What is Spirituality?

INspir3

What is Spirituality?

How to Experience Inner Strength Regardless of Your Belief System

By Tracy Morrow, LC, EPP

Inspir3.com

@ 2013 Tracy Morrow

All Rights Reserved. No portion of this book may be used, shared or otherwise published without prior, written consent of Tracy Morrow.

Dedication

To all of you who have struggled in any way in this lifetime.To any of you who have wondered if there is something more than what you can see, feel, hear and touch.

To everyone who has wondered where to turn during the darkest hours and to those who have faith, yet are looking for a little more.

To those who have supported me through life during my trials, errors and triumphs.

To Jason, I adore you. Not only are you my best friend and husband, you are my breath, my home and my forever love.

To Angelo and Elyse, you are my greatest creations. I am endlessly amazed at what excellent creatures you continue to become.

To those who have gone before and now know that our questions marks in this life have answers which are unfathomable to us in organic form - Joshua, Cindy, Mike, grandparents, other dear ones, your lights shine bright.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word Spirituality means:

1. The state, quality, or fact of being spiritual.

a. A religious belief or manner of pursuing a religious life: "the pantheistic spiritualities espoused by Wiccans and other contemporary adherents of nature religions" (Peter Steinfels).

2. The clergy.

3. often spiritualities Something, such as property or revenue, that belongs to the church or to a cleric.

*** Not much of a definition is it? ***

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word Dogma means:

1. Relating to, characteristic of, or resulting from dogma. (Religious doctrine is referred to as Dogma)

2. Characterized by an authoritative, arrogant assertion of unproved or un-provable principles.

So, what is spirituality how do you experience it regardless of current beliefs?

It’s a feeling of connection and wholeness to self, life and the world, universe and even cosmos around us. The beautiful part of this is you can find that connection and feeling of wholeness even if you have never been able to fully wrap your head around any particular religion. You don’t need a formalized belief in order to be spiritual and you don’t even have to be “spiritual, but not religious”. You can simply decide to be whole.

The problem is many people have no idea how to do this. Personally, you might have an idea and just need a little more to feel fully immersed as one with that part of yourself that is the reason terms like “spiritual” even exist.

For some, that connection does come through adhering to a specific dogma/religion, yet even an atheist can become whole on all levels, including what is typically called “spiritual” because this is something that goes beyond Christianity, Buddhism, Wiccan or any other religious system.

I refer to “that thing” which some call spirit, as Light. Whichever path you are currently walking or not walking - learning how to identify and honor that space within you, will allow you to become whole, complete, and natural; with your choice of whether to attach and enhance a religious belief to it or not.

ContentsWhat is Spirituality?..........................................................................................................6

Why Should Spirituality be a Big Deal Anyway?..............................................................8

Alternatives to Prayer:...................................................................................................9

Additional Benefits of Spirituality:................................................................................10

The Importance of Spirituality........................................................................................12

Can an Atheist be Spiritual?...........................................................................................14

What if You Don’t Believe in a Spirit or Soul?................................................................16

How to Define Your Light in a Way You Can Wrap Your Head Around.........................18

How to Find a Spirituality that is Most Meaningful..........................................................20

Elemental Forces of Spiritual Proportions......................................................................22

Water..........................................................................................................................24

Fire..............................................................................................................................26

Earth...........................................................................................................................29

Air............................................................................................................................... 31

Traditions and Spirituality...............................................................................................33

Your Daily Life and Spirituality.......................................................................................35

Deities or Not?...............................................................................................................37

What About Prayer?.......................................................................................................39

Let Your Light Shine.......................................................................................................41

About Tracy Morrow.......................................................................................................43

What is Spirituality?

If this were such an easy question to answer, there wouldn’t be so many people

searching the internet to find out. There would simply be a cut and dried equation that

you could either accept or deny and that would be that. Spirituality is not an “easy

answer”. It is more like an art form. You might be able to define art as an expression put

into form such as a painting, drawing, music or sculpture. There is no way to judge art

due to unique tastes and preferences. Spirituality is similar to that.

Spirituality is not:

==> Trademarked

==> Owned by a religion

==> Something that you have to have “faith” to experience

==> Something you need to blindly believe in

==> Bound by rules

==> Limited

==> Something you have to pay for or sacrifice yourself for

==> Turning a blind eye toward the rigors or life, pretending everything is wonderful

when it’s not

==> Wearing rose colored glasses

Spirituality is an individual way of connecting to and expressing your unique life force.

Whether you have faith in anything outside of yourself doesn’t matter. Sure, it sounds

great to tell you it’s some huge mystery that you have to spend lots of money or struggle

desperately for, and many people make a killing by doing that. There is no truth in that.

It’s actual very simple. It is so simple, in fact, that we have lost our ability to tap into it.

That is the tragedy. You can learn to harvest the light of your own spirit and you don’t

have to go anywhere, quit your day job or spend any money at all. It starts with making

a decision. That’s it.

Will you decide to take the journey and learn how to open yourself up and start living

from the inside - out?

Do you dare to become fully realized, fully alive, self-actualized and complete?

If so, you picked up the right book.

Why Should Spirituality be a Big Deal Anyway?

Becoming more spiritual is not just a whim because you are looking for some new way

to pass the time. It has important emotional, mental and physical benefits as well.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, “Qualities like faith, hope, and

forgiveness, and the use of social support and prayer seem to have a noticeable effect

on health and healing.”

