Last week I had the fortune of hearing Paramahamsa Prajnanananda speak here in Dallas, Texas. Prajnananada is the head Kriya yoga guru and I was very blessed to be initiated by him about a year ago. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Kriya, it was practiced by Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi and is a combination of meditation and yoga which focuses on becoming aware of the light, sound, and vibration inside of yourself while also circulating the breath through each of your chakras.

In his talk, Prajnananada compared each human being to a tree. A human, just like a tree, grows both inward and upward. The roots of a tree represent our inward growth, the part of us that is not seen by the outside world, and yet is the aspect which determines what the outside world sees. The roots hold the tree strong and steady.

According to Prajnananda, spiritual living is living a joyful life… smiling, sharing, and giving. The fruits and flowers on trees represent the physical manifestations of our life and what we give to others through radiating our love and joy. A tree gives of its fruits and flowers with no thought of “getting” anything in return. It already receives everything it requires through its roots. Similarly, we can give joy and love to everyone around us with no “strings attached” only if we have our own spiritual roots.

Prajnananada points out that a spiritual life is a life of discipline… by performing daily practices which take us out of the “material world” and into self discovery and a deeper connection with the Divine, we form the necessary peace of mind to face the storms in life with calmness and strength. In my opinion, creating a solid spiritual foundation is the most important thing we can focus on, everything else should come second. When we cultivate spiritual roots, we will be nourished by life and everything in our “outer” world will come together perfectly. We will feel love, understand truth, and see through the illusions which often times bind us. Remember, the deeper the roots of a tree, the stronger the tree and the more nutritious its fruit will be.

John Seeley, author of Get Unstuck, tells us that an excellent way to build trust between your Conscious and Subconscious mind is to do what is called an Absolute Daily Goal. This means you pick one activity, one habit, that you will do everyday, no matter what. This retrains your subconscious to agree with you. Many times people will say things they don’t mean and never follow through. According to Seeley, this teaches your subconscious mind to never follow through because you are never truly committed. Below I have made a list of my favorite spiritual practices which can be used as an “absolute daily goal”…

MY FAVORITE SPIRITUAL PRACTICES:

• Writing in my journal
• Thinking about and writing down all the things I am grateful for
• Daily mantras and affirmations
• Reading sacred scriptures and books
• Yoga and deep breathing (Kriya, Hatha, and Dahn yoga are my favorites)
• Attending spiritual seminars and/or church
• Daily meditation (Kriya and Holosync)
• Dancing, tantra, and sacred sexuality
• Doing a daily act of kindness
• Sound healing and Toning
• Breath work
• Mindful eating and gardening (connecting with mother earth)

My goal is to add one habit into my life each month. This month I am focusing on my yoga practice. I believe it’s important to ONLY add one new habit at a time… this breeds true and steady discipline. If you have any additional spiritual disciplines which you find helpful please post them below. Remember, a spiritual practice is any activity which brings us more conscious awareness while connecting us with the FLOW of Life!

P.S. Come join me in cultivating deep spiritual roots! Post your Absolute Daily Goal for this month below:)