Having a solid spiritual practice is an easy way to bring more peace and happiness into your life. But maybe you’re wondering where do I start? or maybe you're thinking I don’t have time for a spiritual practice! I’m already rushing out the door every morning as is. I get it, I use to be the same way! Granted these days my schedule is a lot more flexible because I don’t have a 9-5 but there still are days I need to drop my son off at a certain time, have an early appointment or class to make.
Since adding a spiritual practice into my morning and nightly routine I have noticed more calmness, happiness, and a stronger connection with my Intuition.
Wouldn’t it be great to wake up feeling calm and not like you're late which completely throws your whole day off? Or how about more awareness in your day so you can make choices that are right for you. Well I promise adding a spiritual practice to your daily routine will do that!
The truth is we all have the same amount of time in the day and how we choose to spend our time is completely up to us. Instead of sleeping in for those extra 15 minutes try waking up earlier or instead of waking up and checking your Instagram try one of these practices instead.
5 Easy Spiritual Practices to bring more Peace & Happiness into your life:
1. Meditation – Of course this is going to be #1 and I can already feel your resistance! Meditation? I just can’t! Ok before you stop reading hear me out. The benefits of meditation are endless.
No the point of meditation is not to stop your thoughts. We have 60-80,000 thoughts a day! You can try to stop them but it’s not going to happen. Instead think of it as bringing awareness to your thoughts. Who’s the person witnessing the thoughts? That’s meditation! Also you don’t need to sit down and meditate for 30-60 minutes a day. 5-10 minutes will do. You also don’t need to sit up with your hands on your lap either (but you can if that’s comfortable for you. )
Confession: most days I lay down while I meditate because it’s comfy for me. It also doesn’t need to be this big production either. Just noticing your breath will work and bringing your attention back to your breath when your mind wanders (because it will!)
There are lot’s of great guided meditations out there some of my favorites are the Headspace App, Insight Timer App, & Hay house Monday Meditations on Youtube. Explore and find the type of meditation you enjoy best. I recommend 5-15 minutes in the morning when you first wake up and before you go to sleep.
2. Gratitude – Just simply stating everything you're grateful for in your life. This can be in your head or written down. I love starting my day with gratitude as it brings me into the present moment and instantly makes me feel happier. Again it doesn’t take long and it’s an easy one to do to bring more joy into your life.
3. Prayer – Praying to whoever you believe in, in whatever way feels comfortable for you. It can be as easy as giving thanks for the good day you’re going to have or if there’s anything on your mind you can ask for guidance from the higher power you believe in.
4. Reading – Starting your day by reading a positive inspiring book. Some of my favorite authors are Gabrielle Bernstein, Rebecca Campbell, & Dr. Wayne Dyer. Whoever lights you up and has a loving message to share, take a few minutes at the start of your day to read their work.
5. Journaling – Just getting out everything that’s in your head onto paper. We waste a lot of time and energy on repetitive thoughts like “ I need to do this, don’t forget that” you know the ones! Writing it down helps get it out of our head and actually allows us to be more productive and get it done sooner.
BONUS: Affirmations – These are a fast easy way to turn your day around and attract the feelings you want in your life. Affirmations are also a great way to start and end your day. What is an affirmation? Basically a positive statement like I am Healthy, I am Happy, I am Love, I am abundant, I attract money easily and effortlessly, I am relaxed. Whatever you want to feel or attract – make it an affirmation but state it as if it already is.
I also like writing affirmations on post it notes and sticking them around my house to remind me to say them throughout the day!
As you can see these practices are fairly easy and once you incorporate them into your daily routine and start noticing the amazing benefits it will become second nature just like brushing your teeth. I would recommend starting with 1 or 2 of these practices. It’s really just finding what works best for you. Whatever one stands out the most to you – give it a try :)
Let me know in the comments below, which practice are you most excited to try?
Love and Light,
Ann