Being Honest Is The Ultimate Trait Towards Spiritual Growth
For many people it has seemed a long time coming, but there does seem to be a shift in the culture in general that is helping people to see how practices, such as meditation and yoga, can be beneficial in a person’s journey of spiritual growth and understanding. At the same time, sometimes it is the simplest things that people overlook on that journey and being completely honest with oneself while trying to move toward spiritual development is one of those simple things that is also essential.
Everyone knows that honesty is a good and valuable characteristic to cultivate, but it is not as often recognized as a necessity when seeking out spiritual growth. However, as most people move along through their spiritual journey, most people start to really discover the significance and importance of honesty as it relates to their quest. There are four primary areas where honesty comes into play most significantly.
The first of these four areas is a willingness to face weakness. In the quest to enjoy spiritual growth, the person has to be able to look at his own faults and frailties with complete honestly. There is no one who is without human weaknesses, but if a person cannot see and acknowledge their own shortcomings, then that can be a serious deterrent to spiritual development. It is common to use justification or just refuse to acknowledge the flaws, but this simply curtails the ability to change.
Secondly, honesty is needed in facing up to the realities of your life. You need to be completely honest about the state of affairs of every aspect of your life. Stop clinging to the image that you want to present to the rest of the world, and begin to embrace the true state of your life and your relationships. The problem with clinging to the image, which is most likely “perfect,” is that it gets in the way of being able to make real, lasting and significant changes that can lead to real happiness, rather than just an illusion of it. With honesty, one can look at the real truth and then have a realistic place to begin to improve.
Thirdly, honesty is needed to help people eliminate fake personalities, which must be eschewed in order to enjoy true spiritual enlightenment and growth. Most people put an enormous amount of energy, thought, and anxiety into creating and then maintaining completely false portrayals of themselves. They become more like characters acting in a play than real people engaged in real life. In order to have any hope of enjoying true spiritual healing and development, a person must peel away these false personas and be sincere and forthright beings.
The fourth way that honesty plays a role in the spiritual journey is through the use of meditation techniques. When a person begins a session of meditation, they should be aware their flow of thoughts. For most people who are just learning to master their minds through meditation, they will discover thoughts that are filled with false reasoning and justifications. The best way to begin to control this flow of thoughts is to deal with them in an honest and forthright manner, then setting them aside and allowing the more centered and real thoughts to come to the surface.
As you continue on your path of spiritual growth and development it will be helpful to always keep these for aspects of honesty in mind and review your progress with them. As you do, you will enjoy moving to higher levels and stages of spiritual development, which will lead you toward your true spiritual life.
Meditation Techniques Advantageous
Many times people will catch snippets of conversation about meditating or hear something about it in the media. But, in many cases, the public in general is not quite sure exactly what meditation practice is and how it might be beneficial in their lives. Often what people think of when they hear someone mention meditation is a group of monks sequestered in a far away monastery. However, these days, it is being practiced more and more among people from all walks of life.
While it is true that the practice of meditation has strong and deep connections to many Eastern cultures and religions, it is also a fact that meditation has been practiced around the world by a wide variety of people of many beliefs. While meditating is something that has been done for thousands and thousands of years in these other areas, it has only been in the last few decades that it has become better known, understood and practiced in the Western world.
Meditation is a practice that anyone, from any walk of life or background, can utilize. It has been very effective in helping people to reduce stress and anxiety, and cope with problems and issues in their daily lives, from simply enjoying a more relaxed and calm day to dealing with a medical crisis.
There are a number of different approaches to the subject of meditation, but they all center on the same basic principles. The first thing people need to do when learning how to meditate is to quiet the mind of the clutter and chatter that is so common in today’s life, and increase mindfulness of things that can calm and relax.
Some of the more common ways to meditate that are among the most recognized, are prayer, transcendental meditations, mindfulness meditations, Zen meditations, Taoist meditations, and Buddhist meditations. Some of these meditation techniques require that the body be kept absolutely still, while others incorporate deliberate and controlled movements.