They further reported:

“Faith: A person's most deeply held beliefs strongly influence his or her health. Some

researchers believe that faith increases the body's resistance to stress. In a 1988

clinical study of women undergoing breast biopsies, the women with the lowest stress

hormone levels were those who used their faith and prayer to cope with stress.

Hope: Without hope -- a positive attitude that a person assumes in the face of difficulty

-- many people become depressed and prone to illness. In a 35 year clinical study of

Harvard graduates, researchers found that those graduates who expressed hope and

optimism lived longer and had fewer illnesses in their lifetime.

Forgiveness: A practice that is encouraged by many spiritual and religious traditions,

forgiveness is a release of hostility and resentment from past hurts. In 1997, a Stanford

University study found that college students trained to forgive someone who had hurt

them were significantly less angry, more hopeful, and better able to deal with emotions

than students not trained to forgive. Another survey of 1,400 adults found that

willingness to forgive oneself, and others, and the feeling that one is forgiven by God, or

some other higher force have beneficial health effects. Some researchers suggest that

emotions like anger and resentment cause stress hormones to accumulate in the blood,

and that forgiveness reduces this build up.

Love and Social Support: A close network of family and friends that lends help and

emotional support has been found to offer protection against many diseases.

Researchers believe that people who experience love and support tend to resist

unhealthy behaviors and feel less stressed. In a clinical study of a close knit Italian

American community in Pennsylvania, researchers found that the death rate from heart

attack was half that of the United States' average. Researchers concluded that the

strong social support network helped protect this population from heart disease.

Prayer: The act of putting oneself in the presence of or conversing with a higher power

has been used as a means of healing across all cultures throughout the ages. Today,

many Americans believe that prayer is an important part of daily life. In a 1996 poll, one

half of doctors reported that they believe prayer helps patients, and 67% reported

praying for a patient. Researchers are also studying intercessory prayer (asking a

higher power to intervene on behalf of another either known or unknown to the person

praying; also called distance prayer or distance healing). Although it is particularly

difficult to study the effect of distance prayer, current research in coronary care units

(intensive care units in hospitals devoted to people with severe heart disease, like those

who just suffered a heart attack) suggests that there is benefit. Compared to those who

were not prayed for, patients who were prayed for showed general improvements in the

course of their illness, less complications, and even fewer deaths.”

While prayer may not be something you choose to add into your own spiritual practice.

There are alternatives you might choose instead and all of them have been found to be

effective in and of their own rights.

Alternatives to Prayer:

==> Meditation including specific intentions

==> Lighting a candle and concentrating on what you are hoping will happen

==> Law of Attraction Principles

==> Spells, such as Wiccan or Pagan rites

==> Life Force Energy practices such as Reiki (Which can be used as a standalone

method or combined with any of the above)

==> Taking time to reflect from your gut “knowing” instead of your head

Additional Benefits of Spirituality:Along with the proven stress reduction and other mental, emotional and physical

benefits of developing your spirituality, Psychology Today has quite a bit to say:

“Spiritual people are gracious. Psychology has demonstrated that expressing

gratitude is associated with many positive emotions such as optimism, being generous

with time and resources, and overall vitality. Spirituality encourages people to be

positive, which may be expressed in many of these life practices.

Spiritual people are compassionate. Experiencing compassion toward others is one

the strongest correlates with living a spiritual life. A variety of positive or pro-social

emotions have strong links with spiritualism, including allowing one to feel good about

the little things in life and look at the world through empathetic eyes.

Spiritual people flourish. Spirituality is linked to many important aspects of human

functioning--spiritual people have positive relationships, high self-esteem, are optimistic,

and have meaning and purpose in life.

Spiritual people self-actualize. Spiritual individuals strive toward a better life and

consider personal growth and fulfillment as a central goal. Spirituality can be considered

to be a path toward self-actualization, because it requires people to focus on their

internal values and work on becoming a better individual.

Spiritual people take time to savor life experiences. Individuals who value spirituality

take the time to reflect on their daily activities and ultimately build lasting memories of

their experiences. Because spiritual people are more conscious of small, daily activities,

they experience positive emotions associated with the smaller pleasures in life.”

It makes it pretty obvious that putting a high priority on defining and becoming more

spiritual is not only something that will enrich your life and help you to feel more fulfilled

and connected, it also has other high value benefits that can enhance your entire health

and wellbeing.

The Importance of Spirituality

The benefits you receive from following a spiritual lifestyle are enough to see that this is

something important to set as a priority in your life just for your own physical, mental

and emotional health and wellbeing. It also benefits those you care about as you can

become more present. You can lead by example in regard to how to navigate life’s

sometimes rocky terrain with grace and dignity.

Not only that though

We are in desperate need of spiritual people to set an example for those who are

currently struggling to keep a grasp on this thing called life. This example I’m talking

about isn’t that “holier than thou” looking down on others for not reaching a particular

stage of enlightenment either. That is sheer evil in my opinion. The type of example I’m

talking about is becoming a living example. That looks like living your life in its full

expression, and allowing other people to witness you in the act. It sets a tone that will

bring encouragement and healing to others.

I know a common way of thinking is that the world is so corrupt, so dog-eat-dog that

setting a spiritual example might come across that you are weak or some Miss (Or Mr.)

“Goody Two Shoes” that wears rose colored glasses and refuses to face reality.

So Fricking What?

