Spiritual practices mean different things to different people. They are as varied in scope as those who engage in the practices. A spiritual practice is any thing that brings you peace amid the hustle and bustle of life. They can be the balm that soothes your weary soul and the light that helps make sense of the chaos around you.
Spiritual practices can draw you deeper into an encounter with the Divine. They can center you in the moment when you’re feeling overwhelmed. They can bring clarity amid your racing thoughts. They can provide rest and renewal when that’s what you need. They can be energizing and propel you in a new direction.
Anything can be a spiritual practice! It’s all a matter of your intention.
Take, for example, the ordinary tasks of grocery shopping. You can hurry into the store, rush up and down the aisles grabbing what you need before jumping into the shortest line so that you can quickly check out and be on your way. I’m sure we’ve all done grocery shopping like this and there’s nothing wrong with it.
But what if we approached grocery shopping as a spiritual practice. It begins with thoughtfully making the grocery list by considering who we’re shopping for and what they like or dislike, what they need or don’t need. Once in the store, try slowing down to shop and offering a smile to others shopping around us. Maybe even. offering a silent prayer for those shopping beside us. When you see that parent with their fussy toddler, instead of being critical, offer a silent prayer for the parent and their child. While standing in line to check out, consider praying for the people in front and behind you. Rather than being irritable with the cashier, offer a silent prayer on their behaif. Pray for the person baging your groceries and the person bringing the carts back into the store. On your way home, give thanks for the bounty of food and other items that you were able to purchase and pray for those who can’t afford to grocery shop.
This way of grocery shopping doesn’t take any longer than the first way. It simply transforms grocery shopping into a spiritual practice that can change the way you approach the task and those you encounter in the process.
There is no right or wrong way to engage a spiritual practice. The key is to keep experimenting with them until you discover ones that are meaningful to you.
Several spiritual practices are hightlighted on this website. I hope that you’ll find one that works for you. Reach out to me if you’d like to talk about spiritual practices.