How to get in touch with your spirituality (without religion)

[SpiralOut]

I have a few ideas already on how to feel more in touch with my spirituality, such as being around plant and animals, looking at artwork, listening to music. Writing is helpful too, and I like yoga.

 

I have a set of beliefs, but organized religion doesn't really do it for me, so going to church of any type is not an option for me.

 

Sometimes I have trouble working it into my schedule, mostly due to how tired I am at the end of the day.

 

I am wondering what do other people do to remain spiritual? And how do you fit it into your day?

[quankanne]

live a contemplative life, being aware of that higher power that created you and your world in Creation. And pray, even if it's just a simple dialogue as "Thank You." Once you center yourself in that, it all starts flowing from there ...

[denise_xo]

I am wondering what do other people do to remain spiritual? And how do you fit it into your day?

 

I use various tools like meditation, yoga, exercise, healthy diet, reflection, etc. However, the key issue I think is to live with integrity and full honesty, and to strip yourself as much as possible of all the different attachments, -isms and identities that we build for ourselves.

 

I hear you about fitting it all in as part of a busy life. I've had a very rough work load over the past couple of years and 'scheduling' these things has been very challenging. I've therefore changed strategies and trying to just focus more on integrity and mindfulness as part of everything I do as I go through my day. I don't always succeed, but that's how I'm trying to work at the moment.

[gamtecbxyc]

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[zenzen7]

One way I have found for myself is by dissecting my belief system. Like Jiddu Krishnamurti says, "Truth is a pathless land"... and I take that, for myself, to be that everything we think is true is immediately no longer true. There can be no "beliefs" that lead to the truth. In fact, many of our quotidien, seemingly simple (albiet entirely too complex!) beliefs block the access to our spiritual consciousness. The energy of your spirit is a flow, a constant flow, and often our thoughts or our beliefs will not allow us to enter into the constant state of flooooow.

 

The coolest part about all of this is that it doesn't take time. You don't have to squeeze a half hour of yoga into your day; you don't have to pray; you don't have to read about spiritual enhancement or meditate for 30 minutes. You have to rewire your brain; work through the contours of your consciousness on a daily basis through the most mundane acts. While at work, practice mindfulness... how does your hands move on the keyboard? How do you talk to customers/clients/co-workers? What air do you typically put off? How do you feel about the money you spend when you buy new, shiny things? Or when you pay your bills? What emotions surge through you when talking to an attractive customer/client/co-worker? The whole point of understanding your spirit is watching yourself... become an observer of your attitudes, your ideas, your beliefs, your emotions, your reactions. Watch yourself.

 

Continue to live in gratitude for the smallest things, live in wonder like a child, attempt to free yourself from the shackles of belief and judgment and remain innocent and compassionate.

 

It sounds maybe more difficult than it really is. Don't let your mind ask questions, it seems like that's just the ego getting in the way... open yourself to a world of curiosity, watchfulness, and innocence. You can do this all day, for the rest of your life...

[Thieves]

It sounds maybe more difficult than it really is. Don't let your mind ask questions, it seems like that's just the ego getting in the way... open yourself to a world of curiosity, watchfulness, and innocence. You can do this all day, for the rest of your life...

 

Great post, zenzen7! It's interesting, and by the way, it does to me sound strikingly similar to Taoism -- which certainly isn't a bad thing, as that's one of the few 'religions' (I hesitate to call it such) or spiritual ways of thinking that I'm interested in, even if I may not declare myself as a 'Taoist'. In any case, as I was reading your post, many principles or distinctions that make up the ideas of Taoism kept surfacing within me. What I took from it was:

 

- To live as simply as possible without useless complications.

- Whatever you do, however simple, be mindful and do it well.

- Contain that innocence toward life which we all have inside of us (as we are all continually learning).

- Remain compassionate towards others.

 

What struck me as the most similar to Taoism was especially in regards to this quote of yours:

 

One way I have found for myself is by dissecting my belief system. Like Jiddu Krishnamurti says, "Truth is a pathless land"... and I take that, for myself, to be that everything we think is true is immediately no longer true. There can be no "beliefs" that lead to the truth.

 

Which, to me, rings of a Taoist quotation that immediately came to mind:

 

The Tao which can be expressed is not the eternal Tao;

the name that can be defined is not the unchanging name.