In the first place, that is inaccurate. More importantly, your reality is nobody else’s

business other than your own. Each and every one of us chooses what version of reality

we want to prescribe to. Furthermore, when your light shines brightly (Meaning when

you have a strong life force) there are those that will hate you for it on the outside. And

at the same time, on the inside they will start to study you and even emulate you

because they realize they want what you have, which is a wholeness that you can only

get through integrating your spiritual essence/life force with your physical, mental and

emotional existence. This is a steadfast and quiet strength that allows you to become

the calm in the eye of the storm. There is nothing weak about that.

Look, you can give up and say “What’s the point; this is an awful world to live in.” Or,

you can say, “The awful world is beside the point, I will create my life despite it.”

When you do this - when you take that kind of ownership - you allow others to also

claim their own lives. You teach them how to do it through your living example without

uttering a word to them. When enough people are doing that, then the world will start to

look like a much happier place. Until then, I hope you will choose to be a part of the

solution.

Can an Atheist be Spiritual?

Absolutely yes to the question about whether or not an atheist can be spiritual.

Anyone can be extremely spiritual without believing in God or anything else outside the

concrete and measurable. Atheists have a harder time sharing that side of their life

experience because many people misunderstand their recognition of their higher self is

not entrenched in anything at all outside of themselves, other than occasionally nature

or something they can actually touch, hear or see. Also, their “spirit” is more of an

organic entity that they don’t feel transitions beyond this lifetime, perhaps looked at as

their electrical energy that powers their thoughts, actions and other processes

necessary to be alive.

For them, and other non-atheists who are not religious, and at the same time feel there

“might” be something else out there - it is a great challenge in regard to how to follow a

spiritual path because there is no path forged without bringing up the topic of divinity.

Yet, spirituality can and does exist all on its own. Attaching a God, Goddess or other

outside force isn’t required.

Spirituality is not a debate about whether you have a soul or not. Some people believe

that their spirit and soul are one in the same and that is fantastic. Other people feel

differently and that is wonderful too. You can believe that your spirit is that breathtaking

emotion when you get lost in a beautiful song, landscape or the look on your beloved’s

face. You can believe your spirit is your Higher Self, intuition, or part of you that listens

to all the thoughts that churn around in your brain on any given day.

The point is that it doesn’t matter how you decide to think of your inner light, your unique

essence. That is something that has to come from deep inside in a way that you can

best relate to. I believe that is why so many people today are struggling to find that

connection, because everyone is looking outward, when what they need to realize

comes from within.

Religions aren’t as helpful as they used to be because people are questioning far more

than they used to and coming up without answers. If you are one of those people, even

if you consider yourself religious, yet struggle to feel “complete” - you might feel empty

and have no idea what it is that you need to feel fuller.

If not completely empty, you might have a vague yearning, or hunger, and can’t quite

figure out how to fill it. Many addictions, mental illness, and emotional disorders are

caused by unhealthy ways of trying to fill that void.

I don’t want you to be empty.

There is no reason to be. You can be full of life, vibrancy, vigor, energy.

What if You Don’t Believe in a Spirit or Soul?

All you really have to believe is that your energy is measurable and that this exact moment in time exists.

As an energetic being, in this precise moment, you are a part of something larger.

Maybe for you it’s the ecosystem and biologically based, or something multi-

dimensional such as the cosmic conscious. It could be a God, Goddess or the Holy

Spirit. Maybe even your family or community.

As an energetic being, you share energy with whatever it is that you want to view as

being that “something larger” - the earth, other living entities or a divine presence. That

connection, in its most base form is where the true definition of spirituality begins and

ends.

I chose to refer to that part of you that is the seed for your spirituality (Being, spirit, soul,

higher self, cosmic conscious, etc...) as Light because “soul” and “spirit” is something

that many people are having a hard time fully accepting as a factual entity. And, “Life

force” sounded too “Star Wars”. You can choose to call it anything you like. The name

you attach to it really doesn’t matter other than how you feel about it.

There is a little stuffed Yoda sitting peacefully on my desk as I write this, I often think of

the “Life Force”. It seems way too far out there to talk about how “May the force be with

you”. If it helps you to think of it that way though, then yes, please think of the Light

being your life force energy - or “The Force”.

If, for you, that life force is a spark of the Divine, or if it is about the physical forces such

as the electrical brain circuitry that keeps you on this side of living, that is an intimate

and personal connection that you alone can make. PLEASE, don’t let anyone else make

you feel “less” if you feel differently about this than they do. Your unique relationship

with your highest self is yours alone that no one else will be able to fully relate to - and -

it certainly isn’t a popularity contest. You don’t have to explain or defend it to anyone

else; it only needs to make sense to you.

I will do my best to refer to this “it” in different terms in order to help you find a way that

resonates most fully with you - not in regard to what is right or wrong. That is up to you

to figure out as you continue through this guide.

How to Define Your Light in a Way You Can Wrap Your Head Around

As mentioned before - Spirituality is an individual way of connecting to and expressing

your unique Light/life force. How that translates to you can come in literally an unlimited

amount of ways.

Before you begin to explore what resonates most fully for you, it helps to define what

your inner light is. Some might say “That’s my soul” and leave it at that. Let’s go a little

deeper and pretend the word soul doesn’t exist.

Other Ways to Think of Your Spirit:

==> Your essence - that part of you that is busy creating something when you have

lost all conscious awareness of time and the environment around you.

