Hello dear friends!

No matter the language you use to describe it, we are all intimately connected to God/Spirit/Universe/The Divine. Nay- we’re a literal PART of it! But it doesn’t always feel that way, right? Life here on Earth School can be hard, and we all struggle with the illusion of separation each and every day. We go through challenges that can make us feel totally and completely alone, abandoned, and hopeless. I get it. I’ve been to some dark places.

But I’ve been to some pretty incredible places too. I’ve had moments of complete bliss and awareness. Moments of breath-taking connection to all that is, knowing that I am never alone and always supported. And after a while, I realized that I couldn’t keep chasing these occasional moments of ecstasy. I couldn’t have just a few minutes of feeling connected to Source, and think I was living a spiritual life. It needed to be a daily practice.

Most of us know this, deep down, but we’re so dang busy and stressed to make our spiritual lives a priority. Just like anything, we must practice in order to get more in tune, grow our intuition, and put ourselves in the flow of Divine abundance. There are many different, beautiful, spiritual traditions across the globe, and I encourage you to find the rituals and practices that make you feel the most whole. But even without following any religion or philosophical path, we can incorporate a few high-vibe habits.

Awakening to our inner truth and healing our inner wounds takes time and dedication. And most of all, a regular commitment to the work. One of my favorite quotes, that I have on my website and email sign-off, sums this up perfectly:

“A river cuts through rock not because of its power, but its persistence” - Jim Watkins

With regular practice, be that daily, monthly, or with the phases of the moon, we can strengthen our connection to the Divine, and lead a more purposeful, mindful life. So, without further ado, here are my seven habits for a spiritual life:

1. Meditation

Taking time to get quiet and be mindful is a cornerstone of an awakened life. And yes, anyone can meditate...even you, with your million thoughts racing around your head. Meditation isn’t about stopping thoughts, or entering some blissful void of consciousness (although this CAN happen). Meditation is simply about getting space- taking a step back to observe our thoughts and feelings.

There are many styles of meditation out there, so I encourage you to find what works best for you. There is simple breath awareness, body awareness, loving-kindness/metta, visualization, tonglen, mantra, and so many more. Within the sacred space of meditation, we can hear our inner truth and The Universe more clearly.

2. Tithing

I certainly never thought I would be recommending tithing to anyone, but here I am. I grew up in a church where this was common practice, but it was hollow and felt obligatory to me. Fast forward a couple of decades, and now I happily give 10% of my income to the people and places that “feed me my spiritual food.” I was inspired to start tithing again from Edwene Gaines, who visited my church a few years ago, and from books like It’s Not Your Money by Tosha Silver.

You see, I think of this as a little gift that I give back to Spirit, as a “thank you” for the blessings I receive. This is in accordance with Universal law too- the law of circulation, and is a powerful way to increase your own abundance. I didn’t want to believe it, but after just a year of tithing, my income had tripled! Now I consider this a vital part of my spiritual practice, that keeps abundance flowing in my life.

3. Divination

The Universe is always communicating with us. All day, every day. The problem is, most of us really suck at listening. Or, if we do listen, we struggle with interpreting what we hear. Enter the magical realm of divination! This is a term to describe a whole host of practices that attempt to clarify messages from our angels, guides, etc...and we all can find a technique or two that speaks to us. Personally, it took me a bit of trial and error to find my preferred divination techniques, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t seem to flow right away.

Some examples of divination tools or practices would be: pendulum, oracle cards, tarot, casting runes, dowsing, muscle testing, crystal ball, reading tea leaves, scrying, palm reading, spirit boards/ouija, and more. Have fun with this, and find the ones that feel the most clear and in resonance with your energy.

4. Gratitude

For all the incredible research on the benefits of gratitude, I’m surprised that more people aren’t doing this one on the daily! Trust me, I blew off gratitude journaling for years, until it became vital that I find something to shift my perspective (after divorce, bankruptcy, and serious illness, it felt vital!). Now, I take a few moments at the end of each day, to write down what made me happy, what made it a good day, or what things I was most grateful for.

Even on my worst days, I could find at least a few things to put on that list. A crunchy sweet apple. The sparkle of snow. Having a hot shower. Snuggling my dog. I used to write everything down in a physical journal, which is great if it works for you, but now I use the app Grateful. This allows me to have a reminder on my phone, and to add pictures to my entries every day.

5. Prayer

You don’t need to believe in God, to utilize the power of prayer. It took me many years, after leaving the church and religion itself, to come back to the idea of praying again. But now I do it daily. We can pray to whatever or whomever we choose- to angels (I call upon many that are listed in the Medical Medium books), to gods/goddesses, to ancestors, to Mother Nature, and any other important guide or source of energy.

One easy way to pray is by simply asking a blessing over your food. Food holds powerful energy, that we absorb and assimilate, so it’s a great thing to focus prayers on. I offer thanks to the Earth for each meal, as well as ask for angelic blessings before eating. It’s a short, lovely practice that makes me feel more in tune with my body’s nourishment.

6. Mindful media

We expose our brains to all sorts of stimuli every single day, and a large percentage of that is media like photos and videos. Whether you want to believe it or not, this can make a significant impact on your mood, self-image, and view of the world at large. We obviously can’t control everything we see or hear, but it’s important that we try our best to curate our media to support our best selves.

I made the decision several years ago to stop watching news programs, and getting constant news updates on my phone. I also routinely go through and clean out my social media feeds. I’m very mindful to focus my time and energy on positive, affirming, and educational media sources, and ones that don’t make me feel like crap. And this all adds up to a more peaceful mind and more emotional health.

7. Acts of kindness

I know it sounds counterintuitive, but if you want to feel better, go out and do something nice for someone else. When you’re feeling sick, or down, or anxious, it really does help to change your focus to something outside of yourself. Random acts of kindness is a wonderful way to do that. Not to mention, make someone else’s day, and put positivity out into the world which desperately needs it.

Making acts of kindness a part of your sacred spiritual practice is a game changer! It makes us all feel less alone, revives our hope for humanity, and releases lots of feel-good bonding hormones like oxytocin and dopamine. I love to leave little happy notes in public places, give free hugs to strangers, or buy coffee for the person behind me in the Starbucks drive thru.

For those of us on a healing path, regular spiritual practice is vital. In order to awaken to our potential and reconnect with Divine truth, it’s important to commit to building habits like the seven mentioned here. And over time, these will be the foundation of a beautiful, mindful life!

What are some of your daily spiritual practices? Share them in the comments below.

And as always, my friends,

~ Hoping you feel as well as possible ~

7 Habits For A Spiritual Life