 

The only part I had difficulty with, or hesitation towards, was when you talked about "not letting your mind ask questions." For me, as much as I agree with simplicity and peace of mind as a way of living, not allowing my mind to question or ask questions just truly does not come naturally to me as a person (or so I strongly believe from what I know about myself). I like to dedicate myself to asking questions most of the time, whether it be through philosophy, psychology, or what have you. I live to study and enjoy doing so, not to complicate things, but.. for pure enjoyment. I enjoy turning things around in differents ways in my mind, again, for enjoyment and as a way of further observing the world and its people. So I think it's more about finding that good balance where I learn when and when not to question, perhaps.

[mike111]

I am wondering what do other people do to remain spiritual? And how do you fit it into your day?

 

 

I used to spend a lot of time in the forest and up in the mountains. That always worked for me.

 

A good campfire beside the beach works wonders too.

[Feelin Frisky]

In my view spirituality has neither to do with religion or communing with nature or looking at art. What is is is the ability to reason outside of the dictates of animal hierarchy and suspend all of the territorialism that comes with it to give others--strangers especially--fair latitude to reveal their unique worth as individual beings. In other words, it's the way to "love your neighbor" without literally loving him or her, doing to others as you would have them do to you, disarm a bully by turning the other cheek, and many of the other values obscured into the story of Jesus Christ. There is no super-nature--there is only nature, and nature is richer than we are led by tradition to encompass. If we refuse to subordinate ourselves to power and act with courage to facilitate others even though we don't know them, we achieve something more than animal nature. I call whatever else above that we can reach "spirituality". this is where you get to understand the motivations behind art and music and commune with the spirit of transcendence.

[Yamaha]

In my view spirituality has neither to do with religion or communing with nature or looking at art. What is is is the ability to reason outside of the dictates of animal hierarchy and suspend all of the territorialism that comes with it to give others--strangers especially--fair latitude to reveal their unique worth as individual beings. In other words, it's the way to "love your neighbor" without literally loving him or her, doing to others as you would have them do to you, disarm a bully by turning the other cheek, and many of the other values obscured into the story of Jesus Christ. There is no super-nature--there is only nature, and nature is richer than we are led by tradition to encompass. If we refuse to subordinate ourselves to power and act with courage to facilitate others even though we don't know them, we achieve something more than animal nature. I call whatever else above that we can reach "spirituality". this is where you get to understand the motivations behind art and music and commune with the spirit of transcendence.

 

But why should we care about others when our time is so short on this earth and we want to have all the experiences we can before we pass on?

 

It doesn't make much sense to worry about our fellow man and do good to each other just to end up dead. What is the incentive to do good?

[Feelin Frisky]

But why should we care about others when our time is so short on this earth and we want to have all the experiences we can before we pass on?

 

It doesn't make much sense to worry about our fellow man and do good to each other just to end up dead. What is the incentive to do good?

 

It's the only way to ever MATTER. Nothing else you do "matters"--it will all disappear without a trace and no one or nothing will know that you ever existed. You have to firmly exorcise and belief in an after-life to understand me fully. I recommend the movie "Star Trek: Generations" which covers this exact philosophical argument. Both Captain Kirk and Captain Piccard achieve immortality in an energy ribbon in which all their fantasies are instantly serviced for them. The are face with do I stay and pleasure myself forever and ever? or do I chuck it all to make a difference in real reality and face the final death? The energy ribbon is effectively what heaven offers--everything you expect to see fulfilled for you. It becomes a gilded cage where someone is medicating you with falsehood to keep you happy. You don't matter. The choice then is to matter. And the way to do that is to make THE difference in the lives of other people. It is only in their minds that you may live on.

 

Spirituality to me is transcending the dictates of nature--but only within nature. And that inevitably leads to wisdom affecting others positively. Otherwise it's just an animal grazing in a field.

[Yamaha]

The choice then is to matter.

 

People say we are animals but you suggest we are not just animals grazing in the fields. When an animal dies are they remembered by the group?

Do they matter?

 

It seems like alot of energy produced for limited success. People will forget you eventually. It is the way of the living. We forget and move on.

 

It does seem sad that so many have been born and so few remembered. My dad died a few years ago and even his memory is getting dimmer as the time ebbs. I like your concept of "choose to matter" but in the end we are just a headstone with our born and died dates to remember our passing.

