Are you for health but don’t have time to eat healthy?
A world-changer but waiting to retire from your corporate Wall Street job before changing the world?
An environmentalist who doesn’t recycle?
Or maybe even someone who is “spiritual, but not religious?”
Which leads us to the question of what the heck is the “spiritual but not religious”?
Multiple choice question. “Spiritual but not religious” means:
A) You’re super religious but don’t want others to know it
B) Non-religious but use this phrase as a way to be politically correct and be socially accepted
C) Kinda religious when it’s Christmas time or someone dies
D) Not religious but spiritual enough to believe that if all this religious crap was for real and you found yourself in hell, you’d use the “spiritual, not religious card” to escape a life in purgatory.
“Is spiritual, not religious” a lame excuse?
It has become socially acceptable to say “spiritual, not religious” when asked what our religious preferences are. It also seems to be the politically correct thing to say.
With “spiritual, but not religious” we get to say that we’re connecting with ourselves, a higher power or God but not in any formal or scripture-based way. And we don’t really have to do ANYTHING to satisfy that label.
How do you end up becoming “spiritual, not religious?”
Did you grow up in a cult and get burnt out?
Did you grow up in a strict religious household where you were constantly warned about going to hell?
Did you grow up in a household where you were told to stay far away from God and march with your comrades when the revolution started?
Did you live a life of faith only to find a God who doesn’t listen to your prayers and continuously disappointed you?
Why get spiritual?
If you’re neither spiritual or religious, fine.
If you’re religious, all the power to you.
But if you’re the “spiritual, not religious crowd” I’m writing this for you. And asking you to get spiritual if in fact you consider yourself a spiritual person.
I’m asking you to get spiritual so —
1) You spend a part of your day focusing on your inner self and being, as you discover who you really are – your essence.
2) You’re able to deal with life’s problems and challenges better with inner strength and wisdom.
3) You realize that spirituality is a part of your personal development practice which allows you to be a better person to yourself and others.
10 Ways To get Spiritual for those without money for church coffers, time to attend religious services or tolerance for doctrines and dogma.
Let’s say you’re hell-bent on staying as far away from any and every religion, prophet, guru and sacred text. Then, try one of these practices for a few minutes a day to get in touch with your inner spirituality.
Stop saying you’re spiritual and get spiritual by:
1) Meditating for a few minutes every day. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing without trying to think about the world around. You’ll become more mindful of your breath and ultimately be able to observe your mind.
2) Attend a yoga class. Yoga may feel like a pure physical exercise. Yoga is actually challenging your body and mind and helping you make the connection between the two.
3) Listen to music which stirs your soul. I would just suggest doing this mindfully so you’re actually listening to the music instead of when you’re on the exercise bike, playing a game of Angry Birds on your iPhone.
4) Attend a gospel concert. Yes, they may be singing about God but you don’t have to ‘hallelujah’ about God. A gospel choir sings about God but also about hope, strength, self-belief and overcoming challenges.
5) Be silent. No, I don’t mean shut up as a spiritual practice. Oh, maybe I do. I say be silent and observe the silence. Embrace the silence. In the silence, you might even hear or find your inner self.
6) Watch your favorite televangelist. And no, you don’t have to pick the one that’s asking you to send in $5,000 to save your soul. TV preachers ain’t all bad and many preach about overcoming life challenges and finding your inner strength during life’s rough times.
7) Take a hike. When you’re one with nature, you can’t help but think about nature and before you know it, your connection with nature. Nature has a way of revealing your true self.
8) Watch a sunset or sunrise. Sure, this sounds like a recipe for a romantic getaway but also a way to uplift your spirit and soul. Glorious sunrises and sunsets may make you even start seeking a higher power.
9) Help someone. Yes, helping others can be a spiritual practice all by itself. The act of giving selflessly to others brings out your best and highest self. Helping a friend when they are overwhelmed, a relative who is struggling or an elderly person with a chore will help you make you feel a spiritual connection.
10) Send love out into the world. Sending out love is something that my friend Wendy Irene regularly writes about on her blog. This may be a little hippie-ish sounding advice you heard when sitting around the campfire at Woodstock. When feeling afraid, overwhelmed or worried for yourself or someone else in your life, feel love and illuminate love for a few minutes.
You don’t have to be religious to be spiritual. But if you think you’re a spiritual person or want to be more spiritually in tune, practice a little more spirituality in your life every day.
You’ll instantly feel the benefits of spiritual living; clarity, strength, compassion and connection.
For my book, Is God Listening?, about spirituality and resilience, click here.
Even if you have no interest whatsoever in spirituality, religion, faith or this blog, you’re probably a fan of music. Well, how ’bout spiritual tunes that can stir your heart and awaken your soul?
Music can be a big part of anyone’s spiritual practice. Having grown up in a Hindu household, I regularly awakened to hot devotional tracks with shout-outs to every Hindu God that existed (more than 20,000 it felt like) and spent Sunday mornings singing group devotional songs called bhajans.
Some call spiritual music the universal language of God; a way to invoke the divine in our practice. (Others of you might call music a must-have for building up any modern-day, main-stream cult but that’s a conversation for another day)
So, what are my favorite spiritual songs?
Here’s a list of my top 7:
1) Familiar with the Gayatri mantra? If you’re not Hindu, probably not. If you are, you’re probably sick of hearing this chant. But how could you be? This particular Hindu mantra recited by millions of people at sunrise and sunset around the world is a divine recitation straight out of the Rig Vedas of ancient times. Set to catchy music in this video, this mantra praises the divine creator in the world and asks for enlightenment. Who can ask for more, yo?
