Letter From the Editor
Have you ever wondered why those of us on a spiritual path are told to have a "practice"? Imagine if we all joined a spiritual team and got together every day for practice. What would we do? Would we run prayer sprints? Would we stretch our beliefs? Would we scrimmage different religions? Truth be told, practice is just as important to becoming a spiritual person as it is to becoming a great soccer player, swimmer or baseball player.
A spiritual practice is much like an athletic practice except the focus lies on becoming more spiritual – more open to spiritual experiences, to connecting with our Higher Self or Deity, to tapping into the flow of Divine Energy – rather than on becoming a better athlete. Just as the physical athlete must stretch and strengthen his muscles, spiritual athletes must stretch and strengthen their ability to quiet their minds, open to their spiritual nature, sense the part of themselves that is connected to the Divine, and experience a unity with All That Is.
While some people have a spiritual or mystical experience without trying, the vast majority of people must exert effort daily to get just a little bit closer to feeling even a vague sense of something that might be called "spiritual."
I've struggled at times with having a spiritual practice. Sometimes too tired to get up early enough or to stay up late enough to spend time meditating. Somedays I simply don't have the time for journaling, or going inward, but I make the effort when I can. I try to get creative with incorporating my personal practices into daily life, into the day to day routines...
The ultimate goal of a spiritual practice revolves around having your whole day (week, month, year, life) feel like a spiritual practice or, at least, like an extension of your spiritual practice.
Our writers and contributors continually help us with implementing the sacred into our everyday lives, through creativity, authentic living, in our relationships, attuning with nature and source...
To a great extent, spiritual practice involves remembering connection to all on a minute-by-minute basis. When we remember this connection, and really feel it, we allow ourselves to be aware of Source.
When we are aware of Source, we become one with it. Without a spiritual practice, we go through each day or each week without awareness of and the lack of awareness makes it almost impossible for us to experience anything other than our own physical reality let alone our own Spirit or the Spirit of the Universe.