L•B•T Daily Spiritual Practices

Our daily spiritual practices deliver simple methods to begin literally, living out your divinity. Our daily spiritual practices serve as an ongoing method of nurturing higher connections, acceptance, and ultimately reaching a perfect universal balance within yourself and your environment. 

We recommend these exercises to all who are sincerely dedicated to their spiritual growth. 

For an extended, and more in depth practice of daily spiritual exercises, please visit our Daily Hermetic Exercises section.

Be one With All Things

By exploring this level of information, you are touching the tip of a tremendous iceberg. The process of illumination is not something reserved for select adept human beings. Rather, it is a privilege set aside for any true seeker. Join us and experience the miracle of this existence, and discover your eternal, multidimensional reality. (This is not a cliché new age figure of speech) You are standing at the threshold of a life-changing doorway.
 

 

See what the L*B*T is all about , click here: http://www.lightbodytravelers.com/sign-up.html

 

The master finds oneness through each experience. We offer the following daily spiritual practice to you, that you may understand it, apply the affirmations when needed, and ultimately enter the experience of absolute oneness with all things. Apply these affirmations both within your meditations, as well as within your daily experiences. You are not separate from your environment, and each and every aspect within it is quite literally an extension of you. If you are serious about your spiritual growth, please adopt the following into your life;

 

‘When I fear something, I fear a part of myself”

“When I resent something, I resent a part of myself”

“When I hate something, I hate a part of myself”

“When I cannot accept something, I cannot accept a part of myself”

“When I run from something, I run from a part of myself”

 

“When I love something, I love a part of myself”

“When I compliment something, I compliment a part of myself”

“When I help something, I help a part of myself”

“When I give something, I give a part of myself”

“When I accept something, I accept a part of myself”

 

“When I lie about something, I lie to a part of myself”

“When I hide something, I hide a part from myself”

“When I judge something, I judge a part of myself”

“When I steel something, I steel from a part of myself”

“When I ignore something, I ignore a part of myself”

 

“When I embrace something, I embrace a part of myself”

“When I touch something, I touch a part of myself”

“When I observe something, I observe a part of myself”

“When I listen to something, I listen to a part of myself”

“When I share something, I share a part of myself”

 

These affirmations and applications may have greater meaning to some, and less to others, but begin using the ones that apply to you right now in your own life. Constantly strive to connect at a deeper level with everything around you through understanding these universal truths. As mentioned above, for those who seek an advanced course in daily spiritual practices, click here http://www.lightbodytravelers.com/lbt/astral-projection/astral-projection-trainging/hermetic-exercises.html Hermetics Exercises."

There is a far deeper meaning to all of this, and we welcome you to experience its true depths.

 

Find Silence

How many times do we become aware of our thought once we have already spoken it out loud?  Conversely, how often do we actually reflect on our thoughts, to understand them, before speaking them? Most would agree, that our unfiltered words are more often than not, what get us into conflicts, struggles, and even wars. In some cases, we do process thoughts internally prior to speaking, but generally in conversation, we speak out our thoughts without first knowing them internally. While this is not a bad thing, it does begin to bleed us of our ability to communicate with higher thought and understandings.

This spiritual practice is titled “find silence” to assist us in first becoming aware of our emotion which spawns a thought, and then using our inner judgment to decide weather or not it even requires to be spoken. To listen to ourselves internally as we process the thoughts that from our emotional responses, before we speak out and respond, takes but a fraction of a second when practiced with regularity. This simple daily spiritual practice is a pivotal one in maintaining awareness within your communications and thought patterns each day.

And so, if you are sincere in elevating your communications with the world, and seek to remain in a place of constant spiritual awareness as you interact with others, I invite you to do the following. When you hear others speaking, weather directly to you or not, first, find your inner silence. Then, feel the internal emotional responses as they create your opinions, thoughts, and even the words that you plan to respond with. You need not over analyze the emotions, simply be aware of the fact that they are the root of your reactions and responses to the words of others. 

As your thoughts become words, solidifying to the surface, ask yourself if your words really need to be spoken at all. In most cases the answer here is yes, as communication is a vital part of interacting within our world. However, simply by first finding silence, and then being aware of the emotion that gave rise to your response, you are ninety percent more likely to respond from your true spiritual essence than from your auto programmed human essence.

This practice requires and deserves much repetition. As you begin to regularly incorporate this act of finding silence into your day, you will notice remarkable changes in both your communications, as well as your state of being. You will begin to reside in a place of far less internal and external conflict, you will react with greater empathy to others, and you will ultimately remain in contact with your true spiritual essence as you go about living each day.

