Spiritual Growth Articles

Have you been considering jou aling, but have questions about how to get started? Jou aling is a wonderful way to explore your faith through prayer, reflection and personal narrative. Shared here are some of the popular questions about jou aling, and the opportunity to formulate your own ...

Let's celebrate the Spring Equinox today, March 20. It is the first day of Spring. The sun's position is directly over the Earth's equator. All things are equal as day is the same length as night. Spring Equinox is also called Vernal Equinox which is Latin for "of spring" and "equal night." Whatever you choose to call the first day of Spring let's enjoy Mother Nature as she begins to bloom all around us in luscious colors.

Since the dawn of time humans have tried to define what makes them human. What is the purpose of memory, reason and skill? Once we have the basics of survival, what do we do? In the 21st century the search is very important. Lots of us have food, shelter and safety, and lots of spare time on our hands. What are we supposed to do with ourselves? What’s the meaning of life? Why are we here? I think there’s an urge, a stirring, a longing inside of us to try to make the world a

We share our world with an assortment of personalities, at various stages of growth and evolvement. We each have our own slant and perspective on what we consider to be right and wrong in life.

I had taken yoga in the past to help heal some injuries. I would always do some form of yogic exercise to help with my back, but it had been years since I had taken an actual class. These days I was spending so much time at the gym though and I was getting bored. I needed to find something ...I had taken yoga in the past to help heal some injuries. I would always do some form of yogic exercise to help with my back, but it had been years since I had taken an actual class. These days I was spending so much time at the gym though and I was getting bored.

Our spiritual journey; for some it begins with a simple feeling of discontent and for some with great dis-ease; but at some point in our human experience we seek relief. Some people have the ability to reason out a simple course correction and they move swiftly in that direction without really questioning it. For others it is the journey of a lifetime to find what they are looking for.

Many people would define a successful life as a happy one, so we go about trying to be happy in many ways. Some people try to attain happiness through accomplishments and material things, while others use spiritual means. The problem is that happiness isn’t something to attain or achieve, but something to notice. If you are busy trying to achieve happiness, you are probably overlooking it. The ego tries to get happiness from doing, having, or being someone, while the spiritual ego tries to get it from transcending all of that.

Many of my clients come to me in an attempt to understand the meaning behind their particular life experiences. They are, like many of us, on a spiritual journey and are searching for deeper meaning in their lives. They are drawn to receive healing work when some type of crisis has occurred, ...

I recently met my longtime Hollywood crush Ewan McGregor…you know him…the young Jedi Master (Obi Wan Kenobi) in Star Wars, Christian the penniless writer in Moulin Rouge, the disillusioned son in Big Fish…OK well, I didn’t “technically” meet him. I stood outside the theatre door after seeing him in The Real Thing on Broadway.

This is one of my favorite holidays in spite of the fact that I’m vegetarian and have Native American blood in my veins. There’s a lot about Thanksgiving that I don’t like, but its saving grace is just that: Grace and Gratitude. In honor of this holiday, I’ve done a little channeling on what we don’t already know about Gratitude - and we’re all about full up to here of platitudes about gratitude about now, am I right? I think you’ll enjoy it. Plus, it’s short - less tha 9 mi

We humans invest huge amounts of energy, time and resources trying to create a sense of certainty and security. Uncertainty can terrify us because it threatens the control we believe we have over life, so we cling to those things that are supposed to bring us certainty, and refuse to acknowledge that they will all pass one day. The separated ego has a huge need for certainty and security, but the attempt to isolate anything from the flow of life and make it permanent freezes it into a static shell devoid of vitality and aliveness.

5 Tips to Staying Motivated We’re heading into July, which for many means summer vacation, beach & burgers, concerts in the park, graduations, travel and moving past the invisible half way mark for the 12 months on the calendar. Can it be that just a short time ago we were at the New Year? How are you doing? How is your life showing up? Whether you made a resolution or set your intentions you still have plenty of time to achieve your success.

