What's Your Spiritual Practice?

If you don’t want to call it spiritual, fine. You can call it practice. But spiritual sounds cool. So I’ll still call it spiritual practice. This is a very important question for us Podwans. So use this thread to bare yourself naked.

I’ll start…

I’ve often wondered about this question myself. I tried a lot of things. I even started with a journey to other planets. But lately, guided and inspired by serendipitous things, I’m starting to believe that I have found a calling. So when people ask me what’s my spiritual practice, my answer is simple: I blog.

Blogging Station From Hell

End Table (from Salvation Army): $10; Retro Chair (from Salvation Army): $5; Aging laptop + Broadband + Blogging with passion and compassion: pricele$$

Uploaded by coolmel on 7 Aug ‘04, 8.57am PST.

Re: What's Your Spiritual Practice?

p.s. if you’re wondering whatever happened to that chair and end-table from Salvation Army, i donated it back to Salvation Army. why? because i got promoted to purgatory. nirvana is just so elusive…

Re: What's Your Spiritual Practice?

Hi Cool Mel and everyone else!

Nice to meet you! I very much enjoyed your posts, and I even downloaded some stuff for furhter reading. I love to read.

o.k. I will jump in.

For me, there is no difference between spirit, life, and practice. In fact, I spend a good portion of my awareness looking for a spiritual practice in the moment. Just so you know. I have plenty of moments (probably most) where the habitual patterns of conditioning win out. Trying to keep any spiritual ego out of this on the front end. It might be tough. :o)

So from a practice standpoint this is what I do regularly. I read a passage from a book calling my name on that morning. It is spontaneous and sometimes quite time consuming because I am being led to a book whose destination in unknown to me. So, I have to hunt around. Lately though, the book is “Wisdom From An Empty Mind”. The reason I like this book is that it is all about awareness in everyday life.

Then I listen to music and meditate. Again the selection is spontaneous, but lately it has been the Gift of Love by Deepak Chopra putting Rumi poetry to music. The meditation is Inner Smile meditation which essentially brings golden light energy into the third eye and feeling a smile organ by organ inside my body until it culminates in microcosmic orbit. You may already know of this? Essentially, I circulate chi from the hara area up the spine to the crown chakra and down the front. I do this to vitalize and energize my body in the morning. It works really well for me and I often end up in tears and bliss and ecstasy during prayer.

Lastly, I do affirmative prayer to set my intention for my day and how I will experience it, connect with source, ask for healing, express my gratitude, and release it all to receive openly the manifestation of it in ways perfect for me and those I meet.

In my day, lately, I have been expressing myself openly, honestly, and with integrity according to my core values which sometimes does not sit well in large corporate life, but I have done enough good work to get by with it plus I seek understanding and expression and do not attack anyone. That really messes people up especially when I don't engage in trying to prove I am right or how smart I am, and I use active listening to repeat back to them what I think I heard them say. That's a real argument killer, because it brings awareness to everyone what is happening in the moment.

In order to do this, I had to remove the carrot off the end of the corporate stick and say, I don't care if you promote me or give me another raise. I am looking for growth experiences.  I will contribute from my heart, and if you (corp. manager) are supporting me great! If not, then we will talk so I can understand you. If any abuse continues, good bye. Funny thing is people leave me alone politically and my projects are harmonious because every gets to play authentically. It is beautiful to watch. The latest gig is 5 years. I'm challenging to work with don't think I am not… just in a good way. :o) Nobody gets hurt. Everyone is heard.

Also, lately, I am seeing the dark nasty thoughts and feelings and trying to understand what they are trying to say to me and what I haven't owned in myself. This is part of the awareness training along with the active listening. Debbie Ford's book “The Dark Side of the Light Chasers” helped me tremendously.

I like Ken Wilber. He is over my head on some of his concepts, and what I know about integral theory. I read a couple of his books a years ago. I am on board with all spiritual paths although Sufi (Divine Love and sensual experience of life) Zen (biting an apple rather than talking about it), Daoism (back to nature) are my favorites. I am exporing the Natural Great Pefection (Dzogchen). A zaadzer is helping me. I appreciate aspects of all spiritual paths and none. Lately, I am going back to the basics and eliminating anything that isn't feeding my deepest purpose or goals.