==> That feeling you have when you feel the most complete and connected.

==> That part of you that starts from the deepest recesses of your being and

emanates out past your body, in a way that you know who is calling you on the

phone before you check the caller ID, or instinctively knows if your child is okay or

not

==> Your intuition or gut feelings

==> Deep emotions that surpass the quickly changing moods, the positive ones that

whisper that “this too shall pass” or “all is well” when it seems like just the opposite is

happening.

==> Your magickal or mystical self, as in a name you choose that no one else knows

about

==> Your life force

==> The part of the cosmic conscious that is also you

==> The light that illuminates your body, mind and emotions into action

Is there anything else you can think of? This is YOUR Light we are talking about and

you don’t have to assign a definition at all if you don’t want to, only if it helps form a

deeper bond with “it”.

Give this some thought and see what you come up with because this part of yourself is

what you want to create a communion with. In this way spirituality becomes a union-

ship, or way to fully integrate your mind, body and essence into a complete being.

How to Find a Spirituality that is Most Meaningful

As you may be finding out, your spiritual nature is who you are at the core level of

being. You can lose your sight, hearing, limbs or other body parts and will still be you.

You can lose part of your mental state or emotional stability and still be you. It’s the

“you” that is your light, your own energy that will be “you” no matter what happens to

your organic identity.

When you put aside the social mask and when you are outside of your mind, you are

your Light - your truest you. You can’t find that by reading about it, buying things or

looking to a teacher or guru to point it out to you, although I’ve found some that have

really helped draw a map of where to begin this isolated journey.

Here are some ways to tap into your spiritual identity to really feel it and begin to start

expressing that immoral aspect of yourself.

Connecting With Your Spirit:

==> Look deep into your eyes in a mirror. Look past the obvious and continue to

gaze. That part that comes out to meet you will be your Light.

==> Meditate with an open minded allowance. When your mind calms down and

you start to feel yourself filling up with something that is not your mind and not a

passing emotion, and a sort of knowingness - that fullness - is your Light.

==> Create anything. Start to draw, paint, play music or even arrange flowers or do

some other creative project. When you are immersed in the creative mindset to the

point you’ve lost track of time and perhaps even your immediate surroundings - your

Light comes out to play.

==> Listen for that still small voice. Whether you call that voice your “gut feelings”,

intuition or tiny voice inside your head it is your Light communicating to the rest of

your energetic body.

==> Walk in nature, breathe it in and experience it in every way possible. The

trees are the lungs on the outside of your body. You eat, breathe and live, because

of nature. The more you experience it, the more connected you will feel from an

inside out level.

==> Practice staying in the present moment with non-judgmental awareness to what is going on around you. Challenge yourself at least once an hour to feel the

air on your skin, see the images around you, hear the sounds and let go of your

inner thinking world to embrace this very moment in time without thinking about

whether it’s good, bad or otherwise. Simply - experience it.

Consider establishing daily habits of these activities or any others that help you tune

into that innermost part of your being. This will allow you to feel your Light on a more

obvious level. This is the beginning of being reunited with that part of you that’s been

missing in action, maybe for years now. That is when you will see your spiritual identity

is not separate from you, it is the “you” that is the reason for your mind and body to be

able to exist in the first place.

Elemental Forces of Spiritual Proportions

As mentioned earlier, the trees are the lungs outside of our bodies. Without them, we

wouldn’t survive. That holds true for all the elements. We need water, air, fire and earth

or we wouldn’t be here. Integrating those elements back into your spiritual life will

enhance it on every level.

Because of nature, we exist.

That inextricable connection between us and the natural world around us can be

experienced from a level that far surpasses our thinking minds when we allow it to. At

that time, we feel full and we can see that there are miracles, simply because the sheer

essence of life in all its forms somehow exists.

How quickly we lose our deepest awareness of nature and go about our day wondering

if this is all there is. At any time though, there is a tree, flower, sun, clouds or some

other piece of nature you can really look at and remember that on the most scientifically

minute level of atoms, you are one with all these other things, trading particles back and

forth in an invisible dance that science is still trying to fully define. (Higgs Boson).

Albert Einstein said, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”

Think of a time that you allowed yourself to become lost in awe over something in

nature. Maybe it was a spectacular sunrise or sunset, or a vibrant flower that caught

your attention.

People flock to natural wonders all over the world such as Niagara Falls, or the Grand

Canyon to name a few destinations. There is something about the world that captures

us on a primal level and brings tears to our eyes. It’s not just the sight of something

spectacular; it’s because the light within us can grasp how there is so much more that

we are a part of besides our physical body, where our minds normally won’t be able to

fully define.

This is such a strong calling that many world religions are based around nature and

nature based deities. Paganism, Wicca, and Native American Indian spirituality are just

a few. You can study these religions, or tap into the energy of nature without them to

help harvest that inner light in a way that leads to a sense of fulfillment, quiet strength

and connection.

Water

Water is highly revered as a spiritual entity. It has roots in many traditions far before

today’s more common religions. It remains an integral part of many rituals from Catholic

Holy Water to Hindu ritual cleansing. Pagans and other earth based religions view water

as a representation of the soul because of its fluidity, the ability to shape shift from one

form to another such as fluid, steam or ice. And, it’s eternal. When water evaporates, it

is absorbed into the air to come back down again in some other place, time and shape -

much of how our spirit is considered to be able to do and the body eventually does as

well - transform from one thing into the other that is.