Regardless of the method of meditating, the process leads to a deeper contemplation and reflection of whatever is going on in one’s life, helping to bring those things that are most important to the surface. In this way, meditating can help to open the way for spiritual development and spiritual enlightenment because it is an effective way of allowing the mind to focus on the inner aspects of life and tune out the distractions of daily tasks and demands.
There are a number of different healing benefits that have been reported throughout the years. The benefits are most often seen by those who choose to make meditating a regular practice that is incorporated into their daily lives. Many have reported that their meditations have brought about healing in the physical body, the spirit, the emotions and the mind.
A few of the most commonly reported health benefits from meditation include the reduction of blood pressure levels, a lower resting heart rate, better circulation and oxygenation, better breathing and improved sleep patterns. Many people have also said that they feel more energetic, and that people comment to them that their skin and overall appearance seems younger.
Hatha Yoga - The Most Popular Version Of Yoga
There are many forms of yoga these days, but the predominant religious and exercise movement is known as Hatha yoga, a style that attracts roughly 30 million Americans. In the most basic sense of the term, this style focuses on posture and breathing as a way of attaining spiritual enlightenment.
Hatha yoga (pronounced “ha-tuh”) literally translates to “sun-moon,” referring to the two different energy channels within the body. Most Americans know yoga as the combination of breathing techniques and posturing, but in traditional Indian religion, it is one of the paths that leads to Raja Yoga (or the “contemplation of One Reality.”) The practice of this yogic form was widely spread by 15th Century Indian sage Swami Swatamarama and was designed to assist individuals in finding and unblocking internal chakras (or energy centers). Through true understanding and meditation, it was believed that disease and disorders could be prevented and treated in this way.
The first step is the practicing of the different asanas (poises) to help the mind and body align with one another and open the inner channels of communication. By finding the right posture, one can remain comfortable for long periods of time while meditating. Secondly, proper breathing techniques (sometimes referred to as “pranayama”) are taught. Next, some students may choose to delve more deeply into the philosophical roots. Yoga instructor David Williams (from Hawaii) once noted, “Before you’ve practiced, the theory is useless. After you’ve practiced, the theory is obvious.”
The end result of practicing this style of yoga is markedly noticed almost immediately. Suddenly you can stretch a bit further and touch those toes. You’re not huffing and puffing carrying laundry up to the top floor of the house anymore. Your bowel movements are even more regular than usual and you find that stomach aches and head aches rarely occur these days. Your abdomen, legs and gluteus are looking more defined too. When you’re at work and start to feel stressed, you take a deep breath and reconnect with the relaxation techniques you learned in class, although the anxiety rarely reaches you on a physical level anymore. Your energy levels are revitalized, your hormones are balanced and a calm sense of euphoria and appreciation for each day takes root in your soul. Life is good, thanks to Hatha yoga, a practice that goes back thousands of years to some infinite source of knowledge the West generally seemed to have overlooked.
While many of us wish we had the discipline to properly perform Hatha yoga at home with a DVD, it’s simply not feasible — in the truest sense. Attending yoga class is a bit like attending church on Sundays, in that it gives us that set-aside time to focus, meditate, appreciate and reflect. Much like a priest, the yoga instructor brings an atmosphere of supreme holiness and quietude, while helping you sense your weaknesses and align yourself correctly in tune with your core being. Yoga is not something you can do half-heartedly or skimp out on. Instead, it requires full attentiveness and studiousness. Even if your end goal is purely fitness-oriented, take the time to appreciate this ancient Indian practice and learn the right way. You just may be surprised by what you learn about yourself!
There are many different forms of Yoga that people around the world practice. Some use it primarily for its low-impact workout whereas others love the feel of meditation and concentration required in some of the many poses. Yoga is a great way for those suffering from injury or unused to a cardiovascular workout to begin their path to becoming physically and mentally fit. Exercise is an important part of our daily lives and the added benefit of learning relaxation techniques is enough to entice anyone onto a mat. Find your relaxation and work out by clicking here for more information: Yoga Clothing and at Yoga Apparel also at Yoga Positions
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