Personal Spiritual Practice

Transcription

1 COACHES BEWARE It is very easy to step on other people s toes in the arena of Spirituality and Religion!!! You must know who you are to teach others. Your religion must not influence your teaching, only your Faith. Do No Harm! The teaching is for the students, not the teacher. Many books, classes and seminars on Spirituality fall apart because they ask you to believe in someone else's way of doing things. When I found the following quote by T.K.V. Desikachar, an internationally known yoga teacher, I knew there was hope for me. He said: "The Indian traditions of meditation may be unsuitable for Westerners. The practice should be harmonious with one's own culture, tradition and mental disposition." Desikachar s words were good news to me, and helped me understand that I did not have to become a Hindu or a Buddhist or a yogi to learn to relax, meditate or find God. Neither do you. What I discovered is that what makes me feel content also helps me to relax. In other words, you must find out exactly what helps you relax through your own experience. This is the only way to find a solution that will become part of your lifestyle and not just something you try for a week or so. Coaches, you must find what works for your clients and what they are willing to do. Why have a personal spiritual practice and why teach it to your clients? 1/12/2007 Page 1 of 6 Fred Miller Copyright 2006

2 Spirituality is the deepest path to stress relief & management, relaxation and meditation. We are more likely to stick with something that is significant to us than simple relaxation techniques. Moreover, a personal spiritual practice is ultimately where we are all headed. Sooner or later, the human heart begins a spiritual quest for connection to God and all other living creatures. Our souls seek to make a connection to that which is larger than us in the universe or a Higher Power. It may begin in church but will continue with personal prayer, meditation, service to others (coaches) - to develop a compassionate way of being in the world and interacting with our fellow human beings. A personal spiritual practice provides the courage and faith to persevere on our journey. We learn to improve the day-to-day quality of our life and tools to link us with our own Higher Power. This is a seminar to assist you to begin or enhance your personal spiritual practice. You will conceive your own affirmations, prayers and mantras and create an altar or shrine for your home. All of the elements you use will be drawn from your own spiritual beliefs. You will come away with a short, personal and unique practice that suits your needs. Attitude / Thankfulness I ve found that being happy does not necessarily make me thankful, but whenever I remind myself how thankful I am for all of the blessings in my life it always makes me happy. A good state of mind is a good attitude. Our attitude often determines the quality of our life. If we cultivate an appreciation and thankfulness for the 1/12/2007 Page 2 of 6 Fred Miller Copyright 2006

3 blessings in our life, we begin to feel fortunate, even wealthy. In addition, it induces genuine health and a vibrant immune system. Here is an exercise that helps me to be Thankful. For a minute or two each day sit quietly and reflect -- not on what you think is missing from your life, -- but on the blessings in your life. Allow yourself to bask in the light of appreciation and thankfulness for the gifts you have been given. Personal Spiritual Practice - Why? When we find our purpose in life, the What is it I m suppose to be doing, and follow that path is when happiness flows to us. Along with money, we gain job or career satisfaction, home life satisfaction, and spiritual life satisfaction. However, if we chase only money often it eludes us or is a hollow achievement. When asked by an interviewer who he preferred having as patients, the wealthy or the indigent, Carl Jung replied the wealthy. The reporter was expecting an altruistic answer. Not getting it, he asked why. Jung replied he preferred counseling people with money because they already knew that money alone wouldn t make them happy. Half my work is done, he added. In his best-selling book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill asks his readers to make a list of the 10 most important things in life. Then he tells us the consensus of what the richest people in the world had on their lists both before and after they were wealthy. Good Health and Peace of Mind were at the top of the lists. Money was at the bottom of each list. Personal Spiritual Practice - How First, look at the family into which you were born. What is your spiritual inheritance? There are two good reasons to explore the religion of your youth. 1/12/2007 Page 3 of 6 Fred Miller Copyright 2006

4 One, it is part of who you are, culturally and genetically. Whether you embrace it or recoil from it, it is in your blood and your DNA. Moreover, if you explore deeply enough, you may or may not find that the core teachings are exactly what you are looking for. In your investigations, you can uncover the original teachings of the Master and separate them from the influence of centuries of personalities and politics; remember that the Buddha was not a Buddhist and Christ was not a Christian. The second reason relates to an ancient saying: You cannot inhale until you have exhaled completely. Therefore, if you are carrying resentment and animosity toward a religious institution you may need to deeply explore it, to see beyond the human frailties of the institution to forgive it. Forgiveness will allow you to have a clean slate with an open mind, in order to move forward in your spiritual quest, either deeper into the path of your parents and grandparents or to strike out on your own path. In some of the major religions are found treasures core teachings and tenets of meditation. Even though we may not have heard about these teachings in the weekly services, they are the foundation of many religious practices: the Sufis in Islam, Kabbalah scholars of Judaism, and the mystics of the Christian tradition. You may be able to go home again. Imagine you have inherited a piece of land from your ancestors. There is a foundation and a structure on the land. Appreciative inquiry. Case Study. Bob s Story. Do you pray? What was the religion of your youth? Kim I pray, I do not believe in God, but I pray. Create an Alter or Shrine. 1/12/2007 Page 4 of 6 Fred Miller Copyright 2006

5 Questions to ask yourself and your clients. What Do You Have That You Can Pass On? To your children, your spouse, or the people you mentor? Your own fear or your faith? The ability to pray for help? Emerson said, What you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear a word you are saying. What kind of behavior do you model for the world to see? What will be your legacy? What would you like to see as your epitaph? What are your highest priorities in your life? If I ask you to get out your Day Planner and your checkbook, would they reflect that you spend your time and your money on your highest priorities? Appreciative inquiry Find a way in. Case Study Chris Story on June 04 recording, part 2. No religious education. Where do you see God? In the smile of my 8-year-old daughter. Chris prayer/mantra - God, help me to be the man my daughter thinks I am. Mary music coordinator for TV shows - Look and Feel Ten Years Younger Live Ten Years Longer (May 06). Orthodox Woman. Reason for Prayer, affirmations and mantra. 1/12/2007 Page 5 of 6 Fred Miller Copyright 2006

6 Tibetan Book of Living & Dying. Oh Shit or Oh God? It s better to believe in God and be wrong - than Not to believe in God and be Wrong. Hegel When asked by Bill Moyers if he believed in God, Joseph Campbell replied, I don t need to believe in God, I have experience of God. Civilized People believe they are ascended from apes. Native (aboriginal) People KNOW that they are descendants of God. HUMANISM Faith in the Human Condition A doctrine, attitude or way of life centered on human interests or values. A philosophy that asserts the dignity and worth of man and his capacity for self-realization through reason and that often rejects supernaturalism. 1/12/2007 Page 6 of 6 Fred Miller Copyright 2006