​As you continue to develop your own spiritual practice, do you wonder if you should explore prayers or spiritual practices from other traditions?  
 
But then decide against it because you aren’t a part of that religion? 
 
I personally have found exploring other traditions to be enriching in my life.  If something speaks to you – a verse, a prayer, a sacred text – then I’d encourage you to go further with it.  There’s beauty and value in all of the wisdom traditions. 
 
Matthew Fox in his book, One River, Many Wells, speaks of no religion being the mother of the ocean, rather the ocean is mother of all things. Even though it may be hard for us to picture, our religions are recent in time, in comparison to the time that human beings have existed. 

​“Spirit is …. full of energy and free to choose its own path.”  M. Fox 
 
Our current times seem to be calling for a “deep ecumenism” which teaches us that every religious tradition is a path to the Divine.  It makes sense that we can best be of service to humanity when we respect other religious paths, but also when we explore and collaborate with our shared work of healing the world. 
 
One of my favorites practices from Hinduism is chanting mantras.  One I use regularly whenever I’m facing a challenge of some kind in my life is OM GAM GANESHAYA NAMAHA (ohm gung gah-nay-shah-yah nah-mah-hah). 
Ganesha is the name of the Hindu deity and represents the power that is present in everything, as the power behind all power. 
 
This mantra, translated, says, “Lord, God of hosts, I invoke you.”Or “Ganesha, through whose power everything is possible, no obstacle can stand in Your way.”This has been a great comfort and a support to me whenever I’ve faced obstacles in my life. 

Through exploring the sacred texts and spiritual practices of other traditions, you can experience the many gifts they offer and  ……..
 

• Come to know yourself more deeply, as you see your own reflection within another spiritual path.

 

• Begin to understand how those from other traditions know and experience the Divine.

 

• Expand and deepen your own practice, as one path doesn’t hold all that we may need in life.

 

• Cultivate peace and unity in the world through empathy and connection.

What speaks to you from other traditions?  What prayers or practices touch you or resonate with you? 
 
Thich Nhat Hanh says it beautifully with these words.  “When you touch someone who authentically represents a tradition, you not only touch his or her tradition, you also touch your own. Through the practice of deep looking and deep listening, we become free, able to see the beauty and values in our own and others’ tradition.”
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I encourage you to explore other wisdom traditions and find the nourishment that can be offered to you.  A single path doesn’t always contain all of the nutrients we need in life.  When we explore other traditions, our own spiritual practice is enriched and we bring healing and peace into the world.  
 
 
You can listen to an audio of the Ganesha mantra here LINKin my Free Healing Library where you will find many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice.  

Do you have a favorite prayer, mantra, or sacred text you like to read or say again and again? I know I have several.

​What I’ve discovered though is sometimes we can repeat them in a rote way, with very little attention to the deeper meaning or sacred quality of the words.  We fall into a pattern out of habit and in this habit, fall asleep a little. 
 
To break out of this in my spiritual practice, I like to work more consciously with a specific sacred text or prayer. One of my favorites is the Lord’s Prayer. 
 
I read or say it slowly – out loud.  Whenever my heart is touched, I stop at that place.  I let that word or phrase flow through my whole being and work its sacred power. 

​I don’t really try to think about it or intellectually understand it.  I let it wash over me as I stay present, aware, and in silence.
 
This is quite a powerful and potent experience!  If you’re seeking a way to deepen your spiritual practice, I recommend giving it a try.
 
You can use the Lord’s Prayer below or another sacred text. Here are the steps I suggest, but be sure to adjust them to meet your own needs! 
 

1. Read the passage or poem through to familiarize or reacquaint yourself. 
2. Read it a second time stopping at a word or phrase that speaks to you.
3. Hold that word or phrase in your mind, repeating it, as needed.  Be present and attentive to each sound and word as you speak it in your mind. 
4. Let go of the word or phrase and open an empty space in your mind in silence.
5. Hold this sacred space and see what insights, images, or messages may come to you.
6. Repeat this exercise several times with the same word or phrase. 

 
Explore these steps with different sacred texts and discover the depth and sacredness in each.  

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen
 
 
Check out the many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here.

​Some picture prayer as a religious act where you bend down on your knees and fold your hands and talk to God, often putting forward requests. 
 
Others may reach out in prayer to God when life’s path is difficult.  A desperate plea for help in a challenging time.  

How about you? How do you think of prayer?  When do you use prayer?
 
Consider for a moment that prayer is the divine within you reaching out to the Divine in the Universe, saying that I’m willing to be helped with this right now. The meaning of this request actually comes more from the feeling and intention within, rather than the words stated.
 
Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.  Mahatma Gandhi

Of course, we remember that life’s journey is filled with bumpy spots and twists and turns in the road. Many of these may have a deeper purpose for our lives or may be a lesson in our greater journey, even if unknown to us at the time. 

​And in the request for support from the spiritual world, we accept that Divine will and Divine time may unfold in a different way than what we realize in the moment.
 
So, we ask for help and then need to surrender to see what unfolds – being open to what comes.
 
In this surrender, we truly seek wisdom about what needs to be accepted or changed in this situation. We ask for guidance, the wisdom to understand, and the courage to follow through with the next steps in our own lives.  

