Spiritual Practice
We all know the way to get to Carnegie Hall (practice practice practice). How many days does it take to develop a new practice or habit? There is varying opinion on this but most say it it is somewhere between 18-254 days — with the average being 66 days. So if you want to get up early and meditate or do yoga on your lunch hour. It will take you 66 days of practicing this skill until it becomes a habit - second nature.
This is true for our spiritual practices too. These are the ways we walk our talk — we believe in peace how are we keeping peace in our homes and communities. We preach love and hope how do we practice that day after day. Our practices are the ways that we begin to live out our beliefs. The question is how can we live in a way that is informed and shaped by our beliefs? Our attempts at this are always strengthen by a community around that will encourage and practice with us. This need not necessarily be a congregation, or a temple or a mosque. Just others who will keep you on your path and encourage or even pick you up when you fall away.
Practice is a Journey - Not a Destination
Performance vs Spiritual Self
Beth
Nature as Sanctuary
Shinrin Yoku is Japanese for "Forest Bathing" - A gentle path to wellness accessible to almost everybody. Go to a Forest. Walk slowly. Breathe. Open all your senses. This is the healing way of Shinrin-yoku Forest Therapy, the medicine of simply being in the forest.
How Walking in Nature Changes the Brain
Results “strongly suggest that getting out into natural environments” could be an easy and almost immediate way to improve moods for city dwellers, Mr. Bratman said.
Nature Play Nurturing Children & Strengthening Conservation through Connections to the Land
Unstructured, frequent childhood play in informal outdoor settings powerfully boosts the cognitive, creative, physical, social and emotional development of children. It also engenders deep conservation values—more so than any other factor.
Mindfulness for Children
What Is Mindfulness, and Why Do Kids Need It? Children of all ages can benefit from mindfulness, the simple practice of bringing a gentle, accepting attitude to the present moment. From our earliest moments, mindfulness can help minimize anxiety and increase happiness.
Instead of Detention, These Students Get Meditation
"When we sit with pain or discomfort rather than act on it, we learn that feelings and sensations come and go. We don't necessarily need to act on them all. We have a chance to pause and make a thoughtful choice about how to respond."
Dr Lisa Miller recounts a very powerful story that gives testimony to the power of a faith that is practiced regularly and passed on from one generation to the next in her beautiful telling of “The Nod”.
Dr. Lisa Miller quotes a “well-known Sabbath prayer (114). “Days pass and the years vanish and we walk sightless among miracles.” Having the kind of sight and insight that we read of in “The Nod” comes from practice practice practice. There is never a better way to teach a child how to do something than to show them and let them watch you do it over and over and over again. “The Nod” is an example of just this.
The Spiritual Child: The New Science on Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving
by Lisa J Miller
Learn how to teach kids about spirituality, faith, hope and morality, even if you're a religious free agent.
"No matter what religion you practice, it is important to have a set of core values that you believe in and stick to. This world is such a crazy place to live in right now, our kids need some sort of moral compass to help them know right from wrong."
Mr. Rogers Had a Simple Set of Rules for Talking to Children
The TV legend possessed an extraordinary understanding of how kids make sense of language.
For the millions of adults who grew up watching him on public television, Fred Rogers represents the most important human values: respect, compassion, kindness, integrity, humility.
What are Spiritual Skills?
Bass, Dorothy C. (2009). Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People. John Wiley & Sons.
Wright, Wendy M. (2004). The Rising: Living the Mysteries of Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. (4th Ed.). Tennessee: Upper Room Books.
Butler Bass, Diana (2018). Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks. New York: HarperCollins.
Richter, Don C. (c2008). Mission Trips that Matter: Embodied Faith for the sake of the World. Tennessee: Upper Room Books.
Smith, Traci M. (c2017). Faithful Families: creating Sacred Moments at Home. (2nd Ed.). ChalicePress.
