A spiritual daily practice?

[inanna_tarot]

Hola.
I know this question has probably been asked in these forums before - but I thought I new thread is always good to see where people are at now

So, do you have a daily spiritual practice?
Do you feel the benefit of doing it every day? Notice it when you skip days?
What do you do that is part of your routine/ritual/spiritual moment?
Do you do it at a special or regular time of day?
Do you tend to do it before a reading for yourself?
Do you think your practice could be cooperated into another spiritualities? Or is it specific to your spiritual or religious practice?
How do you get over the days when you don't want to do it? Get tired? Get too busy? Stay at friend's houses or partners etc and don't get time or privacy to do it?

I'm wondering all these things as I know I should be doing a regular daily practice and I have slipped way way off the road this year with all the crazy stuff that happened and uni. But, its going to be my resolution for next year to get going with it - hence planning and researching it now.

 

[AJ]

I do my yoga practice about every other day, sometimes every day, early morning, at least a 1/2 hour. While good exercise for body, the mind and spirit are also exercised and calmed.
I find it quite spiritual because it reminds me of who I am and what I am, and where and how I want to be.

 

[Milfoil]

Well, yes I do have a daily spiritual practice which involves me waving some burning herbs around and looking very serious for a few minutes while mumbling all sorts of important things.

However, to answer your other questions:

Do you feel the benefit of doing it every day? Notice it when you skip days? - Yes and it seems to take about 2 weeks to get into the habit so if you can remind yourself to do it for two weeks, that should make it easier to remember - it becomes a habit. If I miss a day, something inside me lessens.

What do you do that is part of your routine/ritual/spiritual moment? - Get myself into a calm, focussed state where I can acknowledge and show gratitude to the Spirits

Do you do it at a special or regular time of day? - Yes, first thing in the morning and in the evening, slightly different but regular 'spiritual' work.

Do you tend to do it before a reading for yourself? - no.

Do you think your practice could be cooperated into another spiritualities? Or is it specific to your spiritual or religious practice? - I doubt that what I do could be acceptable to monotheistic religions (Christianity/Islam/Judaism) because it references all Spirits and not just one.

How do you get over the days when you don't want to do it? Get tired? Get too busy? Stay at friend's houses or partners etc and don't get time or privacy to do it? - Oh, don't be fooled, I miss days, forget sometimes and often feel too tired, stressed or busy but instead of beating myself up, I just go back to it and keep going. The more effort I put in, the deeper the experience becomes and the more it overlaps into all areas of life. Like a frame in which my life is lived rather than some activity divorced from mundane, daily stuff.

If it starts to become stale, I look at what I am doing and feel what should change, in this way I do something spiritually meaningful to me personally each day and this sets the stage to do other spiritually meaningful things throughout the day which involve others (helping, volunteering, encouraging etc).

What you decide to do will reflect your beliefs and that may well change over time as you grow and develop spiritually.

 

[inanna_tarot]

thank you AJ and thank you Milfoil for your detailed answers to my questions Makes me feel less bad for being more off the wagon than on it lol.

x

 

[Bhavana]

For me, it takes a lot of discipline to stick with doing something every day. I try, but i don't always succeed, and yes, I do notice a benefit when I do. I love yoga, both physically and mentally. I do some meditation. But sometimes, even just lighting a candle on my bedroom "altar" and cuddling up with my dogs and cat is a spiritual experience for me, or going for a walk on the beach, something like that. Morning is always the best time for me, the earlier the better - I love to get up before anyone else does, it's the most quiet time of the day.

I would like to get back to a more regular every day schedule, especially with my yoga - and I am thinking of joining a local buddhist group. I think it might be helpful in learning some discipline, and in setting something up for myself each day.

 

[celticnoodle]

Hola.
I know this question has probably been asked in these forums before - but I thought I new thread is always good to see where people are at now

So, do you have a daily spiritual practice?

i use to. but since moving here to our new home, I sort of got lazy with it, and not meditating each morning like i use to and need to.

Do you feel the benefit of doing it every day? Notice it when you skip days?

oh yes, I do feel the benefit of doing it daily. and I have notice lately that my abilities are not as fine tuned as they were--I honestly think it is due to me not meditating like before. i need to get back into it, because it also helped me to feel so light and good, if you can understand what I am saying.