Here are 7 steps to help you bring meaningful prayers into your life.
 

1. Be grateful for the many blessings you have.
2. Create calm, peaceful surroundings, as much as you are able to, with a relaxed way of being.
3. If you desire spiritual support for a situation, turn inward and explore where this desire or intention lives within you and why.
4. Once you understand, be clear, calm, and focused on the request or intention that you have in your prayer.
5. Follow-through and persevere in your desire or intention, acting with purpose in your daily life. Release any stress, rigidity, and need to control.
6. Accept what is and be open to what may come, even in new forms.
7. Contemplate what obstacles may be interfering at this time.

 
 
When we enjoy the moment of our prayers being answered, we experience our intentions manifesting into reality and there’s a total clarity of our True Self aligning with the Divine in the universe in our life’s path. 
 
Don’t forget to check out the many resources available for FREE in my Free Healing Library here.
 
 

I’ve been enjoying the blossoming flowers and singing birds here in Colorado as spring comes to life all around me. I hope you’re taking radical care of your self this season!  Now’s a great time to focus on your own health and well-being. 

“An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly.” – Unknown
 
Here are a few helpful reminders of what I’ve shared over the last weeks in my Radical Self-Care series.  Discover which one may nurture you the most at this time. 

1. Break Free from Fear
It’s so easy today to let fear overwhelm us. If you pause and focus on what could make you anxious and fearful, there, most likely, will be a long list. 
 
Fear of not having enough – enough food, shelter, or basic needs.  Or fear of getting older and not doing all you had dreamed of doing in your life. 
Fear is a part of being human and probably has been with us since the beginning of time.  And yet we’re in charge of how we work with our own fear, how we let it paralyze or overwhelm us or how we may dissolve it.  Our external circumstances don’t actually have control over our fear.  We do!
 
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do." – Eleanor Roosevelt  
 
Explore more tips about Breaking Free from Fear here. 

2. Unlock the Hidden Treasure of Your Inner Power
When your inner well’s full, you begin to develop a certain steadiness in life. You’re guided and strengthened from within, rather than dependent on external influences. This gives you even more strength for all that comes your way in life.  You’ll become more present and fully experience all of life. And a sense of peace and calm will arise, as you begin to see the bigger purpose and meaning of your life.
Here are a few tips for filling your inner well, giving you the key to unlocking the hidden treasure of your own inner power.  

 

3. Awaken your Heart to Compassion
If you ever feel overwhelmed by the suffering you see in the world, or even experience in your own life, awakening your heart forces is a key. When we open our heart through our spiritual practices, then we become active in transforming suffering.
 
If our heart is closed, we can feel isolated or disconnected from the rest of the world. Maybe even overwhelmed by all of the suffering we see and experience. 
 
In awakening your heart to compassion, not only is it helpful for the person suffering, but it can bring you to a place of peace and love.
 
 
Curious about a few practices to help you find compassion within your heart, for yourself and others? Check out my favorite ones here.  

4. Cultivate the Art of Authentic Communication Finding your voice and authentically expressing yourself isn’t always easy to accomplish. Sometimes it’s easier to simply say what the other person wants to hear or is able to hear in that moment, instead of speaking your truth.
 
Speaking your truth doesn’t mean you can say whatever comes to your mind, even if it’s hurtful or unkind. Speaking your truth, when it arises from your spiritual essence will be clear, yet compassionate. 
 
True active listening isn’t always easy either.  It includes giving the other person your full attention, with focus and presence – holding a space for all that needs to be shared. And even allowing a pause for what’s being shared to live in the space for a moment before responding. 
 
Discover more HERE about how to cultivate the art of communication in your daily life through

• finding your authentic voice.
• speaking your truth with integrity, clarity, and compassion.
• actively listening to another with care and focus. ​

5. Be Open to a New Perspective
How often are we stuck in our own view and maybe even with blinders on?  But if we take just a moment to step out of it and see in a different way, what a gift it can be in our relationships, our interactions, and even in our own inner development!
 
Take a moment right now and think of someone in your life.  Picture yourself as that person – what it’s like to wake up in the morning as that person, go about the day in their activities, to interact with others. Now imagine you, as this person, encountering something that bothers you.  Why is it upsetting?  What lives behind the emotion?  How do you see the situation?
 
Step out of the view of the other person and come back to yourself.  What did you learn from that experience?  Were you able to see life from their perspective? How do you see that person now? The issues they are encountering in life? Is it different in any way from how you viewed it before? 

6. Simple, yet Profound, Ways to Connect to Divine Healing Energy
​The challenges that we experience in the world may seem to always be present.  We can get caught up in the regular surprises that appear to threaten our well-being in this world which can be frightening and unsettling. 
 
Especially now, in this time, it’s vital for our own health and the health of the world that we bring conscious practices into our lives regularly.
 
Here are 4 simple, yet profound, ways to bring a daily practice into your life that makes a difference in your health and well-being.

• Gratitude
• Time in Nature
• Breathe
• Being in the Present Moment ​

Explore more on each practice for connecting to Divine Healing Energy HERE. 
 
I do hope you are finding ways to nurture yourself with Radical Self Care this spring! 
 
And don’t forget to check out the many more resources for FREE in my Free Healing Library.
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