[Note: I’ve been trying to update something on my subscriber service, and apparently my last post got resent one or two extra times to some people. If that happened to you, I apologize for the annoyance. Hopefully, everything is fixed now.]
Someone complained to me recently that she had gotten away from her spiritual practice because her life had gotten so busy. That got me to thinking. I’m sure I’ve said something like that before. But why do we think that spiritual practice is something separate from everyday life? If spiritual practice doesn’t infuse the daily rhythm of our lives, what good is it?
A Buddhist teacher, in response to a question about his meditation schedule, said that he is never not meditating. The Bible encourages us to pray without ceasing. What does that mean? Are we supposed to be on our knees or on our meditation cushion at all times? That is not very realistic. If my spiritual practice only occurs at set times while engaging in specified activity, then is the rest of my life adrift in darkness? That’s not very encouraging.
Spiritual practice can certainly include specific times of prayer or meditation or the like, but is it limited to that? If I take a deep breath and ground myself in the present moment, is that spiritual practice? What if I check in on a friend going through a hard time, or carry a spider outside to find a new home, or make enchiladas for someone who just had surgery, or step away from the computer to play with a patient grandchild, or pause to appreciate a beautiful sunrise, or take a package in for a neighbor who’s out of town, or compliment a friendly cashier to his manager? What if I buy myself an I-love-myself seat, as a friend recently did (I love that!)? Can’t all these things open our hearts and connect us to the sacred energy of the universe?
We sometimes think of spiritual practice as something lofty, transcendent, definitely not something mundane like taking the trash out. Don’t get me wrong – I do like to start my day with inspirational reading and meditation (yes, on my cushion). But every moment, every breath is an opportunity to practice, to practice being present, aware, open, grateful, and connected. And if I miss an opportunity in one moment, then I can feel compassion for myself, and that too is practice. There is always the next moment.
Spiritual practice is not separate from life. It is life. It is recognizing the power we always have to choose how to engage with our daily lives, to see everything as sacred, to touch everything with compassion, to open our hearts letting love fill us up and spill out.
Hanging laundry on the line offers you the chance to fly prayer flags disguised as bath towels and underwear. ~Barbara Taylor Brown
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Hear! Hear! Spirit & opportunities to practice present continuously. The 3rd paragraph says it all. Like the yoga practices that can occur off the mat.
Writing this post was a good reminder to myself to stay focused and present. That’s a good reference to yoga practices that can be woven into everyday life. We are never not practicing! The trick is to choose what it is we are practicing. Thanks for commenting, Mona.