 

Affirmation: “In finding my inner silence, I find my spiritual presence. I remain aware of both my emotions and thoughts, by regularly pausing to acknowledge them, prior to speaking.”

Don't Criticize, Just Empathize

 

How many times a day, do we criticize ourselves, or another? It’s all too easy to make a negative remark about things we don’t agree with, or that seem ignorant to us. Who here can deny that they have not made a comment, or at very least, a criticizing thought when baring whiteness to events like pollution, corruption, and racism, to name just a few.

As human beings, we have become so quick to criticize the actions of others. Personally, relocating to another country to begin a new life a few years ago, taught me that I was more fastened to my North American standards than I had thought. Experiencing how another culture functions on every level, from government, social structure and class, business practices, laws, holidays, religions, living conditions, language expressions, trends, and everything else imaginable, was a bigger spiritual exercise than I realized.

I’m not saying that we must all uproot and go live in another country to develop our empathy skills, but we can begin each day to silence the criticism, take a deep breath, and actually understand the actions of others from their perspective. When you look at someone who you think is doing something “wrong,” stop, and before you criticize them, ask yourself why he or she would do this. What have they learned from those around them to make them act this way? What aspects of their environment have brought them to feel this is an acceptable action? Why do they feel this is the correct thing to do, or at least, why have they justified this action in their own mind? There may or not be a clear answer every time in your mind, but the goal here is to replace criticism with empathy.

To be clear, this doesn’t mean that you are agreeing with a racist, an industry polluting the earth, or a corrupt political figure for example. But what it does mean that you retain the spiritual maturity to view their actions from a higher plane of thought, a plane of thought that can understand their actions from their perspective. Realize too, that to criticize another verbally, often does nothing more than fuel the very actions you detest, and that this is more how a child would act toward a parent doing something out of their favor. We do not change the world through criticizing it. On the contrary, we make a tremendous impact when we empathize with everything in it, and demonstrate through our own actions, that real change is made by acceptance and passive corrections at the individual level.

Work with this daily spiritual practice constantly. Catch yourself before you speak out to criticize someone. Halt your thoughts, before they criticize the actions of others. Make the shift, not to justify, but to view, the issue from their perspective. Nourish your spiritual maturity each day, and choose to rise above the reactions of the naïve child who feels their way is the only thing that matters.  Again, you need not agree with the actions of others, but to analyze just how he or she has come to do this thing you feel is wrong, is to momentarily over ride your own opinions, and ultimately master your emotional responses. This is of course, at core, a practice of neutral compassion, and it goes very deep into the base of most spiritual paths that we know today from Buddhism, to Hermeticism, to Catholicism and so forth.

I encourage you to take this daily challenge, and begin to understand and experience the world from an advanced spiritual perspective. This may be difficult as you begin, but know that by nourishing this practice, you are nourishing the very seeds of love needed to cultivate human evolution.

 

Affirmation: “I maintain a spiritual presence in neutral observations. I remain compassionate to others, and all things in spite of their seeming effects on my human emotions.”

See yourself in others

Lets be honest, even the best of us can be judgmental towards others, and more often than not, we have already categorized, or made a silent statement about someone quicker than we even realize. The human being is actually a master of quick unconscious categorizations. This is how our brain rationalizes information being received through the senses. However convenient this may be to our survival from day to day, the purpose of this daily spiritual practice is to pause, with awareness, before compartmentalizing someone, and then actually see us in that person. I realize that not all readers here have had the same spiritual experiences, and that this may seem imaginary or even bogus to some, but follow theses basic steps in your daily life and you might just experience the beauty of this universal reality of our oneness.

Today, first begin to focus on appreciating those around you, weather they are strangers, family, of friends. Weather it’s the person that cuts you off in a line, or even if it’s the person who disagrees with you on a personal or business matter. Appreciate distinct age groups, cultures and nationalaties. Appreciate other languages and customs, fashions, options, dialects, and every other aspect that your mind would normally use as a tool to quickly separate yourself from another person. As cliché as it may sound, when I look at another person while practicing this, I use a quick affirmation that internally states, “I love you, your perfect” before my mind can separate itself from my brothers and sisters. This literally eliminates any judgments when stated firmly and sincerely.

Secondly, do not be shy to look into the eyes of these people. And in these ever so brief seconds, actually feel them as your own reflection,

just as if you were looking into a mirror. Focus on your beautiful reflection, no matter what shape or size it appears to be physically, and invoke the deepest and sincerest love you’re capable of. Herein lies the challenge, as we are so good at creating a quick distance through our thoughts and emotions.  I encourage you to go beyond the programing of separation and division, and look into the eyes of each amazing reflection, feeling such      immense love for your fellow human beings that you reach the brink of tears. See and feel the inner beauty of each person around you and begin to understand the miracle of each creation. As you do this, realize that at a much deeper level, you are spreading this immense love into, and throughout yourself.

