How do you manage to find life spiritual?

[Kaere]

Hi Honza,

It really depends on what you consider "spiritual" to be. I spoke with someone once who said something and then apologized by saying "sorry, that wasn't very spiritual, was it?". And I was a bit taken aback because for me, spirituality is in everything, our reactions and interactions with the world. Why knock yourself out for not fitting into some mold of sparkly unicorns and love&light and constant awareness of thought.

You may find that the profane you're experiencing becomes less so when you let go of your expectations of "what is spiritual". Truly, as has been previously suggested, our perceptions define what is around us. Even the slightest change in perception can change everything. Four walls around one person may be perceived as a prison while four walls around another person may be perceived as protective. A changing perspective doesn't mean the walls are any different. Is this making sense?

For me, spirituality is all about how we interact with the world and not the world itself. So that is how I manage to find life spiritual.

[Altair]

Originally Posted by Honza

How do you manage to keep your life spiritual? Do you find it comes naturally? With me it is a constant struggle.

For me it's yoga and nature. I do asanas, breathing, and meditation. If I skip a day, which is rare, I definitely notice changes, so as a rule I do most of it daily..
I also find nature very spiritual, and swim outside. I listen to lots of peaceful music as well..

You just gotta make a habit of these things Honza. Find your path, and continue exploring..

[Dudla]

Originally Posted by iamthat

At heart there is a centre of stillness which is naturally peaceful, joyful, loving and compassionate. Resting in this centre, all of life becomes an expression of spirituality. Nothing is profane. The challenge is to find this centre and then learn to rest within.

Peace.

I too have learnt to find this quiet core inside me. A point of stillness which insulates me from all the chaos outside. No matter what I am doing, I try and remain connected to this inner stillness.
For me that is being spiritual and meditative as I go about my day.

[Jainarayan]

I can't say I'm always successful but I try to keep in mind a few verses from the Bhagavad Gita:

"I am seated in the heart of all living entities. I am the beginning, middle, and end of all beings."

"But what need is there, Arjuna [the friend to whom Krishna just explained his divine glories], for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."

My denomination/sect of Hinduism is pantheistic and panentheistic. The divine pervades everything, and everything is divine.

Originally Posted by Honza

There are so many influences at work which seem to stop life being spiritual. It is like I exist within a void which repels light. In many ways life seems very profane.

How do you manage to keep your life spiritual? Do you find it comes naturally? With me it is a constant struggle.

The struggle is good. Struggle until you get tired of struggling, then find another way.
What you may end up learning is that you are responsible for the Light/Love inside of you and this Light/Love has a source and as you uncover it, it flows out from you and lights up the darkness/void around you. Then the profane does not soil you.

[Unseeking Seeker]

Originally Posted by Honza

There are so many influences at work which seem to stop life being spiritual. It is like I exist within a void which repels light. In many ways life seems very profane.

How do you manage to keep your life spiritual? Do you find it comes naturally? With me it is a constant struggle.

***

Light cannot be repelled ... we may of course close our eyes and that way we choose not to see, to be in the light ... momentarily

The divine connection is as natural as the breath. If we struggle, there is a struggler ... a doer, as in a separate self, the false self, the ego.

Do we struggle while meditation? Is it a doing or a becoming? If we be still & silent ... choosing not to engage in the commotion of the external, including fragmented, bisectional, analytical thought, we are in meditation in childlike innocence, present without identity. It only appears difficult owing to our conditioning, the habit of striving. Just observing ourselves from a formless & nonjudgmental coordinate we look without association. Movement ceases. That’s all there is. Then just be.

Begin, a few seconds at a time ... in good humour!

***

[Petey]

Originally Posted by Honza

There are so many influences at work which seem to stop life being spiritual. It is like I exist within a void which repels light. In many ways life seems very profane.

How do you manage to keep your life spiritual? Do you find it comes naturally? With me it is a constant struggle.

I have gotten to the point where it isn't so much a struggle, but it does require my attention. It's not like I walk around in a blaze of spirituality. Things that help me keep the spiritual front and center are..
...spending time alone, especially in and with nature.
...not spending time online, totally free from "social media". I used to have FB, Twitter, and all that. Wow, what a waste. I also don't consume much news.
...reading spiritually centered books. I don't just read these. I love reading about science as well, which links very much to my spirituality (I suppose it's the nature connection again.
...remembering my spirit mindset when I walk through the door to my job. Here is where it's really easy to fall into the chaos that is at times brain-sucking work peppered with other egos, ****** office space, and a real lack of anything to remind me of spirituality. I have to make sure I'm charged with my own.
...doing things that support physical well being, like exercising, which is really a lot of walking some weights, eating good (both tasty and health-promoting) food.

You just need enough light for yourself; but it's surprising how much of that can actually light up other parts of the world.

[LadyMay]

Life is inherently spiritual to me, as physical reality is an emanation of That. There is not any other way I can see it.

[shivatar]

I've found that health and beliefs go together. Like when you build your health, good beliefs come easier. Depression is a good example of bad health causing bad beliefs.

I used to try and be spiritual but over time I stopped trying and just started living my life. Spirituality isn't something I aspire for or think about directly. I live well and spirituality just happens. I practice meditation and do some pondering from time to time but it's not something that is on my mind all the time, I just live my life.

Originally Posted by Dudla

I too have learnt to find this quiet core inside me. A point of stillness which insulates me from all the chaos outside. No matter what I am doing, I try and remain connected to this inner stillness.
For me that is being spiritual and meditative as I go about my day.

Very nice..