Thank you, Gaiam TV, for the invitation. Your request for three tips on becoming more spiritual in daily life presents a welcome and purposeful challenge.
Put that Ocean into a River
Allegedly, a master commented after meeting Rumi, “I’ve just met an ocean contained in a river.” Perfect description for placing a lifetime of seeking into three “tips”.
I trust Universal Source will guide this ocean’s flow into open hearts, through willing channels and past shorelines obviously carved by Endless Love:
Tip #1. Learn who you are: Respond to the longing. It’s driving you to know the true Essence of yourself. Be prepared – it’s far more beautiful than expected. Without this knowledge, defects, fears and blind spots clutter the Path. See them, own them and reclaim your power to manage them. Observe as lovingly as you would a beloved child. See how they block the path to the Universal Source. Go beyond the labels placed by yourself and other humans. Lift the corners of those labels with the help of teachers and spiritual directors. Ask powerful questions so fears, blame, regrets and low self esteem diminish, sometimes in a soul beat.
Tip #2. Observe yourself: Learn to catch those states of negativity. Be loving and refrain from judging. If you do slip into chastisement, simply return to Presence, the life stream of Love, by returning to the breath – the most powerful connection with Spirit. Catch the dread of a past moment or the anxiety over a future exchange. Gently go back to breath to draw in stillness and peace. Exhale stress and fear. Repeatedly return to the spiritual stream of Presence. Clarity will follow. It will find you.
Tip #3. Meditate faithfully: Find the type of meditation that suits you. Meditate at least once a day. Practice faithfully. Seek the discipline of the breath – let it be your powerful guide back to Presence. Allow your practice to become such an integral part of your being that you’ll find yourself meditating over tasks, during a walk or while enjoying nature. Listen to silence. Sense the strength of its healing. Live the clarity of its subtle teachings until you know Oneness.
Oneness with All That Is
Soul Dipper 
So simple, when you think of it. And therein lies the catch for many of us…re-membering! Thanks, Amy
The acid test – simplicity. “It works” – the answer a clergyman gave when I asked when we know it’s not our Will.
How very well you have placed the ocean into the river…wonderful advise.
Thank you, Charles. What a complex road to simplicity!
There is a lot of wisdom in this post, thank you.
I think appreciating the simple things in life by seeing the sacred in them is helpful.
Offering every chore we do as a gift of service brings a feeling of serenity and gratitude.
Looking for the good in other people and acting compassionately without compromising your own beliefs and values will reinforce your self worth.
Thank you for additional drops into the ocean! Much appreciated.
Refrain from judgement. My life long goal. Progress is slow.
Exactly, Linda. I notice when I’m able to be less judgmental, it feels like the world is too. Hmmmm….
Amazing how the scientific types can maintain so smugly that one can’t be spiritual because there is no such thing as spirit.
Agreed, Colonialist. I’m studying a course at University on Critical Thinking (to help my writing) so, of course, we’re learning all about thinking scientifically…testing, questioning and repetitions. We’re currently focusing on myths, alternative health, intuition, psychic phenomenon, etc. The scientists use the same applications and approaches for testing intrinsic as well as extrinsic experiences – with emphasis on the fact that we lay people tend to ignore all the times we DON’T get results. The resource people have no problem saying the body will heal itself with time, but there’s no mention of the power of the mind.
So, I had a ‘flash’ after my Yoga class where I prove repeatedly how powerfully the mind influences my body: Both worlds exist. Both worlds need to stay open. We haven’t got the answers yet, but we live together and can do so in harmony. We just don’t know – so there’s no need to close minds or doors on the other fella. Neither of us have the answers, but we both have the potential for powerful mind influences. (I cannot separate mind & spirit…)
I want to do some posts on this at some time – the fact that the scientific method simply cannot work in matters of spirit, but that this in no way invalidates them. Similarly, that the arguments scientists give in denial of universal purpose and design, and in explaining the (admittedly random) spiritual evidence, are lame in the extreme.
You may find these two videos interesting. They’re from my course…I kept Mandela’s philosophy in mind (“know your enemy”) when I watched these two videos because they show the certainty of scientific thinking. I’m still left with a question – how do we explain people in hospitals having OBEs and who could describe, in perfect detail, what was said or done by a person in another part of the building? They call it chance. As a Hospice Companion, I’ve heard many stories…
Susan Blackmore – Part one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3YWCJsXKjw
Susan Blackmore – Part two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbJ5GAfeM8k
Heavenhappens added some wonderful insight into your already beautiful piece, thanks to both of you
Beautiful post and image, Amy. Thank for this special breath of fresh air, XO
I’m doing an intuitively presented article for Gaiam TV so it’ll be fun to see the difference between intellect and spirit.
Wonderful post, especially the reminder to “observe yourself”–which I often forget to do. Thank you for this post.
Yes, the reminder! When I don’t remember, I trip over myself – fairly consistently!