Spiritual Practices, pt. 1

I get asked this a lot by my clients so I’m going to do a few posts on what my daily spiritual practices look like.
As I wake up, I stretch and smile because it’s so wonderful to be alive another day in this beautiful world.
I say a little thank you to the Divine for allowing me the pleasure to exist in this human form one more time.
Then I say one of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite spiritual teachers, Thich Nhat Hanh: “Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.”
Then I get up, wash, and go upstairs to my meditation room/study.
I sometimes will do qigong/tai chi/yoga first if I’m in the mood. Doing movement meditation first gives me a more profound sitting meditation.
Then I do sitting meditation which can differ from day to day. It can be any of the following:
Being silent and going inwards (this is my favorite).
Doing zikr (in Sufi practices, this is the remembrance of God/Divine through chanting of one of the Divine names/a phrase, etc.,.).
Doing a visualization meditation.
Doing a themed meditation like self-compassion, forgiveness, lovingkindness, etc.,.
The length of time I spend meditating varies from day to day depending on my mood.
After it feels complete, I go eat breakfast… Continued in next post, which you can see here.