To further this exercise, I welcome you to go to a public place, sit somewhere comfortably, and breath into an open eye meditation. Begin using your new practice as you look around causally at people who pass by. First appreciate their presence, then begin to literally feel their inner beauty that is truly your own. You will know when you have invoked the authenticity of this love when you begin to shed a tear of joy. Focus with intense love as you see yourself in them, realizing that we cycle through each life as part of one collective human body. Use your compassion to understand that each of us comes into this world with the same confusions, fears, uncertainties, and pains, and no matter how a person appears to you; they are doing the best they can to make it through this lifetime carrying all of these facets.

 

As you evolve in this daily spiritual practice, understanding oneness, and sincerely loving each of your human reflections, some of the deepest shifts that can possibly occur in you will be set in motion. By seeing yourself in others and developing this new sense of oneness, you literally begin to rewire the neural network of your brain, and ultimately shift an entire paradigm through the power of your own love.

 

Affirmation: “ I exist in all things, and all things exist in me. Through my own true love, I awaken and evolve this one collective human body.”

Enjoy Nature

 

     It’s quite a simple concept, but many of us still lack the much-needed time spent in the great outdoors. Daily life in any modern society keeps many people indoors and tied to electronic devices. While this is not all bad, it is important to break from these modern patterns and restore our inner elemental qualities through contact with Mother Nature.

 

     When going about this daily spiritual practice, it is of great importance to understand that the human body, as with all things in creation, is a complex composition of elemental properties. Realizing that the richest spiritual and physical nutrition comes from stimulating ones inner elements through contact with nature is fundamental. Today, it is all too easy to be a technology addict, but I challenge you to become a nature addict. Feel the air, connect with the Earth, touch the waters, meditate to the flame, and let your body tingle with Sprit as you breath into each of these moments!

 

     It’s an undeniable reality that we are more in tune with our environment when outdoors. When was the last time you spent time outdoors and away from technology?

 

     How good did it feel to breath in the vastness of nature? Do not under estimate the spiritual power of spending focused time outdoors. You owe it to yourself, not only to pause from your synthetic environments, but also to get outdoors and spend time meditating to nurture your body and spirit.

 

     I encourage you to spend time in nature with loved ones as well, pausing to take time in meditative focus together. Even if you live in a thriving metropolis, walk, bike, or drive to the nearest city park and enjoy the best of mother nature's hidden gifts, for they are always there for us to connect with and evolve from.

 

 

Affirmation “ I am the Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Spirit. I find healing and nourishment in body and spirit through nature.”

 

 

Be the Change

   What does it mean to you, to be the change? This may be something different for each of us, but no matter    what your particular vision of a better world may look like, you are here invited to simply, be this change. Not to shout and protest for it, not to argue or defend it, not to fight and go to battle for it, not to preach and judge others for it, simply be it. 

 

   One of the many brilliant spiritual quotes given to us by Mahatma Gandhi, were his words “be the change you want to see in the world.” They continue to remind us that the most effective changes in the world begin at the individual level. Bear in  mind that this daily spiritual practice is in fact so effective, that an entire nation was once transformed through the dedication of “being the change”. May we never under estimate the power we have as individuals to take actions toward change. For when we dedicate to this, every decision we make, each action we take, should be one that reflects this change that we want to see.

 

Within your meditations this week, begin to precisely envision what your better world would be like. Note: Keep it small at first; most of the time, it’s the little things make the biggest impact in this world. Again, this may vary from one person to the next, so make it your personal vision. Having then authentically defined the changes needed to create a better world, begin to live them out, every minute, every day, every month, every year. If this change you are living seems to bother or confuse others, do not be ashamed of the positive actions you are living out for their own good, and certainly don’t defend or debate your positive actions. To be the change is not always the easy road, but the master of this spiritual practice knows that the greater good, and the higher cause, far exceed the opinions and social trends that may counter the positive changes we choose to live out each day. May you be the change you want to see in the world fearlessly, knowing that you are not alone in your path to make a magnificent world.

 

Affirmation: “ I am a living example of the beauty that exists in all things. I am empowered to be the change I wish to see in the world.”

