As I exit my bath, and touch my body as I dry off, I give thanks for every part. I give thanks for my brain and its ability to create more building blocks for my immune system so that I can fend off bacteria, viruses and parasites on all levels:the causal level, the astral level, and the physical level. I give thanks for the many skills, talents and blessings that have so generously been bestowed upon me.
Finally, in my bath, I roll over onto my belly for a gentle backbend in the warm water as I say allowed three formal Sufi prayers. I encourage you to also find formal prayers that work for you.
The Saum, Salat and Khatum invoke all possible Helpers from each of the spiritual paths in a broad and inclusive way.The prayers you choose will reflect your spiritual connection in a way that is right for you. Gentle backbending opens the heart, so that it is what is praying.
Next in my daily practices, I use a Netti pot to irrigate my sinuses. I boil the water the night before, and keep it in a thermos. I decant the hot water and mix it with a little bit of non-iodized salt. When it’s slightly warm on my wrist and slightly salty to taste, I am ready to irrigate my sinuses.
I silently say the Lady’s prayer as I pour the water in my right nostril and the water exits through my left nostril. When I reverse the direction, I silently say my own revision of the Lady’s prayer, which is heartfelt and personal. I encourage you to utilize your own prayers, both formal and of your own composing.
Yes, even as I brush my teeth, I practice consciousness. Recognizing that the teeth contain a map to the rest of the body, it helps to slow down and spend some time brushing, flossing, and also tongue scraping. I do so utilizing the Lady’s prayer six times in six different sections of my mouth with my electric toothbrush, using one hand for three sections and my other hand for the other three sections. Adding habits that are supportive to habits that are already established allows me too anchor daily flossing with prayer to my already established toothbrushing practice. And I’ve added to that tongue scraping, with the following brief prayer. “My thoughts are one with my words and my words are one of my heart”. I say it three times as I massage, milk and scrape my tongue.
In addition to the Lord’s prayer revisited, I have learned the Jesus prayer from the original Aramaic. I use my fingers to stimulate points on my face as I recite this renewed prayer.
There are 26 points on the face, which I stimulate. There are many systems, any which you are willing to work with are welcome. As are any of the formal prayers, which you may revisit and renew in your own way...
When we learn memorized formal prayers, it facilitates the likelihood that when we are in challenge, we may find a way to spontaneous prayer. Like many, I was educated with memorization of the Lord’s Prayer and the Lady’s Prayer.The formal prayers I learned, I have relearned a new.
Each line in the Lords prayer is associated with a particular chakra, or energy center. When I get into the bath, with my crystals programmed, and my supplies around me, I begin singing my renewed version, which is translated directly from the Aramaic language, as I wash my body, each chakra with its particular line.
On my altar, I have other tools such as daily readings. I’ve been working with A Course in Miracles for over 30 years. Daily reading one lesson at a time, is a great way to anchor that awareness into our daily lives. ACIM redefines several Christian terms for modern application. You may, of course, have your own favorites, which you will be enjoying reading.
I also have little icons of Saints and Deities from a variety of beliefs systems. They love the tea and the incense I offer to them. I am honor the saint of the day, some of whom I have blogged about here.
Meanwhile, I run a bath into which I use several crystals, which I have cleansed and programmed for amplifying the next rituals that I will be sharing. You may wish to prepare some for our next practices.
After journaling, I use my writing as an opportunity to pray and to cast a spell on my day. Formal prayer includes five parts: gratitude, repentance, petition, invocation, and communion.
Sifting through the material I have processed in my free writing in the journal style, I am able to find my way through this process. We are so blessed, that when we focus on gratitude, we start to shift our focus into that which is most uplifting.
Recognizing my own shortcomings, I repent for them, as I seek to improve myself daily.
I then ask for my needs to be met, petitioning the support that is surrounding us all. I invoke the divine Helpers. And then I sit in the state of communion with them, envisioning my prayers being met completely.
I take what I’ve written and place it on my altar by the candle that has been lit. I offer four little cups of tea to my Helpers.And light incense for them, as an offering.
After all of those former practices, I settle into journal writing. I started writing in my diary as a kid. it has long been a natural place for my reflection. I do so without concerns for grammar, spelling, or syntax. Initially, I wrote three pages daily. Now, I am up to six.
It’s important this writing occur in confidentiality in privacy. It is it’s own practice, and could be exclusively what is practiced on a daily basis.
My next practice involves 108 circles around each breast. From the outer chest toward the inner, first down on the outside and then up on the inside, with both hands working simultaneously, This practice increases the sharing of unconditional love from the heart chakra.
When we are in need of the experience of unconditional love, instead we could reverse the direction of the circles. From the outside of the chest to the inside, first up on the outside and then down on the inside, with both hands working simultaneously, circle 108 times.