How are you with adapting to financial change lately, is this something that you are accustom to or are you being force to take a look at your problems that you would rather sweep under the rug and hope it goes away. Change may threaten Change may threaten your foundation of who you are and how you represent your world because this change carries with it the fear of the unknown. Fear of the unknown of where you are going, how you going to get there and the results of what is going to happen is more fearful that the fear itself. You may seek security and create change throug

There may be no word that carries more fear these days than “Cancer.” Most of us don’t even want to think about it, though many of us are forced to think about it when we or one of our loved ones receives the news. When that happens, life narrows to one priority—how do we fight this? What can we do? With so many treatment options, offering such a wide range of success and side-effects, the treatment information can be overwhelming and confusing—to say the least. There is one simple practice that can help you no matter what other treatment protocols you follow.

An excerpt from spiritual teacher and author Swami Dhyan Giten's book "The Silent Whisperings of the Heart"

Faith is an abstract idea. nnWhen applied outside of religious context, it broadly means confidence - confidence to materialize a hope, or to weather a trial. Apart from past successes, people really have very little basis for such faith. No matter how influential a person is, he is subject to dynamics and circumstances pretty much beyond his control.nnDo circumstances simply fall neatly in place? I don’t find that any easier to accept than arguments that the universe and l

Here are some of my Top Tips for Psychic Development! Meditation & Inner Work We are all very used to living in the physical world, meditation is considered boring by many people, and inner work is avoided because of the potential skeletons it uncovers but both are vital for psychic development. Meditation and inner work enable you to become more aware of the wonders of the energies of the Universe. When I first started to develop my psychic skills I would lie in bed at night, close my eyes, and start to observe my thoughts.

Around holiday times we’re presented with a most wonderful gift – and that’s the opportunity to look at ourselves though the eyes of our family dynamics. Our siblings and parents act as mirrors for us to see ourselves and our emotional reactions more clearly, and observe where we have wounds, ...

"My dwelling place is love. It's home is the heart. It reaches to all corners of the Universe and comes right back to live in you. It deems the impossible. It sanctifies the improbable. It performs the miraculous. It feeds all souls. My love encompasses every atom of space - it soars in between ...

Loving self completely is another Jewel for Self Discovery on our journey of the soul. Love is a powerful energy that is within us and all around us as God is love. Loving self completely is an essential component for us to live as spirit beings. When we by-pass self love and search for love from others first, we hinder our growth and development as spiritual beings. The place to begin first and foremost on our journey of the soul is with loving self completely.

Today’s world is full of worldly possessions, and it is not very easy to find someone showing some thanklessness for those who do things for them. The reason which is easy to see is that today’s people are just concentrated on themselves leading to the loss of the spiritual power of gratefulness. Gratefulness is considered an essential part of daily life as we are actually humble and appreciate the good things others do for us with which we are contented, satisfied and happy.

Someone dear to my heart recently experienced the heartbreak of a relationship breakup. Of all painful experiences, there are few greater than the pain of separating from a loved one. In my life I’ve bee “fortunate” to have experienced 2 major relationship break-ups. I say “fortunate” because these experiences afforded me the deepest and most experiential learning I could ever ask for (despite the pai I may have had to endure.) I’ve come to learn that each relationship, whether lifelong or temporary is a God assignment, sent to me for my greatest learning. The following points of advise

As a lucid dreamer, I feel all the emotions during dreamtime that I do while I am awake. Last night, I dreamt that I was working in a retail store. In the dream, I had helped an overbearing woman no one else wanted to deal with. She purchased many things and I was happy, but the scene skipped to a few days later when she wanted to return every single thing, except for one skirt and one shirt. The woman then walked outside. I followed her to find her basking on the sun in a lounge chair which rested on a large wooden deck.

“Orange Peel Tea Lowers Cholesterol, Lowers Blood Pressure, it’s Contains Powerful Anti-inflammatory Agents, and Helps Prevent Disease in General” Orange peel tea has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine to heal lots of different ailments and to keep a person healthy. It’s full of Vitamin C, contains lots of pectins to lower cholesterol, it’s a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, lowers blood pressure, helps with insulin resistance, boosts up our immune system, and heals lots of health challenges.