Sorry to be so wordy. Just wanted to open myself up to the flow from the pump you primed.

I appreciate the Pod and the invite
Zennie

Re: What's Your Spiritual Practice?

Zennie said: “I listen to music and meditate. Again the selection is spontaneous, but lately it has been the Gift of Love by Deepak Chopra putting Rumi poetry to music. The meditation is Inner Smile meditation which essentially brings golden light energy into the third eye and feeling a smile organ by organ inside my body until it culminates in microcosmic orbit. You may already know of this? Essentially, I circulate chi from the hara area up the spine to the crown chakra and down the front. I do this to vitalize and energize my body in the morning. It works really well for me and I often end up in tears and bliss and ecstasy during prayer.”

man! you the hardcore! good stuff. thanks for sharing. and i also can relate on that corporate thing. even if i'm just a lowly corporate pawn. godspeed. see you in the blogosphere.

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This thread prompted me to write this on my blog. It's also posted on Generation Sit. Allow me to share it here.

Is There Such a Thing as Blogging Flow?

Re: What's Your Spiritual Practice?

From what you've said about your blogging flow, coolmel, it sounds spiritual to me and it certainly is a practice.

I have wandered from spiritual practice to spiritual practice. I am a Gemini, after all, and am of two minds on most things. Part of me is intensely hardcore and ridgidly disciplined and the other part is just here for the party. Is this fun? she asks. Does it feel good? Do I like this. Twin number one on the other hand can't appreciate it or feel she is getting anywhere without some serious effort. Yes, my mind changes like the weather.

My spirit, however has been on a long journey to self-awareness, releasing the old mind traps and defense mechanisms for decades–at least a couple of decades.

I have meditated off and on for twenty-five years. Lately, it's been more off than on, but when I sit to do it I find I am instantly at home again. I truly enjoy it and aim to get back to a regular practice.

I have written Morning Pages (three pages of long hand writing first thing in the morning) for about three and a half years now. I can count on one hand the number of days I've missed, so this is my most consistent practice. It helps me to get perspective on my life, better understand myself, focus, clear my mind and see what's up for clearing. It also has helped me to open to greater clarity in all areas of my life and my creative and intutive abilities have both expanded, as a result. I can't say enough good about it. Since I have always written, and enjoy it, Morning Pages are a natural spritiual practice for me.

Running is also a spiritual practice for me. I started 20 years ago and found the spiritual, mental and emotional benefits as great as the physical. I love to run and although I've slowed down with the winter weather, this year, I look forward to it most mornings.

Thanks for asking.

Namaste,
Jodi

Re: What's Your Spiritual Practice?

Jodi said: “From what you've said about your blogging flow, coolmel, it sounds spiritual to me and it certainly is a practice.

I have wandered from spiritual practice to spiritual practice. I am a Gemini, after all, and am of two minds on most things”.

thanks, Jodi. i'm a Leo so what does that mean? :)

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Coolmel,

I'm happy to see from your blog and replies here that the astrology bug has bitten you!

I'm a bit late in replying, but better late than never, as they say.

Since you asked…
Take it from a pro, (astrologer, that is) you are SUCH a Leo. (That's a good thing.)

You have a way of waking people up so they can see that which they otherwise wouldn't. The bright, clear light that emanates from you warms everyone around you. You are sunshine, through and through.

You are highly creative, playful as a kitten, and just as adorable. And a natural, benevolent ruler, I mean, leader, if ever I've seen one.

Leo, Leo, Leo. Maybe we should call you Cooleo from now on. :-)!

Re: What's Your Spiritual Practice?

I'll go with 'what's my practice' and avoid spirituality altogether (though by all outward accounts mine are probably considered spiritual practices–whatever).

I try to practice mindfulness in my every day life.  Sitting helps; i particularly like some of the guided meditations in Beginning Mindfulness.  Another big helper for me is Naikan (and, really, the whole of Constructive Living).  I've blogged about them here.

I try to let these practices guide my life, and anything else one might consider spiritual practices (yoga, environmentalism, veganism, and my various other -isms), indeed all my actions, are merely results of that mindfulness.  At least that's my goal.

