Time and time again I hear spiritual teachers saying that a regular daily practice is one of the most important things we can do to maintain our connection with our spiritual path. It needn’t be long or involved. It can be as simple as a sitting meditation each morning before work, or a breathing exercise to help make that connection with all life. The effectiveness lies in its daily regularity.
It’s true. Many of the people I know who have had a kind of spiritual crisis are often the ones who haven’t made space in their lives to regularly connect with their Source. It’s something that is so important to me that there is now a void when I don’t make that commitment each day. I know that finding time is hard, but I think most of us find time for Facebook, or TV, so why not replace some of that time, just 5 or 10 minutes each day, for our own spiritual well being?
I created a very simple movement prayer that I’d like to share with you here that I do every morning to greet my day. It’s simple, quick, yet deeply effective in making that daily connection. I go out into our garden, and take a conscious deep breath of the fresh air. Then:
I face the east and say, “I face the east, place of air. Bring me inspiration and clarity of thought on this day.” I acknowledge the east with a bow.
I turn to the south and say, “I face the south, place of fire. Bring me passion and intuition on this day.” I acknowledge the south with a bow.
I turn to the west and say, “I face the west, the place of water. Help me to understand my deep emotions on this day.” I acknowledge the west with a bow.
I turn to the north and say, “I face the north, the place of earth. Bring me stability, and groundedness on this day. I acknowledge the north with a bow.
I turn back to the east, place my hands on my heart, close my eyes, and say, “And in my Spirit, where they meet, may I be blessed, may the Earth be blessed. So may it be.”
A few moments feeling and acknowledging that connection, and I’m ready for the day ahead.
With all of the other things in our lives that pull us, and demand our attention, make sure you make your spirituality as important, and create your own simple daily practice.
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Beautiful. I couldn’t agree more with the help of a daily practice. This is simple, powerful, and allows for deep connection. Thank you for sharing it.
Agreed. Just put yourself there!
It took me time to establish a daily practice, but now I feel out of sorts if I skip it. Thanks for sharing your practice!
not just me then! I honour the directions, and the centre in the morning, and the circle I stand in, the land that I call home and the Spirit of Albion, (not just the film or the song, you know what I mean Damh!) and if i miss it, boy does my day go pants! thanks for this subtle reminder that its good to acknowledge surroundings and self before starting the day!
I’m interested in the topic of prayer, would it be ok to quote you in a writey thing? Can you email me? Ta. And, awesome post.
Thank you, Damh – it’s just the reminder I needed 🙂
Many grateful thanks Damh, I used to have ‘prayer’ every night before bed and first thing in the morning [Jewish], but now have a better one that I feel comfortable with and suits my [now] pagan beliefs
Thank you very much for sharing that with us.
Thanks thats a really good idea 🙂
As a pagan with an L plate, still fighting to move away from the stranglehold of our world of scientific commercialism, I find the concept of such a simplistic act wonderful and will make time. Thank You.
A great 360 degree spiritual connection. All encompassing and enveloping. I feel safe and ready.
Thank you. You are always a forceful source of inspiration.
This is lovely, and I’m adding it to my “book”. I am a frenetic Gemini who struggles with this discipline of daily observance. I have a very similar observance for the evening, thanking the quarters and Spirit for the day, but I love the concept of beginning the day this way too. Perhaps if I don’t have time at one end of the day I will have at the other!
Thank you so much for this. It’s just the help and guidance I needed. I wanted to do something in the morning s but didn’t know what. This is perfect. Thanks again.
Thanks for sharing your ‘daily practice’. I’ve been ding something very similar for many years in the early morning outside, in a special place. It’s good to read so many others do the same sort of thing. Thank you too for your thoughts on what to do if we may get a tad lost on our journey!
Thank you for sharing
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[…] of the things that keeps me connected to my path and Nature is my Daily Spiritual Practice. I did a search through my blog and found that I posted this article in July 2012 – almost 10 […]