Water Quick Facts:

==> It is the only element that reflects back, showing a mirror image

==> It is what the human body is mostly made up of

==> We can go without food for up to a week, however we will only last a couple of

days without water

==> It’s outside of us in oceans, lakes, streams, condensation, ice and snow

==> It conducts and creates electricity

==> Water affects our emotions (Take a long hot bath, listen to a clear running

stream or fountain or marvel at the ocean, waterfalls or lakes - you will know what

I’m talking about)

==> Water changes according to the energy around it. Positive energy creates

beautiful snowflake patterns and negative energy creates ugly, broken patterns. (Dr.

Masaru Emoto)

==> Water is affected by the moon cycles, as we are

Use Water to Open Up to Your Inner Light

There are many ways you can use water to reconnect and open up your deepest

authentic inner nature. Here are just a few:

1. Visit large bodies of water whenever possible. Spend reflective time gazing into the

water of an ocean, lake or river and release yourself to the beauty.

2. Once a day, pour a glass of water and spend fifteen to twenty seconds considering

how it’s because of water that you are alive today. Become appreciative of the access

to drinkable water and then pay attention to the entire experience of drinking it. That is

not something to think about, so don’t worry if you aren’t sure if you are “doing it right” or

not, just allow your mind to take a break, or if you must think - think about how this

water is becoming a part of you to help you get through another day.

3. Use time taking baths and showers to image the water washing away all your stress,

all your negative emotions and stay mindful to the entire experience of how the water

feels on your body, how soaking in hot water brings you back to your days in the womb,

take deep breathes to allow the steam to enter your lungs and help clear your system.

4. Challenge yourself - Every time you see water - think about how you and water are

connected, that you are more than just your body, more than your mind, you are that

water, it’s inside you, you release it back into nature and consume more. Ultimately, you

and water are one.

5. Consider placing a fountain or even a bowl or vase with water and flowers or

decorative rocks somewhere close to where you as a reminder of your connection to

water.

You will notice that the more often you use water as a way to connect to your life force

that you begin to become calmer. You will be able to flow through life experiences with

more grace, and will begin to feel whole and complete.

Fire

The flame of a candle is a well known symbol of fire being used as a spiritual element.

Lighting a candle for a loved one or to set an intention is a common practice across the

board of spiritual paths. There is also the fire of the sun, worshipped as far back as we

can track.

You don’t have to worship the sun or have any particular belief in order to access the

energy of fire. You can use it as a meditative tool, to gaze deeply into the flames and

lose yourself in the hypnotic calling of the red, orange, yellow, blue and white dancing

light. You can light a candle in honor of someone, or something, or to set an intention.

The additional energy is thought to be beneficial in many ways, including your own

ability to focus.

When reflecting on fire and how it can help build a basis for your spirituality to be

expressed and enhanced, it is interesting to think about the Seven Rays of the Sun and

how you can apply those rays into your own life.

The Seven Rays of the Sun is a form of symbology that shows up all throughout the

world from as early as the 6 th century BCE . Every tradition seems to have their own take

on it from Egyptian mythology to Native American Indian, Inca, Mayan and other cultural

spiritual teachings. Some of these traditions felt that a good course for human

development is to start with the first ray and work your way up, doing your best to

perfect each one as you go.

Of course, depending on what culture and belief system you study, there is a different

twist to the precise meaning. They all pretty much revolve around one main theme for

each ray.

Seven Rays of the Sun

First Ray: Development of Will - This ray expresses itself in your feelings of

empowerment and self-efficacy and expresses itself through the power of faith and

good will. It is considered to be the ray of magic or the ray of God depending on the

tradition. It corresponds with the fifth (Throat) Chakra. Just reading this book is one way

to help develop this ray. Following your passions, setting goals and striving to reach

them are also ways to empower yourself and develop within this ray.

Second Ray: Development of Mind - This ray is the focus of Raja Yoga and expresses

itself as wisdom, understanding and magnetism. It corresponds with the seventh

(Crown) Chakra. Studying Raja Yoga, taking classes, learning new things and even

playing games like Sudoku can help you develop your mind.

Third Ray: Development of Your Connection to Natural Magnetic Forces - This is the

ray of active intelligence and focuses on the development of how you associate yourself

in the universe. Its expression is love and beauty. It corresponds to the fourth (Heart)

Chakra. You can develop this ray by creating art and making your personal space as

beautiful as you can, studying astrology and spending time in nature such as planting a

garden.

The Fourth Ray: Development of Your Physical Being. This ray is a focus of Hatha

Yoga and expresses itself as purity, discipline and growth. It corresponds with the first

(Root/Base of Spine) Chakra. Any body movement will help develop your physical

being, especially when done in a meditative state of focusing on how your body feels

moving through space and air.

The Fifth Ray: Development of the Manipulation of Material Substances. This ray is a

focus of Alchemy and expresses itself through the use of truth, science, vision and

intellect. It corresponds with the sixth (Third Eye) Chakra. Study an aspect of science

that interests you and/or challenge yourself to find new truths and innovative ideas for

your life to help develop through this ray.

The Sixth Ray: Development of Selfless Service and Altruistic Love. This ray is a focus

of Bhakti Yoga and expresses itself as peace, service and brotherhood. It corresponds

to the third (Solar Plexus) Chakra. Practice random acts of kindness, volunteer or

otherwise go out of your way to be helpful to those around to you develop yourself

within this ray.