[denise_xo]

People say we are animals but you suggest we are not just animals grazing in the fields. When an animal dies are they remembered by the group?

Do they matter?

 

It seems like alot of energy produced for limited success. People will forget you eventually. It is the way of the living. We forget and move on.

 

It does seem sad that so many have been born and so few remembered. My dad died a few years ago and even his memory is getting dimmer as the time ebbs. I like your concept of "choose to matter" but in the end we are just a headstone with our born and died dates to remember our passing.

 

Well, I don't think the point is to be remembered. It's to live with integrity while you are still here. What's important is that it matters in the moment. Whether it's remembered two weeks or two years later is irrelevant, and I wouldn't use that as the main criteria for success.

[Feelin Frisky]

People say we are animals but you suggest we are not just animals grazing in the fields. When an animal dies are they remembered by the group?

Do they matter?

 

It seems like alot of energy produced for limited success. People will forget you eventually. It is the way of the living. We forget and move on.

 

It does seem sad that so many have been born and so few remembered. My dad died a few years ago and even his memory is getting dimmer as the time ebbs. I like your concept of "choose to matter" but in the end we are just a headstone with our born and died dates to remember our passing.

 

We have the choice to be more than animals. And that does not involve having an immortal spirit. It means understanding the hierarchical order from which we came and being able to suspend it so that we are not territorial and are able to facilitate the best in each other. Whether that "matters" or not is subjective to who you are. To me it's everything--it gives me "order" outside of hierarchy where I know what's right and wrong without a punishing god or over-lord dictating what is right or wrong. This is my spirituality and the only way to live on beyond the mortal life is to have done something to illuminate a good direction for others. Simple. No muss, no fuss.

[Symetrical-Siren]

Some people can attain that "constant state" of spiritual consciousness through prana....others use Yogic postures.....some meditation.

 

Mine was a mix of sampling eastern religious chants from Hindu holy books (Bhagavad Gita). I've channeled deities before also. I would not recommend channeling unless you KNOW a great deal about the deity, and what they are about. I made the mistake of harnessing some pretty powerful energy with an ex, and he said I almost suffocated him (ooops).

 

When we don't have a guide, it's hard to say what will work best for you. Just research when you do have the time. Most of my experiences have been through trial and error. Some errors yielded pretty nasty manifestations, which is why research is an absolute MUST.

 

Once your Kundalini energy is awakened, you'll find it impossible to get OUT of the spiritual state; even once you ground, you're still in that awareness. So, just be careful how you go about that path. Make sure it is what you want too. Everything in the Universe has pros and cons to it. Putting yourself in that spiritual state, you will attract both good spirits and negative spirits (dead and alive) to you.

 

Be careful and Good luck.

[Breezy Trousers]

I have a few ideas already on how to feel more in touch with my spirituality, such as being around plant and animals, looking at artwork, listening to music. Writing is helpful too, and I like yoga.

 

I have a set of beliefs, but organized religion doesn't really do it for me, so going to church of any type is not an option for me.

 

Sometimes I have trouble working it into my schedule, mostly due to how tired I am at the end of the day.

 

I am wondering what do other people do to remain spiritual? And how do you fit it into your day?

 

I haven't been, lately, and it shows. But I'm trying to get back on track, and here's what I typically do:

 

1. I meditate 20-30 minutes a day, or do Christian Centering Prayer. (Lately, I've been led to read books about The Jesus Prayer.) I do this in the morning when I wake. If I can't, I'll try to find an office or private place at work to do this.

 

2. I study a spiritual text which has daily lessons. I do this with #2 in the a.m.

 

3. I do a Byron Katie "The Work" worksheet to investigate any resentments I am holding and try to undo it through inquiry. Takes 10 minutes. I do this during lunch break.

 

4. I read a spiritual book or listen to a spiritual CD/podcast for a little while every day, before bed or on the train.

 

My husband and I are attending a monastic retreat with a Trappist monk this month. We were supposed to attend one in December, but it was booked, so we took this one by default. It just so happens it's a topic I'm working hard on right now -- healthy boundaries. No accident, I'm sure!

 

In January I will begin formal study of breathwork with a national trainer I deeply respect.

 

One of my favorite things is to just lay on the grass and watch the clouds. As lame as it sounds, it quiets me and takes me out of myself.

Edited November 4, 2011 by Breezy Trousers