SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

In he last blog we discussed Gratitude as a form of spiritual practice. If we are going to be able to navigate the challenges of Karma we need to know much more about some of the methods of going inward that can help us on the journey.

Spiritual practice is the main ingredient for spiritual transformation. Without a regular, enjoyable, disciplined practice we will not be able to control our survival "Monkey" or Narrow mind and ego and subordinate them to "Big" or Spacious Mind. 

Narrow Mind comprises our habits, addictions, compulsions, lusts and desires. Narrow Mind is responsible  for our primitive survival response and most of the time in our daily lives we are in the sympathetic nervous system overload of a flight or fight response. Its the same response that hunter-gatherers had when a lion was circling their cave. This response that was meant for a short term true survival response is not healthful in the long term. In our stress filled lives it also leads to release of adrenal hormones and can cause high blood pressure, depression of our immune response and a propensity for diabetes. If for no other reason than for stress busting and health we should incorporate some form of meditation to offset these effects. Narrow Mind for most of us is our default mode and can be localized to the more primitive parts of our brains on Functional M.R.I.'s.

The Ancestors

Spacious Mind embraces our higher goals, aspirations, ideals, beliefs, notions, discernments and discriminations. It can be located in the prefrontal lobe of the brain on F.M.R.I. It is the default mode for advanced spiritual practitioners who even seem to have more "neuronal density" in this area. Meditation invokes a parasympathetic nervous system, relaxation response which is not only healthful but can be transpersonal. 
There are only two feelings, love and fear. There are a range of emotions arising from love and fear. Fear based emotions such as jealousy, anger, hate, vengeance arise out of Narrow Mind bolstered by ego and our shadow side. With skillful spiritual practice we can modulate these harmful fear based emotions and focus more on a Spacious Mind, love vibration.

It is clear that we all need some form of spiritual practice in order to cope better with life. Better still if we incorporate this for spiritual transformation as well. This can be difficult for many of us to find and may require experimentation to see what best suits us. Some may need more than one type of practice especially for those not on a defined spiritual path or others who get bored with the monotony of one form.
Its ok when...

For some of us it may be a little like Goldey Locks and the Three Bears. You try the one bed and its too hard, the next is too soft and then you seem to find the "bed" that feels just right. After a while, however, even that bed gets a bit lumpy and might be ok every now and again but it may be time to renew the practice and be more creative. Meditation is all about calming the mind but in our busy lives we may need to embrace more than one practice and the one which feels right for our mood and energy level. It may be that a solo walk on a beach is the best form for that present moment.

For me the essence of spiritual practice is to calm the mind with some method of going inward that is done for its own sake and no other agenda. I prefer an active physical meditation like yoga asanas or hiking.

The Ancestors

For many of us active meditations are easier to commit to than passive ones. Practices like asana yoga, playing an instrument, painting, dancing, drumming or tai chi which have form can make one driven to perfect the form rather than be in the moment with the movement or the flow. Having no goal other than being in the present moment can be a real challenge for many of us.


Dave Cumes


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Next week we will compare Active and Passive spiritual practices.