Just Listen

Truly listening to another is not only an art, and it can also be applied as a spiritual practice. It’s so often overlooked, but as humans, we have an amazing gift to listen to each other. But before we can really appreciate and utilize this gift, we must recognize the difference between the auditory sense of hearing, and the spiritual gift of listening. These two functions within the human experience are more often than not, two distinct abilities.

dsp justlistenTo practice the art of truly listening, we must begin to silence our opinions and interjections, and this is where the deeper spiritual practice comes into play. Recognize that we have the ability to actually begin healing other people just by simply listening to them without judgments and interjections. Many times when friends, family, and loved ones feel the need to speak to us about their personal matters, what they are really seeking is another soul to share their experience with, in attempts to alleviate stress. Naturally, if we are asked to comment or put forth our thoughts, we must sincerely respond with our best advice. But many times this is not necessary for our loved ones and friends to actually work through the experience. Remain aware of this as you engage in slightly more intimate conversations. You can be of meaningful service to another through purely passive listening.

dsp justlisten01The deeper spiritual-growth quality of this practice is that of beginning to consciously over-ride the needs of the middle self (ego) to express opinions, control situations, and even analyze them through ignorance, to simply generate a response in conversation. This doesn’t mean that we are opinion-less or carry no wisdom to share as advice, but it does mean that we can at any time; choose to reserve our comments, exercising our spiritual maturity, knowing that by sincerely listening we can often serve others just as well if not better.

Begin to develop this gift of listening, as you never have before. I encourage you to take this practice even into the depths of conversations where a friend or stranger feels obligated to state what they don’t care for in your personality or actions. This is where the mastered listener can realize he or she has risen above the need to respond, defend, and generate responses of communication. This is an act of spiritual maturity and security in self. Realize that in accomplishing this, you are taking steps toward allowing your higher self to take the reins, so to speak, over your daily interactions.

Affirmation: “I serve others through sincerely listening to them speak. I choose to rise above my desires to defend my ego.”

 

 

Share a Compliment

A compliment is a little gift to open and enjoy over and over again.It sounds all too simple, but how often do we openly recognize the qualities we respect in others? The verbal compliment can be an amazingly powerful method to reinforcing the love and respect we have for another. Often, our long-term relationships can become repetitious, and we can forget to acknowledge the special qualities that make us love our friends, families, and partners. All of these people exist our lives because we have sincere attachments and feelings for them, so why not let them know not only through your actions, but also through regular, meaningful compliments?

 

Take thought today, and practice sincerely complementing those in your life. Realize what makes them special to you, and openly express this through a complement. Remember that the key ingredient here is sincerity. Compliment the aspect of this person that truly moves you, the part of them that you respect, love, appreciate, and admire. Aside from showing this with our actions, a verbal compliment can immediately reinforce the beauty of the relationships we share. This practice also helps us remain aware of just how many great things the people around us do each day right before our eyes. Do not feel timid in expressing your compliments to others. In fact, go out of your way to recognize their positive qualities, realizing that this nourishes the good in them.

 

"Everybody likes a compliment" -Abraham LincolnExpressing a compliment to a perfect stranger is also a fantastic way to extend your spiritual presence into another person’s day. Once again, the key ingredient here is sincerity. Perhaps you recognize how well someone deals with a situation, and let him or her know. Perhaps you admire someone’s decision or action and openly express your respect. Or perhaps you simply like their jacket, shoes, shirt, hairstyle, and appearance in general. There is no wrong doing in openly expressing how we feel about others in a positive manner through the spiritual practice of sincerely complimenting them.

 

On that very note, let me be the first to send to you, my compliments for nourishing your spiritual evolution by visiting this website, and choosing to read these words today. I write this with my deepest sincerity and trust you understand what it means to me that you share your presence here on our community website.


Affirmation: “I recognize the beauty in others and myself. I openly express this by sincerely complimenting these aspects. I express love through my words and actions.”

 

Sincerity in Service

Sincerity in Service

Focus on service to others.

dspImage6It's no secret that the quickest way to feel good about yourself is through helping someone else. In fact, with a genuine application, this spiritual practice never fails.

Constantly be aware of how much time and attention you give to your own needs in comparison to the needs of those around you. 

This does not mean that you must completely abandon your own needs and endeavors, but simple maintain a balance between serving your needs and the needs of others. A simple example of this exercise might be waking up a half an hour earlier than usual, just to serve a quick breakfast to those you live with. Or perhaps taking an hour or so of your free time, just to listen to a friend or loved one talk to you. 

dspImage7Realize also that throughout most established spiritual traditions, the Sun, the brilliant star that constantly gives life on planet Earth, directly corresponds to the heart of the human body.

Unselfish service, through the form of life giving energy, is indeed the work of the Sun. For it never fails to provide sufficient solar energy to every plant, creature, and organism on earth, while requiring nothing in return.