The Seventh Ray: The Development of Ritual. This ray gets into the esoteric realms

such as ceremonial magic or religious traditions and expresses itself as freedom,

alchemy and justice. It corresponds to the second (Seat of the Soul/Between base of

spine and belly button area) Chakra. To develop this ray, add traditions into your life,

religious or otherwise, practice spellwork and/or create habits of meditating, reflection

and/or prayer.

As you can imagine, working through these rays will bring you many ways to express, nourish and strengthen yourself on a spiritual level.

Earth

Mother Earth is our nourishment, sustenance and support. We are as closely linked to

the earth as we are our own bodies, sadly, we often forget this fact. All you need to do is

spend time looking at the mountains, meadows and even the desert and you’ll feel a

stirring from somewhere deep within.

Simply taking time to reflect and commune with the earth can help you gain a sense of deep connectedness.

Any time you take to feel grateful for the earth, how it contains you and how it makes it

possible to harvest food is a spiritual pursuit. If you want to go more deeply into it, you

might study earth based spirituality such as Native American Indian, a variety of pagan

or Wiccan faiths. You can learn so much about valuing the earth in those spiritualities

without following them as a religious dogma - unless you so choose.

When you are mindful of your consumption and choose activities such as recycling, this

is of course a practical and mundane activity. Yet, if you add an element of appreciation

for the fact you are able to consume at all - it taps into your more spiritual nature.

Speaking of gratitude, extending it to all the foods that you eat is another way to

become more spiritual. Without earth, we would have no food, so food is definitely “of

the earth”.

Another way to build a spiritual foundation is by creating earthly things. When you

garden, work with clay, or otherwise find activities to get your hands down into the dirt, it

triggers a soulful feeling when you use that time to reflect on everything you have, just

because you have earth. Even charcoal, paints, music or the written words are ways to

not only initiate a more creative lifestyle, it will also allow you to mimic the planet in the

way there is an ongoing process of creation, destruction and re-birth.

Earth is something you can see, feel and taste. It’s real. You don’t have to have a

“belief” system in order to see that earth is an absolutely incredible, wonderful and

sometimes perilous planet to live on. Tending to her mindfully, with love and gratitude is

one of the highest callings you can have to help grow your spirit.

If you do believe in a divine presence, combining your faith with your tending of the

earth can bring a deeper intimacy to your faith as well. Keep plants around you, a bowl

of rocks or some other reminder of earth so at any time you can stop - pause and

remember - you are more than just your body.

Air

Ah, that stuff you don’t see - yet can’t live without. Right now, you can take a deep

breath in and out, deeply, slowly. Air is the most immediate way to come back to your

true nature, your inner light - just by taking a mindful breath in and out.

Air is also more than that though. It is the invisible transmitter of vibrations and sound. It

carries pollen, cools us on a warm day and can chill us to the bone in the dead of

winter. The vibrations it carries can have you immediately knowing if someone in the

room is tense or angry, such as “The air was heavy with desperation”. It can also carry

the most beautiful sounds in the world such as a child’s laughter.

As with earth and water, we are one with air and would not exist without it. It wouldn’t be

practical to feel thankful and conscience of every single breath you take or you would

never get anything else done. Giving yourself even one minute a day of doing nothing

other than sitting and breathing can change your life if you allow it. As you feel the air

pulling in through your nostrils, filling your belly first and then your lungs, and gently

exhaling in the same way, you come home and create a sense of connection with

something that is inside and outside of yourself at the same time.

Taking time to listen to the sound of air can bring some astounding revelations. Of

course you can’t hear air in and of itself, unless it is very windy and you hear the rushing

of the air howling through the trees. If you practice listening to the sound of the air,

again, if only one moment a day, you will notice you hear something else. You’ll hear a

quieter part of you - the part that is calm no matter what else is going on. That is your

spirit, your energetic source that allows you to exist. Take time to commune in this

space often.

Traditions and Spirituality

There is something beautiful and comforting about traditions. Chances are you all ready

have some traditions such as holidays, birthdays, anniversaries or other types of events

that you have specific habits built around, such as eating cake, exchanging presents or

otherwise acknowledging a special occasion.

Creating traditions for yourself to express your own unique life force is not only a

meaningful way to celebrate that greater connection, it is an important practice that

allows you to gain strength in the deepest parts of your being. This is because you are

giving yourself the time to validate and honor that inner part of you, acknowleding the

existence that you are more than skin and bones - you are energy, electricity, and

everything that the outer world is and more. Giving yourself this time to gain strength,

will allow you to fortify that part of yourself. This way, when you really need it the most,

that inner essence can help sustain you and keep you strong - regardless of

circumstances.

You might want to look at traditions as habits, practices or some other word that

describes doing something significant at particular times of the day, week, month or

year. Some spiritual belief systems create celebrations around the seasons, such as

having harvest day festivities to commemorate successful crop growth. Not only do

these types of traditions help people connect to something bigger than themselves, it

helps connect families and communities and even the world for those who follow any of

the more widely popular traditions.

While the more social traditions are fun and important ways to connect to others, having

personal traditions are critical to fertilize the growth of your inner light. What you decide

to do doesn’t matter as much as the attitude you do it in. It could be as simple as taking

two minutes a day to set your intentions for what you want to bring with you into the day

ahead, such as an openness to allow your inner most self to be expressed for example.

