Finding inner peace in uncertain times

By MiNDFOOD

Finding inner peace in uncertain times
Life can seem hopeless when you feel dispirited. Thankfully there are various paths you can walk to develop a 
deeper spiritual life.

Living a “spiritual life” doesn’t mean just performing spiritual practices, such as yoga and meditation, says Wellness Consultant Meggan Brummer.

“When we realise that life is sacred, when we celebrate life, care for others and share whatever we have with those less fortunate than ourselves, our vision broadens and our life becomes spiritual,” she says.

According to Brummer, if we can see the Divine (or spirit) in all forms around us – in air, water, fire, trees, people and animals – we will also be able to see it in ourselves. However, the general tendency is to negate the Divine in the world and to try to ‘find’ it elsewhere.

In ancient language Sanskrit the word sadhana means spiritual practice. A spiritual practice could typically include physical yoga postures, breathing exercises, meditation, chanting, prayers and rituals, but, as Brummer says, it can be defined as “any personal practice that cultivates the expansion of consciousness; any efforts made with the body, mind and intellect, on a regular basis, that direct and inspire us towards fully realising the Divinity that we are.”

From dancing to painting, journaling to writing poetry, sadhana can be anything that makes your heart sing.

We’ve all experienced what it’s like to be calm and peaceful, to 
have moments of stillness, but while they may otherwise occur fleetingly, daily sadhana keeps returning us to this peaceful state of mind. This eventually permeates everything we do and say, bringing focus, clarity and peace to our life.

You can’t learn any art, be it guitar playing, sewing or tennis, without consistency. Anything in life that is worth any value will take some time to cultivate. If real benefits are to be experienced from a spiritual practice, it’s important to be consistent and to perform your spiritual practice daily – even if it is just for 15 minutes – with a sense of honour and respect.

It’s also important to balance the spiritual work you do for yourself and for others. If you look around at those who are doing seva (unconditional service) for others but have no personal spiritual practice, their work becomes very dry.

Similarly, if you were to have a spiritual practice but not do any service, you would quickly find that your practice would start to lack that juice, that essence, that would otherwise take you deeper.

There are many pathways to developing a deeper spiritual life. Spirit loves diversity. There isn’t just one type of fruit, one type of person or one type of animal in the world.

Similarly, there are many spiritual practices to choose from and every individual needs to find what works for them.

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