Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. There are many spiritualities, and what is spirituality to you may be different from what it is for me. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The practices of developing internal qualities, and ethics, are universal to all paths. The card can be as simple or elaborate as you want it to be. For example, a spiritual authority may use Hebrews 13:17 (“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority”) to demand blind loyalty and unthinking obedience. It develops will power, self-control, and a sense of peace and contentment that depends on nothing else. If our objective in practicing spiritual disciplines is to foster and deepen our love relationship with the Lord, we must approach it through means He endorses in accordance with His Word. Periods of intense self-discipline, simplicity, and no self-indulgence. But remember, we know the ending – our side wins. This can be for the sake of growth, service, transcendence, overcoming suffering, union with a higher principle, internal freedom, happiness, etc. A good starting place could be Acts 2:42-47 where we read of the early church not only engaging in certain practices but being devoted to them. The urge to serve people in a deeper level, making a big difference in their life, and helping the upliftment of humanity. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. On the heels of Enron and Sarbanes-Oxley and the subsequent birth of the ethics consulting industry, conversations around the value and place of spirituality in the workplace have been further encouraged by the need for managers and leaders to behave more ethically in the world and to foster ethical decision-making in their workforces. But the common theme is that it is a state of transcendence from the human condition, beyond all possibility of further suffering. These traditions share many common practices, principles, and goals – and yet there are profound differences in approaches, beliefs, and worldviews. Spiritual healing is a path of transformation, a journey that connects the body, heart and mind to free the soul. You don’t need to do all these trainings. Listening to talks or reading spiritual texts of a tradition, and thinking deeply about the meaning and implications of those teachings. In some traditions the texts are considered of secondary importance, while a personal relationship with the teacher or guru is seen as essential for the growth of the student/disciple. These are specific ways of breathing and moving our attention through the body. Spiritual Warfare: Be Strong in the Lord Spiritual warfare is a reality of the Christian life. Spiritual manifestation revolves around the New Age concept of the Law of Attraction. Some of them emphasise a “heart to heart” transmission that happens through initiation, and spending time with the teacher (satsang). SERVING. Some of these things may not speak to you at all, while you feel a great attraction for others. It speaks to the need to be “aligned” with something bigger than our ego and individual life. There is a great variety of paths here; some of them are more ritualistic; some emphasize the development of psychic powers or communication with invisible beings; others are strongly focused on physical health and longevity. Still, let me present you a broad definition of spirituality, so we can be on the same page. This attitude may indicate internal resistances that you are not aware of. These cookies do not store any personal information. For this reason, we are told to “run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22, NLT) and “do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Romans 13:14). Ritual. Some traditions are more ritualistic, but basically all of them involve some type of ritual. In conjunction to breath-work, some traditions use body postures and movements for developing health, freeing energy flow, and other purposes. The drive for spirituality is inherent in our nature, but the way the spiritual path unfolds is unique to each individual. It has been a primary issue, though perhaps given different labels, throughout church history. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. These include fasting, intensive retreats, vows of silence, abstinence, long hours of meditation, etc. In a way, all of these paths are capable of addressing each of the core drives for spirituality. I’ve looked into Zen, Theravada Buddhism, Occultism, Taoism, New Age, Yoga, Vedanta, etc. For further reading, I highly recommend Timothy Conway’s excellent 12 Spiritual Temperaments article, and my recommended spiritual books list. It has been rightly coined as “stock market happiness”. Many of the behaviors associated with wellness are key components of a healthy spiritual life. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Spiritual warfare is a battle against Satan, which takes place in the unseen, spiritual dimension and is faught with the weapons that have divine power to demolish strongholds, all while you’re resisting Satan, standing firm in the faith, remaining strong in the Lord, and pursuing the ultimate victory of demolishing arguments against the knowledge of God and taking captive every thought to make it … Acts 2:42. And they need you now, and they will rely upon you in the future. It’s an exercise of controlling your attention. In any case, it is natural that as you start deepening in a path, and experiencing real progress, you gain more confidence in the wisdom behind the teachings – even the ones you don’t understand yet. Qualities of Mind/Heart. Path of DEVOTION. Present in all theistic paths, prayer is an exercise of directing our mind to the Divine, with devotion and surrender. PURPOSE / DIRECTION. The goal of spirituality is defined differently in different paths. It involves initiation into the school, undergoing rituals, and achieving moksha liberation by experiencing union of cosmic polarities. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Here is a brief introduction. Path of MEDITATION. White spirituals include both revival and camp-meeting songs and a smaller number of other hymns. Service. Spam, requests for free material, and promotional info will not be posted; nor will a response be forthcoming. Diving into one’s own consciousness and exploring other aspects of reality is something that speaks to our thirst for knowledge, experience, and adventure. The drive for spirituality is inherent in our nature, but the … I call this approach pragmatic spirituality. It can be done for the purpose of healing, energizing, purifying, calming, contemplating, etc. The core practices are prayer, chanting, mantras, belief, ritual, and teacher relationship. Defining what is spirituality is not easy, because there are many different types of spirituality. Usually a feeling of reverence, seriousness, or intensity is associated with them. At the bottom of this page you will find a button to download a FREE PDF copy of this post, for easy reference. There are lots of overlaps, but we can say that Knowledge, Surrender, Meditation, Service and Energy are the core elements of all spiritual practice. So it’s no one path that is better than the others. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Path of energy —> you learn how to transform the energy of anxiety by working with it in your body and through your breathing. Religious texts such as the Bible, the Torah, the Quar'an, the Tao Te Ching, the … Hopefully this post has helped you make some sense of this universe of spirituality. If you don’t know where to start, I would suggest having one core cultivation practice (meditation or prayer), together with the three foundations of  “developing qualities”, “ethics” and “study”. You don’t need to follow an institutionalized religion in order to have a fruitful spiritual life. (a) practices of personal cultivation, sublimation, and exploration. For the first time we have the wisdom teachings of all these traditions easily accessible, which is a boon. Set spiritual guidelines concerning morality. Examples are the pranayama from Yoga and the qigong from Daoism. You can – if pressed for time – buy a ready-made card and just list the prayers you will pray (or have prayed). Try following your spiritual guidance, even if you’re unsure. Since suffering is a mental phenomenon, and spiritual practices are a means to transform one’s mind, it is a wise way of seeking a better life. But, usually, the card for a spiritual bouquet is hand-made. If you belong to an organized religion, you may find solace in speaking with your … Spiritual health can be complicated to define, and it may be better described by its common characteristics, which include organized religion, prayer, hope, purpose, and peace. Path of devotion —> anxiety is surrendered wholeheartedly to That principle/entity that you are devoted to. Examples are: Raja Yoga, Nada Yoga, Buddhism, Samaya Tantra, Jainism, Kashmir Shaivism. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. A philosophy in spiritual New Age wisdom is you are a spiritual being manifesting consciousness. Your email address will not be published but may be used to contact you of any responses to your comment. One Piece in a Larger Puzzle Many of the behaviors associated with overall wellness are key components of spiritual wellness. Defining what is spirituality is not easy, because there are many different types of spirituality. Asceticism. To learn more check out my guide on the master virtues. This doesn’t imply, however, that you reject tradition. Spirituality has different meanings for different people, often influenced by the ideologies you grew up with. Why do you need spirituality? The Getting Spiritually Fit Discipleship Tool provides some instruction on each of the above listed examples of what might be considered to be spiritual disciplines, as well as a list in chart form of other possibilities indicating how them might lead to, be a part of, or result from time spent in the Word, fellowship, prayer, worship, or benevolence. Breath & Energy Work. The issue of spiritual transformation is not new in the Christian faith. Having a greater clarity on what is the drive behind your search can be helpful when choosing which path or practices to take. The purpose of study is gaining understanding, insight, and wisdom. For example, take the drive of overcoming anxiety. 3:16-17), 2) Fellowship (Rom. Liberation happens by active selflessness, the burning away of impurities that happen by the constant service without wanting anything back, not even recognition. You need each other. The ultimate purpose of rituals is to develop certain feelings or states of mind – and not to put up a show. Others may pray or find comfort in a personal relationship with God or a higher power. Path of ENERGY. Liberation happens by stillness and meditative absorption, which burns through the impurities of the mind and heart. Liberation happens through wisdom and insight, by clearly seeing who we are, and understanding reality as it is. Let me know below, in the comments section. 12:10; Heb. These aspects can be part of leadership, but they are not the essence of spiritual leadership. Or, if you want to inspire others to develop a spiritual practice, consider becoming a meditation facilitator. It’s the urge to experience ultimate peace or freedom, to find the ultimate reality of who we are, transcend the ego, or “merge with God”. Different traditions describe enlightenment differently. Some may find that their spiritual life is intricately linked to their association with a church, temple, mosque, or synagogue. ANSWERS / TRUTH. Liberation happens by surrender of our ego into the higher Power Source/God/Consciousness. Here we have the asanas of Yoga, Buddhist mudras, and several exercises from the Daoist tradition and Tantric schools. People may describe a spiritual experience as sacred or transcendent or simply a deep sense of aliveness and interconnectedness. Acts 2:42-47 where we read of the early church not only engaging in certain practices but being devoted to them. The core practices are study, contemplation, and meditation. Your email address will not be published but may be used to contact you of any responses to your comment. GROWTH. (b) practices of learning, understanding, absorbing. I enjoyed taking your spiritual gift test and your teachings on various subjects to help me grow spiritually. 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