It took me a while, but after years of suffering through depressions, anxiety attacks, and general mental upheaval, I’ve come to learn that a daily spiritual practice is essential.
Without one, you’re back in the depths of a vast ocean on a little fishing dingy, getting manhandled by an overpowering current.
You need something to ground you — to tie you down to the earth so you don’t get carried away by thoughts of inadequacy, idiocy, and impossibility.
It doesn’t really matter what the practice is as long as it helps steady the ship.
My vessel was swerving and shuffling along like a lost baby goat because the crew wasn’t unified.
My mind wandered without awareness.
My body suffered without discipline.
My soul looked on with patient amusement, waiting for me to get my act together.
Even if it’s fleeting and momentary at times, I relish the ability to unify these aspects of my being through a consistent and conscious practice.
Here are 5 tools that have helped me. I’m sure they will help you as well.
- Morning mindfulness sets the tone for the rest of your day.
Often times, you wake up in the morning feeling groggy and disoriented.
Your mind feels like a chariot race on the moon.
1/4 in the dream world, 1/4 thinking about the upcoming daily tasks, 1/4 in that nowhere place when you zone out, and 1/4 slothfully present.
The goal is to get yourself into 100% active presence mode.
Sit in a comfortable seated position, close your eyes, and get in tune with your breath. Become aware of any bodily sensations. Smile and relax, knowing you’re blessed for being you.
Because you’re not actually living until you become present and fully engaged with the moment, this mindful meditation unleashes a wave of mental tranquility and oneness with life.
You’ll walk out the door feeling refreshed, focused, and with a peace of mind that only comes with conscious concentration.
2. Movement is life.
The universe is motion.
Everything is moving, vibrating, shifting, and swerving.
The motion within you never stops. Your heart beats. Your blood is on the move. And your cells bounce around like a pair of mating lovebugs.
Want to rejuvenate your spleen and liver? Place your hands on your hips and rotate your torso.
Want to increase spinal flexibility and revitalize your nervous system? Reach down and touch your toes.
Want to stimulate your metabolism and balance your large intestine? Do some “ass to the grass” squats.
Movement is life, plain and simple. Start the day by circulating your energy with motion.
3. Follow tension with relaxation.
Once you’re moving, you activate different parts of your body and often feel tension in certain areas.
Tension is good. That means you’re hitting the right spot.
Keep liberating those tense areas until you feel the heat rise off your skin like a steaming skillet.
Once you’re cooked, it’s necessary to relax.
Relaxation allows your blood and energy to circulate throughout your body.
When you move and break down tension, you’re cooking the meal, but when you relax, you’re sitting down to enjoy the result of your hard work.
4. Absorb sound vibrations and reprogram the mind with mantras.
If you’re having trouble sitting still or concentrating on your movements, using deep healing sound frequencies and mantras will drag the mind away from pesky thoughts.
Mantras, or affirmations, are a series of words that function as a form of prayer that connect you with all that is. Its repetition reorients your mindset and raises your vibrational frequency.
A common mantra used in Kundalini Yoga is “SAT NAM,” or “I am the truth.”
On each inhale, you can mentally vibrate “SAT” and each exhale “NAM” to get your mind in tune during movement or meditation.
By focusing on the mantra, you’re painting a portrait of your divinity and affirming it as truth. Through its repetition, you’re engaging in subconscious reprograming, erasing previously created negative conceptions of yourself.
5. Practice with zero expectations. Do it because it feels right.
You may be suffering and want relief.
The truth is, relief comes quick and easy, like popping a pill.
What you need is to heal.
Healing comes with time, dedication, and zero expectations.
You turn yourself in to the universe and surrender to the unknown while you continue to change, experiment, and observe.
You don’t need a doctor to tell you how you feel.
If your morning wellness practice brings you closer to yourself, then it’s working.
Keep going and don’t look back!