What do you do that is part of your routine/ritual/spiritual moment?

every morning, upon waking up, I thank my guides and guardian angels and Archangel Michael for protecting me and mine through the night, and ask them to be with me and keep me safe through the coming day. As soon as i get out of bed, I firmly put my feet on the floor and just feel myself being grounded as I stretch and take a few deep breaths. This I still do.

I use to then go and make my breakfast and afterwards, do my meditation for about 20 to 30 min. each morning. this is where i am now lacking--I don't do this each morning, and it shows. Even when i do get to the meditation, I don't seem to be able to do it for as long as I need to anymore, and often give up. this is my problem lately since moving here.

Do you do it at a special or regular time of day?

I prefer to do this every morning, before the day gets started.

Do you tend to do it before a reading for yourself?

I use to. rarely now.

Do you think your practice could be cooperated into another spiritualities? Or is it specific to your spiritual or religious practice?

I have a mix of things that i do. part of my daily meditation was always to recite the rosary. i still do this--some mornings. Then, after the rosary, I'd sit in my chair, feet firmly on the floor, grounding myself and I'd just 'be'. it was very refreshing. sometimes, i'd put a cd on of chanting or the ocean waves, something like that.

How do you get over the days when you don't want to do it? Get tired? Get too busy? Stay at friend's houses or partners etc and don't get time or privacy to do it?

well, there are always going to be days where it is not feasible to take the time to do this--unless you are fine with just taking 5 minutes to do a quick meditation. I use to even just stand in the shower and let the water spray down on me and feel cleansed, grounded and protected. But, again--this is something I don't do much anymore--since moving back here, I keep myself busy with my friends, and yes, pretty much every day. I really need to be a bit more dedicated to my meditation.

I'm wondering all these things as I know I should be doing a regular daily practice and I have slipped way way off the road this year with all the crazy stuff that happened and uni. But, its going to be my resolution for next year to get going with it - hence planning and researching it now.

i hear ya! I'm going through the same thing. Coming back to VT, where we use to live, and all my friends. I'm spending more time having fun with them every day and not taking the time to meditate like I need to, want to and should. I lack discipline.

 

[Carla]

One thing I do every day is walk to work. And during my walk, I chant a mantra in my head. I also make an effort to observe the sky, the trees, and any birds or squirrels or other wildlife I see along the way. Sometimes I remember to bring a mala and have it in my pocket where I can count on the beads, but mostly, I just chant in time with my footsteps. I would like to do sitting meditation every day, but often it gets left out; however, I always have to walk to work! So I take the opportunity. Sometimes I do 4-2 breathing--inhale for 4 beats, hold 2, exhale 4 beats, hold 2. And do a mantra in time with that. I prefer Sanskrit or Gurmukhi chants. A favourite for the breathing is 'Sa-ta-na-ma (pause at the top), wa-hey-gu-ru' or 'Ra-ma-da-sa (pause at the top), sa-say-so-hung.' Envisioning earth energy rising up through the chakras, hovering over the head, then descending again, in a wave.

 

[celticnoodle]

Carla, that sounds really beautiful! I was walking one to two miles a day till recently, (due to snow, ice and aches) and would often recite my rosary while walking. I'd often lose place though when trucks, cars, ect would rush by, blowing their horns, or encountering other people who would stop to chat w/me. perhaps a breathing meditation like you suggested or a short mantra would work better when I get back to walking again.

 

[Mi-Shell]

Hola.
I know this question has probably been asked in these forums before - but I thought I new thread is always good to see where people are at now

So, do you have a daily spiritual practice?
Do you feel the benefit of doing it every day? Notice it when you skip days?
What do you do that is part of your routine/ritual/spiritual moment?
Do you do it at a special or regular time of day?
Do you tend to do it before a reading for yourself?
Do you think your practice could be cooperated into another spiritualities? Or is it specific to your spiritual or religious practice?
How do you get over the days when you don't want to do it? Get tired? Get too busy? Stay at friend's houses or partners etc and don't get time or privacy to do it?

I'm wondering all these things as I know I should be doing a regular daily practice and I have slipped way way off the road this year with all the crazy stuff that happened and uni. But, its going to be my resolution for next year to get going with it - hence planning and researching it now.

So, do you have a daily spiritual practice?