It could be a prayer, a time of meditation, lighting a candle, writing in a journal or taking

the time to give each person in your home a fully present hug and/or kiss good morning.

Traditions don’t always have to be huge and complex, they can be simple and make

sense to no one other than you. Use your imagination and find some ways that you can

express your inner essence in a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and/or seasonal way.

Start with something very simple, such as taking ten seconds in the morning to reflect

on the nature around you.

It really only takes one second of complete attention to absolutely change your life and

reconnect on all levels, so there is no need to pressure yourself into doing something

complex or lengthy, so think of consistancy over complexity and what will work best with

your lifestyle.

Your Daily Life and Spirituality

When life is going along on a pretty even keel, many of us don’t give a lot of thought

about connecting to that “other” part of ourselves. Instead, we just go along with the day

with our head wrapped up in the mundane world, thinking thoughts such as what we

need to do for the day, who we are going to talk to, what we should wear and so forth.

We might even get so busy that we don’t notice it has gone from day into night until we

are forced to turn a light on. That’s all well and good when the day brings us the normal,

expected events.

It’s when life gets the most challenging, such as suffering from a loss, becoming ill or

some other large or small bump interupts “regular” life that we start to look for that

“something more”. Unfortunately, that is when it is the hardest to find because we are

out of practice. This leaves us feeling empty, weak and prone to turning to unhealthy

ways of finding comfort. However, when you make it a point to bring some sort of

expression of your inner essence into your daily routine, you will begin to develop

strength.

This kind of inner strength is what will allow you to become the peace in the eye of the

storm. You will be able to feel that even though the entire world seems to be falling

apart around you - that you will make it through. It gives you the capability of being able

to respond to life instead of reacting to it in ways you may later regret.

It is terribly important to workout this important “inner muscle” because life has a way of bringing you to your knees when you least expect it.

How you decide to do this may take some exploration and adventure to see what works

the best for you. Some people love to read inspirational books every day to help them

remember and reinforce their commitment to living life from their inner most self. Others

have formal practices of prayer or they just challenge themselves to go out of their way

to be kind to others. There are no rules and nothing is right or wrong as long as you are

not hurting yourself or others, so explore, every day - even if only for a few minutes.

Taking time on a daily basis to acknowledge that inner essence of yours is something

you do for you. It will nourish and sustain you, so please make this time sacred however

you resonate with that the best. Make it personal and make it count. This way, when life

challenges begin to creep in, as they will, you will have a stronger inner energy and an

increased immunity against falling prey to despair, hopelessness, emptiness and the

other not so good feelings that happen when you are separated from the light.

Deities or Not?

So what about deities? There are literally thousands of Gods, Goddesses and “holy”

beings in existence in the hearts and minds of millions. I personally find great strength in

having my own idealogical relationships with all types of deities, probably not in the

traditional sense, more in the way as respecting them as Great Teachers.

In fact, if you look at deities as Great Teachers, learn about them and reflect on their

messages, you might find that you develop your own connection to them, perhaps not.

Either way, taking this time to learn about what other people think about them. Consider

the why’s behind it and the different messages these “holy” beings bring up. This can be

a great way to help learn more about your own unique way to connect to a deity. It could

be that you find you are able to consider your favorite deities as a sort of mentoring

team, or someone who you might choose to emulate and look up to in life, or even

worship if that resonates with you.

For example, we all love the words of Yoda, who is not a deity, he is nothing more than

a fictional character. However, taking time to reflect on the messages this make-believe

entity offers is an excellent way to help reach solutions in your own quest for feeling

connected to your unique version of “the force”. This does not mean you worship him or

turn away from the reality that tells you that Yoda is nothing more than an adorable

creation. It just means you enjoy hearing what his character has to say and maybe

some of it will become important reminders of how you want to live your own life.

You might choose to worship a deity or perhaps you all ready do. If so, being able to

more fully express your inner essence may be to realize that the spark of life, divinity,

energy that is in you, is the same as what it is that you worship. This alone can help

your light grow in ways that may not have been possible in the past. I am not telling you

to try to worship a deity if that is not something that comes from within you, I am saying

explore your perspectives and see what you come up with on your own.

You may feel the whole worshipping someone or something you can’t see, feel or touch

to be ridiculous. Of course, what’s wrong with being a little ridiculous sometimes? Play

around with the idea and see what you might be able to create for yourself in regard to

feeling an infinity for deities, or “wise others” who can give you good food for thought

whther it’s just a healthy respect or a position of worship.

Oh, and it’s okay to pick and choose through things that make the most sense to you.

With that in mind, you can find the beauty in a Bible verse even if you don’t believe in a

Christian God, the same as you can follow what the Dalai Lama says, not because you

are Buddhist, only simply because his words sometimes make perfect sense. In this

sense, the deities do not have to be believed in or not believed in, you can still make

good use from the truths they do have to share.

What About Prayer?

Who do you pray to if you don’t believe in God or some other Supreme Being?

You can pray to your own life force, the part that reaches outside of your physical body

and is alive because of the rest of nature. You can pray to the universe or anything else

at all that feels right to you. There is no ownership rights to prayer and it is not reserved

for praying to anything or only effective if you worship.

Think about it this way, prayers are like thoughts on steroids. Thoughts have weight and

meaning. They can be scientifically measured. Therefore, when you spend time praying,

- or “purposefully reflecting” if you can’t stand the word “prayer” - then you are sending

out energy that not only can be weighed, and creates an impact. Anything that has

weight will have an effect, even if you can’t see it as this holds true for the weight of

thoughts and prayers as well.

