right" way to meditate. However, there is no
scientific approach for silencing the mind. Too often,
we feel guilty for not taking the time to meditate
"properly." Yet it's important to recognize
that meditation can occur in various ways: listening to
music, walking in nature, sitting in silence—whatever
causes you to move into the center of your heart and
disregard the clamoring of your intellect.
If we have been doing our spiritual
practice regularly—prayer, meditation, developing our
gifts, spending time in nature, nurturing our
relationships—we can look back over our lives and see
how much we have changed. Look not only at the outward
changes in your life, but at the inward changes that
have occurred: negative patterns have been released,
ineffective reactions and responses no longer exist,
your heart is more open, judgments have lessened and you
are closer to your true nature. It is these profound
inward shifts that our spiritual practice is really all
about.
Finally, meditation and prayer enable us
to elevate our thoughts by attuning to the highest voice
within. So make a commitment to some form of spiritual
practice on a daily basis, and watch as your deepest
guidance becomes your guiding light. Some tips on
silencing your mind include:
(1) ALLOW yourself to sink
inward. "In," unlike "ascent,"
implies that all wisdom is already within you, rather
than something outside of you that needs to be sought or
earned.
(2) MAINTAIN a sense of
importance and sacredness during your attempt. Affirm
its benefits to yourself and others.
(3) PRACTICE approaching
meditation as you would a holy altar dedicated to Love
and Its’ Creation.
(4) TRUST and have faith. Know
that a "bubbling up" of insight sometimes
occurs and you will receive the results when you are
ready.
(5) SURRENDER to your inner
guide, knowing It will do Its’ part now that
you have done yours.
© Copyright 2004
Laura Grace. All Rights Reserved.
Laura's Books:
Read Laura's Past Columns:
April-May
2004 - "Life's Crossroads: Love-vs-Fear
January-February 2004 - "Faith the Foundation for Every
Dream"
December
2003 Column - "Touching the Heart of Others"
November
2003 Column - "Knowing How to Care for Yourself"
October
2003 Column - "Dreaming a Happy Life"
May
2003 Column - "Living the Authentic Life"
April
2003 Column - "Rising Above the Battleground"
March
2003 Column - "Healing Through Your
Relationships"
February
2003 Column - "Are You Going with the Flow?"
January
2003 Column - "Living the Soulful Life"
December
2002 Column - "The Power to Change"
November
2002 Column - "Peace Begins at Home"
October 2002
Column - "Spiraling to Higher Ground"
September 2002 Column - "Cradled in Nature's
Arms"
August 2002 Column - "Recovering
Your Soul"
Laura Grace is Co-founder of Infinite Wisdom, an organization dedicated to the highest human capacity, and a national author and speaker. As a regular contributor for publications across the U.S. and Canada, Laura writes about human awareness and spiritual growth. Laura is the author of the widely acclaimed books The Intimate Soul and Gifts of the Soul, and the creator and teacher of various programs including the Self-Mastery Program, The Art of Compassionate Forgiveness, Wonderful Women: Reclaiming Our Power, Passion and Purpose, and Cultivating the Intimate Life. Please visit Laura's web site at:
www.LauraGrace.net.
As a spiritual counselor, Laura provides assistance in person and by phone. You may contact her for a free brochure at:
laura@lauragrace.net.
|