This past weekend, my family and I had the pleasure of what Minnesotan’s lovingly call, “going up north!” Essentially, it means communing with nature either on the north shore of Lake Superior or in the North woods/Lakes area. It is also understood that what you experience up there is a profound secret only relevant to those who truly “get it!”

Finding Soul Purpose Through the Seven Rays With some of the disturbing events going on around the world, many people are asking “what am I doing on planet earth?” One perspective on this age old question is that it is time to step up into greater responsibility in providing our spiritual service. A method to better understand spiritual purpose, called the Seven Rays, comes to us through the ancient mystery schools. Knowing your personal rays helps you to more fully activate

Recently, in response to an article I had written on Forgiveness, I was contacted by a person who said, "Physiologically, the brain can't forget; I'd like to forgive, but how can I forget what was done to a young child? How can I forget that trauma when I am alone at night in the dark...?" ...

Spiritual science is a field of science which may attract you. If you are going to learn about this, you are going to manage the process in which the cognition of the spirit is gained from the systematic studies of what our senses perceive. It has no doctrine or scripture and belief system but it takes the best that each of the mentioned things has to offer. Spiritual science, including the study of people’s words, thoughts, deeds and the meditation practice as well, is an i

Where do you feel at home? Two weeks ago I sat in a plane and read an article in the Lufthansa Magazine (May 2013) about Bryan Adams, Rockstar and also a very good photographer. He said: I feel at home anywhere in the world.“ Born in Canada, he now lives in London with his partner and two daughters.

Is this life all I have? Where do we come from before we are born? Where do I go after I die?nnExplore why we are born to the families we are born to and our journey from the subtle regions of the Universe into the life on Earth plane.nnWhere are we before we are born?nAfter we die on Earth, we (i.e. our respective subtle bodies) go to one of the various subtle regions of the Universe depending on our spiritual level and our merits and sins. nnLife on the Earth region is of g

Another beautiful day on this great blue Earth, and more importantly, in the heart of the Beloved, as the mystic Rumi and Hafiz would probably say. When we really think about it...when we think about life and reality, it is easy for us to realize that we are actually living, moving and ...

The Soul is located throughout the entire body, except in the nails and in the hair. rnIf someone cuts our hair while we are asleep, we would not know it, because there is no Soul located in our hair. We do not feel any pain where there is no Soul. But in places where there is Soul, we would feel the prick of a pin right away. Due to the Presence of the Soul, We feel Pain in our Body. rnThe reason why one is given anesthesia during an operation (surgery) is to move the Soul a

Spirituality is the practice of living life from the divine power of the Universe, from the God-self or greater power than your human form alone. When you are living in-spirit (inspired) you begin to tap into the awesome power and limitless potential of all that is…the Universal power of Oneness.

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see.” — Alexandra K. Trenfor People who present themselves to others as spiritually evolved have enormous responsibility over many lives. They are usually in a position to be giving various practical advice and offer spiritual leadership, so if they are impostors, that could ruin the lives of their followers. And their lives also. Unfortunately, there are too many deceivers in this field today. The danger of misleading spiritual guidance

"You can do nothing that I can't do. I can do things that you can't do. Together we can do great things." Mother Teresa Horses have always been my favourite animals. As a little girl I dreamt at night about horses. There were always three of them together - a jet black one, a snowy white one and a golden one. The golden one was the most beautiful, the fastest and much better than the others. He carried me in my dreams with the wind over the hills into freedom.

Saw the movie Adjustment Bureau and liked it a lot! It made me think about all the times I forced myself to do something or accomplish something without my heart being truly in it. Like the many sales jobs I’ve had over the years and just didn’t believe in the product. It didn’t matter how much team building I did or how many product showcase events I attended, if I didn’t care, I just couldn’t sell it!r

Would you like to be able to experience more of what brings you joy in your life? Do you have unmet wants and desires that have left you feeling unfulfilled in some areas of your life? Were you taught that it is our desires that make us unhappy? Whoever taught us that desire is a bad thing was ...