I’ve known people who have told me that reciting this mantra has brought miracles into their lives. Check out the song and let me know what you think.
2. Who isn’t moved by the magnificence ofAmazing Grace? Basically the spiritual story of an Englishman, John Newton, this hymn has been a strong part of our culture in the United States from the time of the country’s founding. Newton was an obscene sailor living an irreverent life ‘til one day he found himself in the midst of a terrible storm. His spiritual conversion started right there on that rocky ship and produced this beautiful hymn later in his life. Here’s a rendition from child gospel singer, Rhema Marvane:
3. Ave Maria is a Catholic prayer, based on the Gospel of St. Luke. Here’s a wonderful rendition of this Catholic hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary, by Mirusia:
4. Swing Low Sweet Charriot is an African-American spiritual with references to the underground railroad, which helped free thousands of slaves in the United States. It’s a deeply moving and spiritual song.
5. Om Namah Sivaya is a Hindu mantra praising Lord Siva, the powerful Hindu God know to destroy evil spirits. Siva is as big as it gets in the Hindu faith and most temples have a shrine dedicated to this powerful God. Enjoy this devotional tune dedicate to the all-powerful Lord Siva:
6. Oseh Salom was a song I had never heard previously until I came across it in the CD to the spiritual tome, Spirituality for Dummies. Sharon Janis has put together a terrific collection of songs bound to get spiritually inspired. Oseh Salom is a beautiful song praying for peace and wholeness.
7. Finally, Creere, by Tercer Cielo is a song I’ve fallen in love with in my travels in Central America. A tour guide introduced me to this song on his Ipod, as one of his favorite’s, while on a hike in the heart of the La Amistad International Park tropical rainforest. It translates to “I will believe” and is an inspirational song about believing in yourself when the doors are closed and going forward in life even when you feel like you can’t.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euMCH7UyKB8
For my book on spirituality and resiliency, Is God Listening?, click here.
It’s 6 am. There’s a mystical darkness outside your window as the coffee brews. You’re sitting at your computer and pulling up your checking account to check your balance.
Tick tock tick tock tick tock. It’s Internet Explorer – it will take a minute or 5.
The checking account pulls up – (minus) $3000. Someone hacked into your account and just bought 2 roundtrip tickets to Paris while you were asleep.
%)(*!%$)(*!@#)(%$
You close your browser window to see your Twitter page. One of your friends did something brave and broke up with her boy-friend.
“I hate that bastard – I can’t believe we broke up – good riddance to bad garbage. Mail me my clothes back you punk.” Now, that took a lot of courage. Such powerful words in one short tweet.
Then you realize it’s your girl-friend.
)%*@)(%*)@(#*
You lean back on your chair to take a deep breath. You fall back and hit your head on the floor.
When you wake up, you see your friends and family at the hospital. The doctor tells you that you’re going to be spending the next 3 months at home on bed rest. Your little cousin holds up your Iphone.
“Late again – you’re fired dude”.
By 10 am, you’ve broken your head, your relationship, your bank account and been fired from your job.
Time for your eat, pray, love adventure.
Your head and heart hurt. Your bank account is going to hurt even more when you’re sitting in bed at home without a job.
You saw that Eat, Pray Love movie with your girlfriend two weeks ago (the one who just broke up with you on Twitter). She predicted that you would be going on a long trip – just like Julia Robert’s worldwide adventure to Italy, Indonesia and India.
Is now the time to pick up and go?
If you are hurting, financially, emotionally or spiritually, you might feel that you need a change of pace. And a change of scenery. It’s time to find yourself or to find God. Or to find God so you can find yourself.
You have so many questions and not so many answers. Life seems to have hit a wall – you’re asking ‘why me’, ‘why now’ or may be even ‘who am I?’
Leave your life, and journey into world? You could but do you need a worldwide spiritual journey to get in touch with your inner self?
Time for your spiritual journey.
You’ve come to a point in your life when you feel like something is missing. What are you going to do? Are you going to escape?
As much as the grief of common life events may get to you – break-ups, deaths, job losses, financial ruin, you may not have to go very far to find answers.
The answers actually are within you – you have the answers to all the questions you seek. Now, you must find the spiritual tools to help you uncover those answers.
Your spiritual journey begins at home.
Cancel your flights and throw away the travel guides.
No need to go out to the Himalayas, Tibet, Jerusalem or India.
No need to search for spirituality. No need to get away from your life – your spiritual life starts exactly where you are.
How can you practice spirituality every day and wherever you are?
It’s a good question for someone like me who wanted to join a monastery. But I decided no. I wasn’t going to be like the Budha. Or Liz Gilbert.
I wasn’t jumping the palace gate like the Buddha to discover myself.
Not going across the world (eating pizza and being a landing pad for mosquitos) to find out who I really am.
I’m going to do it here. In the present and in the real world.
And here on this blog, I’ll show you how to live a spiritual life too, starting right now.
Are you on a spiritual journey? Were you able to reach nirvana from your recliner or did you take a pilgrimage around the world to find the truth?
For my book on spirituality, God and to surviving tough times, click here for more information on Is God Listening?
I help people overcome their devastating breakups and divorces and find love again. Instead of visiting the Himalayas, sign up below and join me. I am taking a writing break but will be back soon.
This guide is free. A ticket to the Himalayas is $2000. Your move.
