During my studies, I had a physics teacher who would always tell us, “Practice makes permanent,” rather than the lofty idea of practice making perfect. How you practice is how your results manifest, and this is just as true when deepening spiritual awareness as it is for the musician preparing for a show or an athlete training for a marathon. Spiritual practices can be a great ally in developing a closer connection to the universe, to ourselves, and the world at large.
From seeing the magic in the mundane to honoring the depths in everyday simplicities, there is so much wonder to be discovered when we devote ourselves to a consistent spiritual practice. And while there is infinite beauty to be experienced, the spiritual path can also bring up darker aspects of our being. Having a practice to return to and ground into can be the peacemaker allowing us to rise up from any falls we encounter.
When the world is constantly responding to the perspectives we hold, like a song and dance, a sharing of inhalations and exhalations, the more we fine-tune our end of reciprocation, the more impeccability is reflected along the cosmic mirror.
While my days of sitting in the physics lab are years back, life has had a subtle yet powerful way of testing and honoring the foundations of my practices. It’s gifted me with deep levels of gratitude and trust in the moments that can feel the most uncertain. In our lives, we experience different eras that require new and updated versions of ourselves, and the best part is it doesn’t have to be challenging or confusing.
What are spiritual practices?
The moments you give to yourself are necessary for your emotional well-being and overall health. I mean, imagine going, going, going, and not taking space to check in with yourself? You’d run dry and tired. Sounds more like an auto-pilot run rather than an awakened person, if you ask me. There is a soft strength that comes from taking time to tend to different aspects in our lives. The same applies to spirituality, and the moments you give yourself to Spirit (God or the universe) are equally important.
Spiritual practices serve as bridges of awareness that can guide us through difficult moments, remind us all our dreams are coming true, and most importantly, open us up to feel Source energy. It is the sacred space between you and the universe to communicate, pray, feel gratitude and connect to spiritual truth.
In its essence, a spiritual practice is just that, a sacred space between you and the universe, and how you choose to interact within this space is up to you. Some practices are rooted in religious beliefs, while others are native to our ancient souls. What I like to remember, is my spiritual practice extends through all aspects of my life. Life is the spiritual practice, and if we agree that practice makes permanent, then perhaps how we practice can shift and grow to honor the changes we are naturally meant to embrace.
How do you develop a spiritual practice?
Devotion is at the forefront of developing a consistent spiritual practice while immersion is at the CenterPoint when sustaining this relationship. In my experience, my devotion has fueled me to sit with Spirit on a daily basis even when life felt too busy. It is what has helped solidify my relationship to the universe the same way one might devote themselves to their profession or relationships.
When developing spiritual practices, it can be immensely beneficial to feel into what your devotions look like and how they might hold you accountable to showing up. This is where immersion follows, and it can look like rolling out the mat for a yoga practice or simply connecting with the outdoors on a gentle walk.
The key to developing consistent spiritual practices lie in the devotion put forth and how you immerse yourself into connecting with the etheric. There is a lot of love to be experienced and work that can be done with your highest self, angels, ancestors, spirit guides, and more, depending on what you feel open to.
Setting your sacred space
An intentional way to greet and immerse yourself into your spiritual practices is to set up an altar space where you can direct your prayers and meditations as well as amplify the intentions you set. This space can be as simple or ornate as you wish, from setting a stone to focus on or embellishing it with flowers and offerings.
While an altar isn’t completely necessary to practice, in my experience, it has helped create a pleasant and grounded atmosphere where I can always return to as opposed to meditating in random areas around the house. Every space carries its own energy, and the container of a sacred altar space holds all that you put into it, thus reflecting it back to you and feeding your soul.
Examples of spiritual practices
Prayer
Prayer is one of the most powerful forms of practicing spirituality. In it’s simplest form, prayer means praise! If you’re intending to form a deeper connection with Spirit, practice speaking your heart out in prayer. There is no wrong or right way to pray, and the more you engage in this form of communication, the more clearly you’ll be able to express yourself and open up to receive.
Listening
In my experience, listening continues to be one of my greatest teachers. The mind is designed to chatter, categorize, and figure things out, often leaving the heart in the backseat. When we carve space to listen to the trees, look at the sky, or even listen to intentional healing music, we let our minds know it is safe to take a seat and allow the heart to come forth. This practice evolves to remind us we are always guided and never alone. The universe is well and alive, speaking to us through our hearts, signs, synchronicities, and mysterious symbols. All we have to do is listen.
Meditation
There are many meditation practice styles that originate from cultures around the world, as well as guided meditations that can assist in clearing blockages and stagnant energy. This can be a great way to slow down and ground into your body as a practice on its own or before embarking on different exercises like journaling and contemplation to express yourself from a harmonious space
Yoga
Another well-known and adored way to connect in your daily spiritual practice is through yoga and movement. Oftentimes, the New Age community might focus on terms like ascension and higher realms of consciousness which can leave the body out of the equation. Yet, by practicing being in our bodies, we invite and open channels to receive universal love energy and be walking emulations of heaven on earth.
Spiritual practices can be as simple or ornate as you’d like
The examples above are just the tip of the temple. May they serve as a focal point to where you might choose to expand your vision of a spiritual practice throughout your experience. There have been many moments where I have experienced profound divinity while entering a meditative state just by simply washing the dishes. Other times I’d feel the same while praying in front of my altar or soaking in the feeling of pure gratitude. Each experience is different, and there is nothing to achieve because it already is.
Again, this comes back to the idea of seeing the magic in the so called mundane. How you choose to immerse yourself in your spiritual devotion can take many shifts as you evolve. However, the surplus of inner peace felt throughout your daily life will be sure to remind you of how far you have come—or rather, how close to home you have always been.
How can you apply spiritual intelligence in your daily practice?
There will be moments, without a doubt, where you might fall out of your practice or return to old habits. The spiritual path can bring up a tremendous amount of opportunity to visit our traumas and heal limiting patterns. However, none of this is linear, and in those moments where you find yourself out of your spiritual discipline, you might encounter past lessons resurface in new ways.
This is where the practice comes alive, and I’ll also remind you to be gentle with yourself during these times. Spiritual intelligence is cultivated through life experience. After all, we are spiritual beings having a human experience. It is rather easy to feel the beauty of the divine while in contemplative prayer or sitting upon a heavenly mountaintop.
When we ground into gratitude and love, spiritual intelligence overflows—even into the darkest corners we might have programmed ourselves to remain hidden. The more we can embody that which we practice, the more permanent our state of being can co-exist with the divine order that surrounds and is within us.
Spiritual intelligence doesn’t necessarily equate to how many mantras you know or the amount of spiritual quotes you can recite. Instead, spiritual intelligence is a culmination of the practices we have integrated to embody.
Spiritual growth and intelligence is the return to our innate innocence, the childlike wonder, to ask questions and experiment with our reality knowing there is a whole team supporting you! While I have listed several ways to deepen or begin spiritual practices, there is no right or wrong way. Take this with a grain of salt and let your heart lead you to the practices that best feed your soul.
Next time you find yourself frustrated in traffic or the throw of daily life, perhaps you might ask yourself in what ways explorative and fluid practice has helped in making your current permanent. If you are not satisfied, you can always change how you practice, thus altering your permanent. As we know, nothing is ever stagnant and there is so much possibility in this way of viewing the world.