The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Practice

Ever have the feeling in the pit of your stomach that something’s missing? An inner yearning that you can’t quite put your finger on? Well, if it’s not time for dinner, and you consider yourself spiritual but not religious (SBNR), it might be a sign: It’s time to engage with your spiritual life.

Spiritual practice isn’t a replacement for religion. It is your religion. It’s what separates a contented inner life from one where you feel like you’re always reaching for something that’s just out of reach. The good news: There are no rules or restrictions around setting up your own spiritual practice. You choose the activities that work for you.

Meet Thomas Moore: Your Spiritual Practice Advisor

We need a new way to be religious, a really new way. A way that honors the traditions of the past but moves on. ~Thomas Moore

In the book A Religion of One’s Own, Thomas Moore, the renowned author of Care of the Soul and a dozen other spirituality books, tells us of several ways you can develop your own spiritual practice. It starts by finding the time in your daily schedule to accomplish specific tasks throughout the day.

You do these activities because they can both ground you and remind you that there’s more to life than your job or daily to-do list. Think of them as ways to take care of the deepest part of yourself and be more present to the moments that make up your life. Moore explains the process like this:

Instead of just letting your days unfold spontaneously or being at the mercy of an inflexible busy schedule with family and work, you might set up a few regular activities—like meditation before breakfast, listening to music before lunch, being quiet after 10 p.m., eating simply in the morning and taking a quiet walk afterward.

As you can tell from that passage, Moore is not asking us to do anything out of the ordinary—or activities that might be considered woo-woo. Just simple tasks that you might already be doing but could do more regularly basis and be more mindful about.

What follows is a summary of nine key ideas I uncovered in A Religion of One’s Own. As you read them, jot down the activities that resonate. Start your practice today and see how fulfilling a “spiritual but not religious” life can be.

9 Ways to Start or Enhance Your Spiritual Practice

1. Meditate. It’s easier than you might think and can be done on the fly, at home or at work—or with eyes open, even while walking or driving. Most forms of meditation center around one key idea: Breathe. During our harried lives, we often breathe shallowly, taking short breaths. So, whenever you feel like life is moving too fast, simply remember to take a deep breath to calm your body and bring yourself back to the present moment. You might try a guided meditation. Download the free app Insight Timer and navigate to Library/Meditations/Mindfulness.
2. Contemplate. Focus deeply on where you are in life and what comes next. Consider your strengths and passions, and how you might best put them to use. If you feel directionless, try the centuries-old devotional exercise call examen which means to discern God’s direction. At bedtime, reflect on the day’s events and ask yourself two questions: When was I most alive today? When was I most drained today?  Consider what activities made you feel good or lit an inner spark, and which left you feeling empty or unhappy.
3. Have a dream practice. Dreams give you strong hints as to what’s going on in your subconscious and the wants and needs of your soul. Keep a journal next to your bed and jot down your dreams. They can sometimes give you a glimpse into a deeper part of yourself, illuminating your hopes, desires or deep-seeded concerns. To help remember your dreams, before your head hits the pillow, hold a pen and pad in your hands and declare “I will remember and write down my dreams the moment I wake up.” Place the pen and pad in an easy to reach place and see if the alternate reality of dreamland is trying to send you a message.
4. Be a mystic. Expand your sense of self by entering special states of awareness.You can be a mystic this evening by sitting outside and gazing up at a sky full of stars. Or by dimming the lights and lighting candles throughout your home. Spend an afternoon taking a long, slow trek through an art museum or a place with a rich history. Find the things that take you out of the everyday and connect you with a greater sense of self.
5. Be intimate with nature. Moore advises us to “take daily note of the sky: sun and moon, clouds, weather, planets, stars. Learn from animals. Be astonished by geology and plant life.” Getting closer to nature means you need to get outside and move. Depending on where you live, this may involve a walk through a park, around a lake, along the ocean. As you walk, be perceptive. Take in the trees, notice the rhythmic movement of water, tune in to the sounds and activities of the native wildlife. Open your senses wide.
6. Make awe a part of your life. Awe won’t come from possessions, entertainment, or wealth. It comes from noticing the wonders of the everyday, the magic on the edges of life. To get started, slow down, take a pause, and fully engage your senses. Really taste that first cup of coffee as it warms your body. Observe the intricate details of a plant or flower. Leave your phone at home and take a walk in your neighborhood looking at the trees, the sky, the movement of clouds.
7. Connect with others. There’s a time and place for solitude. But a sense of spiritual contentment can also be found by reaching out to and connecting with others. Scan your address book or the contact list on your phone. Who are you overdue to text, call, or write? When you give of yourself to others and show your friendship, love, or compassion, they’ll feel better and so will you.
8. Develop a philosophy of life. Think about your life and the principles you live by. Moore reminds us, our goal shouldn’t be to follow the crowd, but to “take the road less taken, the narrow gate.” Find your own personal path, one that’s not dictated by society or family, and that may be associated with a special gift or talent you have. As author David Spangler said, “We all possess a gift or talent that we are attracted to and enjoy doing…this gift ultimately connects us to others.” Or as I heard someone recently say, we all have at least one superpower. What’s yours?
9. Learn from the world’s religions and spiritual traditions. No religion has a monopoly on the truth, so explore other belief systems. You don’t have to join another religion to learn from it. Look for experts in specific areas that interest you. If it’s Jewish mysticism, try Daniel C. Matt’s The Essential Kabbalah. For an alternate take on the teachings of Jesus, check out Elaine Pagels’ The Gnostic Gospels. Build your own spiritual library you can return to when you need a fresh insight or a spiritual boost.

Is this list complete? Not even close. Your spiritual life can be as varied as your imagination. You may want to attend the occasional worship service like I do every Christmas Eve. You may find you’re most spiritually alive when doing yoga or engaging in any type of exercise or physical movement. Or perhaps you find gardening or tinkering in the yard is spiritually satisfying. Do whatever activities take you outside of yourself and connects you with something greater.