From my experience while traveling the path of spiritual growth, I can confidently say that once you begin in earnest to seek a deeper understanding of yourself, as well as the nature of existence itself, it's impossible to turn back. The more you open your mind to new ideas and concepts, the more you will want to explore. There is no way around it; it actually gets into your blood.

What is the secret behind how the law of attraction works? nnIn the early years of the 20th century a lawyer, who wrote books under many different names — for reasons known only to himself — penned a book called Thought Vibration or The Law of Attraction in the Thought World. His real name? William Walker Atkinson.nnHe wrote that there is a “mighty law that draws to us the things we desire or fear; that makes or mars our lives.” Atkinson claimed &#8220

Life Throughout the past week I have been given many opportunities to contemplate this event we call “life.” It made me stop and realize just how many forms, meanings and expressions the word “life” encompasses on any given day. In one week’s time, I was called upon to attend a wake and help ...

Many are awakening to the light of a new day, the dawning of a higher realization, the illumination of advanced knowledge. Since much that was once considered metaphysics has, through science, entered the realm of physics; since much that was considered magic is now mundane; and since much that was believed impossible is now the ordinary; it is only natural to believe that such evolutionary processes will continue, perhaps at an exponentially accelerated rate. Throughout the

When the early Greeks went to the Oracle in Delphi to ask questions about life and the future, the Oracle often gave enigmatic answers. But behind all the answers was the ages old dictum, ‘Man, Know Thyself,’ for which the Oracle is remembered. All questions that we may have about life arise from one fundamental question: Who Am I? All problems begin with not knowing this answer. The answer changes with time and with changes in consciousness. Our joy comes from an insight into this question.

Words: 543 Keywords: Dreams, Happiness, Attitude, Faith, God, Believe, Goals Ten Steps To Happiness The first step is to decide what you really want. A lot of people spend their time chasing other people’s dreams. Do you know what you want out of life? Are you prepared to follow ...

I was in Pennsylvania last week just after their Democratic Party primary and the election issues were still red hot. It sort of got me looking at the political landscape a little more closely this past week. So, at the risk of being misunderstood, getting some angry at me and possibly ...

Nondual spiritual teachings suggest that there is no doer, that there is no separate self that is the source of our actions. This teaching is the source of much confusion, as it is contrary to our experience. It seems that there is a doer and that I am the doer: get up in the morning, walk the dog, and drive to work. How do these things happen if there is no doer? And if there is no doer, then what do I do? How do I live my life if there is no one here to live it? What do I d

Rav Shmelke commented on, “He looks in through the windows (Song of Songs 2:9).” A poorly dressed men wish to present a petition to the governor, but the doorkeeper refused to admit him. The petitioner then walked to a window of the room where the governor sat, and loudly begged for admittance. Likewise, our uncleanliness prevents our petitions from being heard by God; but if we open our hearts before offering our prayers, God will grant them entrance. (Shemen haTov, page

In spite of the distractions provided by the upcoming election; the threats to our environment, our economy, and our families still trouble me deeply. I am unsettled by the rise in groceries, fuel, heating costs, and unemployment. I worry about the welfare of my more vulnerable brothers and ...

MOST PEOPLE NEVER REALLY CHANGEnnSad, but true.nnSome people never even try.nnBut those of us who do – and I assume that you are in that group – often experience great frustration and disappointment as we encounter the same limitations over and over again.nnLife can start to seem downright repetitive.nnCREATING SOMETHING FROM NOTHINGnnWhy is it that in most cases your life keeps looking like some variation of whatever you’ve experienced before?nnThe answer is: because y

Col 3:23 - 24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Do all things for the glory of God. NO matter how small or how big it is, don't forget to work on it not just for your own sake but for God. What does this really mean? Serving God is not limited on being part of the ministry, being a preacher, being an evangelist etc. Serving God is about dedicating everything that you do for Him.

n The rainy season is almost over and I am happy that it is. Every-so-often, however, a rain-storm will come to remind us that it´s not quite finished. During the morning it is very warm now, but it is very cool at night—more cool tha I have experienced here. Many people who have ...