As you know, a part of my daily practice is drumming; In the morning the morning Chant to the east to open myself to the day and what it will bring
then when time permits, after breakfast I do 30 minutes of reading. Either something I am studiyng or some “spiritually inspiring” reading. Then I may – time permitting do a meditation reflection on either what I read or on some – long term “project “ of mine –
Like patience:
Practicing PATIENCE is one of my daily challenges!
So I meditate on patience:
Surrender surrender surrender.......

Just for right now.......
Just for this second.....
I will practice patience!
Sometimes I may do that on a walk:
Everything is a meditation
Some meditations are STILLNESS
Others are MOVEMENT
Movement through a tangled web are the meditations of surrender......

In the evening I usually trance drum for 30 to 45 minutes, for me, for my loved ones and for my patients, clients and students.....
OK – yes, I also do daily draws, but that does not reach the spiritual dept the other things do. Then there are monthly and seasonal practices I follow.....

Do you feel the benefit of doing it every day? Notice it when you skip days?

Ooooh yes!!! It is not me skipping, it is me having to be on a show or on the market or in school teaching that forces me to not do my morning “routine”

Do you tend to do it before a reading for yourself?

I usually do a short meditation.
Very often already THEN I get an answer and so do not need to do the reading –
For “bigger issues” I do not use the cards for myself but go on a trance journey to see my Miahanits.

Do you think your practice could be cooperated into another spiritualities? Or is it specific to your spiritual or religious practice?

My practice is shamanic and that can be incorporated into everything there is.

How do you get over the days when you don't want to do it? Get tired? Get too busy? Stay at friend's houses or partners etc and don't get time or privacy to do it?

I usually take my drum everywhere, but on shows in the motel in the morning...
There I can only loooooook at it looooooongingly...
I am NOT a morning person. All my Clan and personal Guardian Animals are night-active predators, so they and me “are not getting fed” - so to speak....on these days.
Then madam is grrrrrumpy!!!!
After a few days of that I feel like a wet cow patty that has been tossed into a thorn bush.....

 

[Cat*]

So, do you have a daily spiritual practice?
Do you feel the benefit of doing it every day? Notice it when you skip days?
What do you do that is part of your routine/ritual/spiritual moment?
Do you do it at a special or regular time of day?
Do you tend to do it before a reading for yourself?
Do you think your practice could be cooperated into another spiritualities? Or is it specific to your spiritual or religious practice?
How do you get over the days when you don't want to do it? Get tired? Get too busy? Stay at friend's houses or partners etc and don't get time or privacy to do it?

I've just gotten back into a daily practice of drumming (and humming/singing non-set bits of text) to all directions and to my main two Animal Guides every morning before I leave the house (after breakfast if I stay in). I've done the quick version of two minutes, and I've done the long version of 20 (or so), depending on how much time I have.

I used to do that for about 3/4 of a year, then I skipped it more and more often when work was crazy and I never got enough sleep, until I didn't do it at all anymore. I don't know why I stop my spiritual practice during the times I need it most, but I've done it twice now, and it didn't do me much good. I feel much less awake, grounded, in touch with the world I'm part of and the Spirit world, present, and generally well when I don't do my morning drumming. I also feel much better prepared to face the world outside of my home.

I've taken my drum with me to my mother's house and managed to lock myself in for a couple of minutes. I've also taken a smaller drum on a holiday and looked for an undisturbed spot to drum there (I did vary with the time a bit). If noise is a problem, I just drum very quietly (and don't go as deeply). I don't usually stay anywhere else or have overnight visitors, though, so it doesn't come up as a problem much. Sometimes when I really had not even two minutes, I've also improvised with just humming while I was waiting for the subway, but I try to do something every day to acknowledge that part of my life.

Actually, I often feel a bit of resistance to doing my drumming, and I also find myself starting to make excuses in my head rather often. However, I still do it, and I've actually never regretted it (even when I missed buses or subways or had to eat my breakfast on my way to work). It helps that I personally feel a certain obligation not to "disappoint" the Spirits with a lack of dedication/seriousness/discipline. It doesn't feel right to me (and for me) to just call on them when I need help and ignore them the rest of the time.

I never drum before I do readings. These two practices are not connected for me.

I guess that people with different beliefs could use a drum as part of a morning chant/song/meditation, and I'm sure that there are all kinds of "morning rituals" for just about any spiritual/religious path. But people with different beliefs would probably use different words and "see" different images than I do.