Life As A Spiritual Practice
I used to view a spiritual practice as a ritual that must happen consistently in order to reach some ultimate goal of liberation. I thought this was a self-imposed expectation, but I quickly realized I wasn’t alone in this way of thinking. So many people hold a similar view, and many definitions actually describe it exactly as such.
Reflecting on this now, it feels partially—okay let’s be honest, solely—due to how as a society we view activities in our life. We have a talent for turning everything into work. It’s drilled into us that consistency is key and it only takes 30 days to establish a habit and . . . you can do it, just keep going. So many teachings cultivate a belief that we must perform in order to achieve such enlightenment or spiritual connection. We so easily fall victim to turning our spiritual practice into more work for ourselves and, if we don’t succeed, we feel we did something wrong or quite possibly that we are wrong. With this perspective, we end up believing that we are a problem that needs fixing and then end up breathlessly chasing after that goal. It’s exhausting!
But what if it didn’t have to feel that way?
After decades of unpacking my own religious upbringing and years of exploring all sorts of self-care practices, working with an energy healer, downloading way too many meditation apps, attending yoga classes and healing workshops, and slowly building what is now quite the lovely collection of Tarot and Oracle decks, something occurred to me: life itself is a spiritual practice.
Life is always changing and constantly presenting us with opportunities to reflect on who we are and who we desire to be. It offers us beautiful moments of overwhelming excitement and equally as incredible seasons that bring us to our knees. Both have the power to evoke something in us we never knew was there. And the little moments—the ones that go unnoticed—those are some of the most magical.
Life is cyclical and ever-changing, and so are we. Some days deep meditation, a long bath, and writing in your journal for an hour feels really supportive and other days binge watching your favorite show is precisely as healing. Giving ourselves permission to be in connection with what we need in each moment is one of the most beautiful spiritual practices we can partake in—learning to listen to our body and honor what it is asking for, working with our emotions verses in spite of them, and befriending our mind instead of identifying with the stories it likes to tell.
What would it look like to feel into the present moment, notice what would bring you more joy and support, and then offer that to yourself?
The word joy means a great feeling of pleasure and happiness. I think it’s really difficult for many of us to even consider what brings us joy because we’ve deprived ourselves of it for far too long. And I think an even deeper wound is believing the lie that we don’t deserve to experience it at all.
Capitalism has ingrained in us a pace to life that has us jumping from one task to the next, believing we must earn the things we need or desire, and living a life of utter exhaustion. We move so quickly that we miss out on those subtle opportunities when life is trying to offer us a moment of joy.
I believe these moments can be found in small shifts you make: the simple act of making your favorite cup of tea, lighting a candle while you work, taking a break to go on a 15-minute walk, or listening to a good audio book while you do the dishes. It all begins with pausing to ask yourself, what would make this more pleasurable?
So, if your current spiritual practice, lack thereof, or stress around establishing a consistent one is feeling overwhelming, I’m giving you a huge permission slip to throw the rule book out the window. Can you allow your practice to ebb, flow, and change as you do? Can you accept your humanity and offer yourself compassion?
Life can be a beautiful gift, waiting for you to accept its invitation into more enjoyment.