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Maile said: “Sitting helps; i particularly like some of the guided meditations in Beginning Mindfulness.  Another big helper for me is Naikan (and, really, the whole of Constructive Living). ”

thanks for sharing. i dig mindfulness. but it's the first time i've heard of Naikan. i learn something new everyday…. got to check that out.

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good question coolmel, here's my practice

swimiing
meditation
group prayer/singing/church
yoga
blogging
reading lotsa books (I just can't getinto reading them on 'puter, so hard on my eyes, which don't work so good already.)

Love in large amounts to the zaadie homies

CalmEagle

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i prefer madness and getting lost with abysmal purpose…….. and they say practice makes perfect-

obession must be the shortcut then….  shhhh, hear that? ………mmmmmozart

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Hi Everyone,

this is my first post and I am excited to share my practice with you.  I like to think of myself as a universalist.  I take a little from all types of practices to create my daily routine.  I am an extreme early riser.  I wake around 4:30 and I go to the gym for an
hour.  When I get home I settle in for my meditation/writing time.  Sometimes  my sofa becomes my meditation spot but often times it is the backyard as the birds are waking and the day is still quiet before humanity begins to rise.  I too do Morning Pages.  I started them after reading Julia Cameron's book “The Artist's Way”  I use several different books for inspiration and affirmation during this time.  I read the daily meditations from Science of Mind and Daily Word.  I also read passages from the Bible, Awakening the Buddha within and whatever I may be reading at the time by Thich Nat Hanh.  If something really grabs me I meditate on it then write my pages in my journal.  I use those grade school composition books for journalling and there is nothing more satisfying to me than filling one up and cracking the spine on a new one.  I also love when I have to get a new pen because I have emptied the ink on my current one.   Since beginning my practice almost 5 years ago I have found a calmness and peace the rest of the day I had never experienced before.  I am keeping the drama on the page as cameron says and it really has helped to reduce the drama in the day.  Maybe blogging here on zaadz  will become part of my practice now!

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welcome Mame! thanks for sharing. (cool avatar btw, i like bees)

yes, i look forward to you adding blogging to your spiritual practice. and please feel free to share your experiences and newfound knowledge with us. because this is what this pod is all about! :)

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~C4Chaos,

Thought I'd join your pod, since Kosmic blogging is becoming more and more my mission.

I posted on this once at Integral Options Cafe, but as far as my practice goes, it's varied. All of it serves my spiritual life in more ways than I can name. In no particular order:

BODY: weights, good diet, supplements, general healthy lifestyle
HEART: relationship, journaling, subpersonality work, occasional therapy, meditation
MIND: reading, meditation, writing, blogging
SOUL: blogging, meditation, relationship, nature
SPIRIT: meditation, relationship
COMMUNITY: blogging, work, volunteering for a political campaign

Most people, I'm guessing, think of a spiritual path as meditation or something similar. I like to think of my spiritual path as an integral lifestyle. All of the aboce practices contribute to my spiritual growth.

I hope to become a regular visitor to this pod.

Cheers,
Bill

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hey Will!!! glad you joined! i've been waiting for you. what took you so long? :)

yes, my bloggerrific friend, we look forward for your visits and contributions here because your blog is oh so juicy!

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I have to confess I've never blogged, but attempting to nap today, I was struck with the inspiration to start (so a 101 pod seems like a good place for me to learn).

My spiritual practices include yoga, poetry, and parenting.  Mindfulness is required for all three.  And I garden (I also confess I devote to it more time and energy than to the others!). 

On a rare occasion I spellcast, which some see as a spiritual practice; for me it's more like spiritual technology.

Can you steer me to a site (or a discussion here) where I could learn the real nuts and bolts of blogging?

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Well, now that's not true.  I have blogged.  I just made my first entry for my zaadz blog.

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hey WendyB glad you came on board! your spiritual practices are very interesting, especially the spell casting. nice. those are cool materials for blogging!!! serious.

in my experience the more i blogged about my other spiritual practices (e.g. playing the blues), the more i get better at them. the more i meet people online and offline to share those interests. i think you know what i mean.

as for the nuts and bolts of blogging, i've written some high-level injunctions: Kosmic Blogging 101. i broke them down into chunks in this pod. you can check them out on the ZPod:KB101: Kosmic Blogging 101 board.

godspeed.

