What is Daily Spiritual Practice and Why to Do it?

“If you really want to know who you are and live a meaningful life; then one thing you must do. Every single day.

A Daily Spiritual Practice. No matter what.” 

I first heard these words from my teacher Dr. Robert Holden in his workshop on “Love And Fear” in 2009.

That was the time when I started exploring the meaning of word spirituality for me, seriously.

Since then, I’ve tried to follow a daily spiritual practice and have taught and coached many of my clients to do the same.

Over the years I’ve realised very well, what happens if I am rushing through life and not able to take time for myself to reflect and do my practice for a few days.

It impacts my mood, energy, peace and stability. It effects both my internal and external environment actually.

Once started, you’ll know how important a daily spiritual practice is.

Afterall, who can afford to lose the inner peace? 

Inner peace is the Real Luxury. 

So what is a Daily Spiritual Practice?

As food nourishes your body, gives you a satisfaction, provides energy to work and helps you grow.

Similarly, spiritual practice nourishes and energises your mind, soul, and body too. It helps you grow and evolve emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Awareness

Self – awareness is the foundation of everything you do to grow in life.

“Awareness is about Paying attention to yourself.”

Observe your thoughts.

Watch what you think, how you think and the mindset behind those thoughts.

Try to see your thoughts separate from you.

Tell yourself I am not my thoughts, I have these thoughts.

Be curious about where your thoughts have come from?

Watch your breath!

Notice how you breathe when you talk, how you breathe when you feel stressed.

How you breathe when you love others or are being loved.

Observe how you walk and what words come out of your mouth when you talk.

Listening to yourself is a spiritual practice.

Notice do you think before you speak, do you pause while speaking?

Watch your tone, your pitch and the intention of your speech. How is it?

Do you communicate what you intend to and what you deeply desire?

Or do you communicate your fears?

Becoming more aware of yourself; your body, your mind, your thoughts, and feelings, is a daily spiritual practice.

Acceptance

Observe your feelings.

What do you feel every day, how and where in your body you feel it, and why you feel that way?

Be 100% present with your feelings. Do not judge them.

Notice your fears, your worries, and the story behind those feelings.

Try to see yourself separate from your feelings.

Say to yourself – Right now, I am having a rage, a burst of anger, a feeling of helplessness, whatever it is.

Become aware of your deepest feelings. Feelings of guilt, shame, apathy, victimhood, blame or resentment.

When you’re willing to accept your feelings without judging and blaming yourself for them, you are ready to release them and set yourself free.

Unconditional acceptance is a spiritual practice.

Beauty of acceptance is – when you fully accept yourself, you become capable of accepting others as well, just the way they are. You do not try to change them just to please you.

Surrender

Notice your own ego and your ego’s game.

Become aware of your own story, stories of past hurt and resentments, who do you need to forgive?

Trust in life, build faith in the universe and surrender…

There’ll come a moment when you are ready and willing to let go of past.

There will come a moment of self-healing when you choose to forget and forgive.

Forgiveness for other’s and your own mistakes is a spiritual practice.

Stillness

Pause. Pause often during the day.

Notice when you take a breath in, there is a micro-moment of stillness before you breathe out. Another moment of stillness before you breathe in again.

Feel that stillness and tap into that pause. You’ll feel a sense of calm and inner peace.

Pause and listen to your inner voice. Feel the stillness in the gap between your thoughts.

Deep listening, introspecting, reflecting back to yourself, enjoying the stillness within, irrespective of the noise and chaos outside, is a Spiritual Practice.

Kindness

There’s no wisdom greater than kindness.

The more you practice kindness, the more you connect with your inner wisdom.

Kindness begins with being kind to yourself.

To practice kindness daily, smile more often.

Express your love often.

Help someone without them asking for it.

Be peaceful and let go of your anger.

Share great things with others and care for them.

Happiness

Understand what is happiness.

It’s not the things or anything outside of you that brings you the feeling of happiness.

Rather it’s you who brings the feeling of happiness to life.

Pay attention to the little joys of life; a baby, a puppy, a flower, raindrops, connecting with others.

Pay attention that in every moment either you choose happiness or ego.

Notice whether you’re choosing happiness or trying to control others?

Whether you’re choosing happiness or trying to prove yourself right to others?

In a world full of suffering, your happiness is a gift. 

Happiness is a spiritual practice. Practice being Happy for no reason.

Gratitude

Start seeing the world through the lens of gratitude.

Notice everything you need – air, water, food and any other thing that helps you live has come from outside of you.

Feel gratitude for this life, for natural resources, for other human beings who work to help you get what you need.

Feel gratitude for your parents, your siblings, your children; look at them from a lens of total gratitude, how they’ve helped you evolve and become a better person.

Practice Gratitude for everything. Every Day.

Gratitude naturally makes you a happier, more calm and kind person.

Gratitude is a spiritual practice.

Prayer

Anytime you become aware of something you need to let go, forgive or change, but you are not able to do that; Pray!

Ask help from divine or universe or higher power (whatever you like to call).

Trust in the universe and say, please help me let go…

Please guide me and support me to tap into my power and change this…

Please help me connect with the compassion within and forgive this…

Prayer is a Spiritual Practice.

Make prayer a daily part of your routine, not to ask for any material thing or achieve any material goals, but to connect with the power within you.

Ask for guidance and wisdom in every area of your life and have faith that answers will come to you.

Love

Last but not the least, Practice Love.

Love is a spiritual practice. And this is the most difficult one to practice.

“If your spiritual practice is not making you a more loving and compassionate human being; it’s not a spiritual practice.” 

Choose Love.

You connect with your true self when you choose love.

When you choose love instead of fear.
When you return love instead of hate.
When you choose love rather than judgment.
When you choose love rather than condemnation.
When you choose love rather than correcting or fixing other.

Keep choosing love, no matter what.

There are many tools which can help you stay grounded and centered. Help you connect with yourself and deepen your daily spiritual practices:

• Meditation
• Mindfulness – Mindful breathing, mindful walking, mindful eating etc.
• Yoga
• Chanting (Japa)
• Tapping (EFT)
• Journalling

When you practice any of these on a daily basis, you’ll realise you are able to accept yourself and become more calm, kind and peaceful naturally.

The purpose of all these tools is to help you stay focused on your purpose, minimise distractions and nurture your well-being (will share these tools in detail in the next blog).

What is Your daily spiritual practice?

Please share with me, I will add it to my list with due credit, thanks.

Much love and gratitude.