So what does this really mean to us? This means that the more we embrace our own unselfish love residing in our hearts, the brighter we become through acts of sincere service. Understand that this fountain of love is literally unlimited. This fountain never runs dry; therefore, we can never give too much love from this unlimited source. 

Furthermore, as begin to make patterns to form habits of serving others unselfishly, we inevitably walk in the footsteps of the divine. And to know this divinity first hand will inevitable result in the funeral of all sorrows. Strive daily to take actions, weather great or small to serve humanity in some way. It's true too, that even small acts of kindness often have a huge impact on others, so keep it simple. Weather it be your husband/wife, family, community, city, state, country or planet, give of yourself unselfishly each day. Walk this path with dedication and it will not fail you.

Affirmation: "I am universal love manifested into action. As I serve others, I serve my own spirit, and walk the path of divinity."

 

Think Divine

Think Divine

Keep your thoughts focused on the awareness of God.

This may seem to be a bold statement initially. We have put God at such a level in the last few thousand years that our divine aspects have been slowly stripped away at the conscious level.

dspImage5This exercise is designed to rebuild, or reactivate this divine thinking within you.

Begin by sincerely treating all creation as an extension of divinity. Approach all others and events as if they are of divine nature. No matter how a person or circumstance appears at the physical level, realize the underlying perfection that created all of this. This divine perfection cannot be removed from itself, only masked by the human perception of good and bad, or right and wrong. Go beyond these dualities by remaining in this divine state of thinking as you observe your world. 

Should you feel challenged in brief moments of practicing this exercise, enter a state of breath awareness to rise above the mask of your physical circumstances. For we cannot experience Divinity if we do not first project our own divine aspect. 

Affirmation:

"My thoughts are focused on the awareness of God"

Rise Above the Labels

Rise Above the Labels

dspImage2Strive to go beyond titles and opinions you hold over yourself and others. 

This exercise can seem difficult at first, as 99.9% of the time our brain is categorizing, compartmentalizing, and labeling every detail of the waking day. This exercise is specifically designed to override this automatic reflex through observing people and events with a neutral eye.

dspImage3The Buddhist understands that all opinions, titles, interests, desires, and personality traits are like the birds that perch momentarily on the branch of a tree. These birds come and go constantly altering the horizon upon the branch, but the tree itself, independent of these perching birds, remains stable.

So what does that mean? Yes, you guessed it, strive to be the tree. Realize that your whole life has been a constant fluctuation of, interests, endeavors, opinions, and titles. These are all important because they are in fact what make you, you. But simply realize that the real you, or the tree in this analogy, remains firm in its independence from these fluctuations. In realizing this, you will begin to speak less defensively regarding your opinions. Yes, they matter to you now, but to what degree at the universal level? You will also begin to respect and listen to the opinions of others, realizing that they too are only temporarily tied to their opinions and believes. 

During your day, as you observe the world, weather through physical interaction, internet social networks, or television, work toward not forming strong opinions, or criticizing those who seem to be "wrong" from your own temporary perspective. For the true master remains neutral in all forms as he/she observes the world through the eyes of divinity. 

Affirmation:

"I am the neutral balance peacefully existing at the center of the universe"

Simply Share Your Smile

Simply Share Your Smile

Whenever the opportunity arises, smile sincerely at someone making clear eye contact. 

dspImage1For some reason, in modern societies, we are somewhat conditioned to avoid direct eye contact with strangers. Weather it be shyness, insecurity, or simply not wanting to seem too social, we generally don't like to look into the eyes of a stranger. Each of us of course has our own level of social security, but the spiritual practice given here is an opportunity to overcome any and all social insecurities, while at the same time developing your spiritual presence, by smiling at strangers. 

It's a simple truth that the cheapest way to improve your looks is with a smile. So why not strive to look your best. Can you recall a moment when a complete stranger took the time to sincerely smile at you? Do you remember how nice that felt?  So why not begin to look your best while at the same time showing your fellow humans that you recognize their presence before you, and share an ever so brief moment of connection through your smile. 

 

 

dspImage4This is also a great exercise to avoid getting too wrapped up in ourselves. By looking out into the world to share a smile, we can sometimes realize that our own obstacles are not the ‘end of the world’ so to speak. Realize that at a deeper level, when you make eye contact with someone, even for a moment, it's like looking into a mirror. For there is but one universal body, manifested in to many, observing itself through all forms of creation. So don't be shy, share your divinity with your extended self through this simple act of sincere kindness. See how your day begins to take shape in a delightful way as you share your smile with others.

 

Affirmation:

 

"There is but one body, manifested into many forms. This is my body, I am in all things, and all things are in me, bonded through my love."