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Thanks!

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My latest spiritual practice is playing with the Apophysis freeware. It is creative, engaging, and the images that can be rendered make wonderful blogging prompts.

I've found that playing with it helps me to be fully in the moment and offers a dynamic metaphor for manifestation. You choose where you'll begin, take action to impact the image, see the effect you've created, tweak it again, see the results manifest before you. The more I've used it, the more benefit I've realized it offers.

If you download Apophysis, I recommend taking the walk-through in order to orient yourself to the program.

Happy blogging!

Jodi

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I may have to check that out, Jodi.  Thanks.  The photographer who shot the pics of my garden (which you can check out here:  http://wendybabiak.zaadz.com/photos ) also included on the disk she gave me some results from her manipulations with with a program (she named it, but it didn't register, so I can't remember what it was).  Some of them are fantastic; I'm going to have them printed up really big on canvas to hang as art in the house.

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Meditation and blogging are hands down the two best single practice's that I have maintained that have improved the over all of my professional and personal life. The ever expanding undefinable practice of meditation for me is learning to use a muscle that I never knew I had. Ok, it's not the clearest sentence or example of what meditation is; but it works. Meditation centers your mind and body bring you a clearer mind set. AHHH bloging, the random documentation and uploading of my thoughts: in my practice it is a daily transdisciplinary working portfolios. It is a way that my clients and perspective clients can learn about me. See Art, Morals & Truth posting for more on why blogging works for me. In closing the interior and exterior of my body, mind and soul are developed in a daily practice of meditation and blogging.

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“AHHH bloging, the random documentation and uploading of my thoughts: in my practice it is a daily transdisciplinary working portfolios. It is a way that my clients and perspective clients can learn about me.”

yes, in my experience, blogging, when used correctly, can also be a good career move :)

thanks for sharing these!

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Over 20 years ago I was jolted into the mysterious and metaphysical world of the Super-Natural - I became the psychic junkie. I had asked for it. But I didn't expect my initiation to be so life changing, I slowly followed the path as it was opened up to me, one psychic junkie step at a time. I was being guided all the way from some place unseen to my five earthly senses. All I had to go on were subtle whispers from within and the outer synchronicities I was able to read as signposts along the way. The direct results in reality have been amazing.

I've been a professional clairvoyant for many years, in all four corners of the world, using my psychic insight to guide others on their own unique journeys.

http://www.psychic-junkie.com/

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way cool! i like psychic stuff. if you haven't done so, check out Jeff Mishlove's Blog. he is the uber guru on all things paranormal around here :)

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There was a time, when upon hearing the ringing of the 5 AM meditation bell, every day, that I was eagerly right there in the cool meditation hall, & that followed by shower, & spiritual readings, more meditation, breakfast, work, meditation on, &, on the cycle of rituals of moving like a hamster from meditation to work, personal tasks, & begin all over again. Good stuff - for then.

Today? Physical: walking, rebounding, & stretching almost daily, plus vegetarian eating…….

Mental? I have been journaling, writing poetry, & story crafting for 25 years, & now blogging. Love my Kanji calligraphy classes & practices.

Soul Work? That sitting & Zen walking meditation for over 20 years, journaling dreams all these years, & focused on Soul Development studies ongoing since 1980 - wide range of Transpersonal studies & the World Religions degree….grew into the focus I have here - essentially Finding the Beloved in all things: ongoing seeking growth.
Spirit? Shamanism training, Soto Zen initiate. I have daily, if not ongoing chats with Spirit. Deep listening practice: the breeze through the trees, birds chatter outside my window, the rain, deep listening to conversations, the hummm of the universe within………….Intuitive, insightful, & follow my heart.

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The Japanese Tea Ceremony.   Chanoyu is literally translated as “hot water for tea,” but Chado “The Way of Tea” developed from the serving of  tea into a spiritual practice influenced by Zen Buddhism.

I have been involved with Tea Ceremony for more than 25 years.   I just started blogging about it http://sweetpersimmon.zaadz.com/blog