The weight and frequency of your prayers combine with other similar weights and

frequencies, which can become huge. This could be a great reason why those

experiments about prayer that was mentioned earlier in this book has such a significant

impact. While different religious sects may want to make claim to the impact made by

prayer, on the most scientific level, it has nothing to do with Divine intervention, it’s more

about the energetic responses. Although, feeling a deity is also lending a hand can be

helpful for you if you choose to believe in that way and can enhance your prayers for

you on a multitude of layers, and at the same time, it is not a prerequesite.

So, on the most simple level, when you pray, reflect or otherwise think purposelly, you

create energy. When you create energy, it effects other energy. This can create

unlimited possibilities. No, it doesn’t mean you “pray” or think for a new car and get it

because you sent the energy out there. It could be that the energy triggers a part of your

mind to look for opportunities that will help you get that car though and that certainly

can’t hurt anything can it?

So, whether you choose to call it prayer, or “purposeful thinking” or whatever else,

taking time to practice this can have a huge impact on allowing that inner light to pour

forth because that is the part of yourself that you want to allow your “purposeful

thinking” to come from.

Here is an experiment to walk you through the steps of the most effective way to pray or

think on purpose:

1. Sit quietly for a moment and take a few cleansing breaths to clear your mind and

relax your body.

2. Allow yourself to feel something that is very important to you, let’s say it’s something

such as the good health for someone you love. Really imagine them being healthy and

feel how incredibly important it is to know that your loved one is well. When you feel

those emotions are at a peak, send a message out into the universe. You can use

words, imagines, thoughts or whatever mode of communication that works best for you.

3. Take a few more deep breaths and confirm that you have shared the energy of what

is most important to you. This energy will combine with other energy and miracles can

happen. Again, it’s not always clear on what that looks like, yet we’ve seen how the

power of prayer - or intentional thoughts help heal the sick - so there truly is unlimited

potential.

The reason practicing prayer, or intentional thinking is good for helping to grow your

inner energy, or light, is because that is the place where you allow these prayers to

begin and that practice will help grow a deeper bond to that part of you that may have

long laid dormant.

Let Your Light Shine

By this point I hope you have come to the realization there are many different

perspectives of considering your innermost self. We know that part of us exists and that

in order to feel whole and connected to more than ourselves, we need to do something.

==> In the same way you need to feed your body in order to energize it and keep it alive

==> In the same way you need to breathe oxygen, drink water and move your body in

order to not atrophy

==> In the same way you need to work out your brain to help keep it sharp

You also need to work out your inner essence.

This is the missing piece when you are feeling scared, alone or that the world is a place

of too much darkness and not enough light.

Coming fully into yourself in this way, from your inner essence, is not about making

other people, places or things perfect. It’s about creating a perfect communion with

yourself, with the parts of you that are outside of your body such as all of nature and the

other dimensions, or divinity as well, if you believe in them.

When you work on yourself, you fortify the most integral part of who you are. The

mental, emotional and physical pieces of you become stronger and more immune to

breaking down from the barrage of bad news and life stressors that there is not - and is

not meant to be - an escape from. In this way, you become free, you create an

expanded ability to make choices about how to approach your life.

The perfect example of this inner strength that can only be accomplished by digging into

the base energy of who you are - your spirit - your energy - your electrical circuitry - or

whatever else it is that you want to consider it being are those who have made it

through tremendous odds. It is the heroes of this world who not only survived ordeals

that would make others fall apart into complete despair, yet they continued to leave a

legacy that improved the rest of the world. Some of these heroes, such as the Jewish

concentration camp survivors have some of the longest life spans in this current age.

Not only did they survive horrific atrocities, they thrived. They gave back and they went

on with the wisdom that while life hands out some astoundingly unfortunate events, it

hands out profound beauty, love and pleasure as well. Which will you choose to focus

on?

Your beliefs, your faith is a personal choice. As you’ve hopefully learned in this book,

there are no rules to how to connect and express the part of you that will always be

“you” even if you lose aspects of your physical, mental or emotional capacity.

From this day forward, make a commitment to yourself that you will never again deny

your inner light. Refuse to become part of the epidemic of the spiritually diseased. I call

it an epidemic because of the higher than ever rates of illnesses that are considered to

be caused from a separation of this spiritual aspect. Alcoholism, addictions, depression,

anxiety, all symptoms of the geat divide between the very essence of who we are. You

can save yourself from these illnesses, you can thrive no matter what life brings your

way.

You can become merge the missing pieces of your being into a whole and strong

unified force of love, light and energy. I wish you perseverance, dedication and

commitment for your journey.

About Tracy Morrow

Tracy Morrow is a wife and mother who lives in Cleveland, OH. Her work as a Life

Coach, Life Coach Trainer and NLP Master Practitioner helps fulfill her desire to help

people navigate through life challenges and get back to the beauty and joy in living.

She invites you all to visit her at Inspir3.com where she regularly posts important

information about how to overcome conflicts and how to become more mindful,

productive and well. Inspire.com also offers a variety of resources to resolve conflicts,

improve life and feel happier and healthier on your own and in relationships.

Additional Kindle Books from Tracy Morrow:

101 Ways for How to Be Happy in Life

Mindful Loving

Life Make Over

Visit Tracy at:

Inspir3.com

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