Spirituality is very practical and there is nothing like daily life to remind us of that.

When my two boys became teenagers, I was reminded that living my spiritual values was not a lofty state to be experienced on a yoga mat, it was instead an extremely practical “lifestyle” choice. I’m sure I’m not the first mom who seemingly overnight, went from being the parent who was loved, and cherished to being viewed as annoying, embarrassing, and intrusive. When it happened to me, I was shocked, devastated, and experienced the pain of daily rejection. I also was reminded that my experience was my perception. I knew I could choose to use these difficult moments as points for my spiritual growth.

Spirituality As Daily Practice

I had been using my daily life as my spiritual practice for years. I knew it was my job to keep myself in a state of peace. Becoming aware of my emotions and choosing to shift them when I wasn’t peaceful was a huge tool I worked with daily. This took enormous effort and life provided many opportunities to perfect this practice even before teenage years became a reality in our home.

Whenever I experienced situations where my emotional state was challenged or disturbed, I had learned that responding from one of the many physical manifestations of my higher wisdom took me immediately back to neutrality. With great effort I would respond to angry drivers with the value of patience. I invoked tolerance for my negative neighbor who found fault in everyone, and I held myself in the frequency of appreciation when it was not expressed by those I loved. It was amazing how many times a day I noticed my irritation and judgment appear. As my awareness grew I realized that each judgment I held was yet another opportunity to practice shifting my state.

Emotions As Alarm Clocks

When I was in the grocery store, in a rush, I’d hit the express line and would always seem to end up behind the shopper with a basket full of items. I’d begin to judge them harshly and immediately feel my irritation start to build and my heart rate rise. I was creating the stressful feelings. But my emotional state was my alarm clock. As soon as I recognized that I was out of alignment with my spiritual values I’d ask myself, “What face of love can I deliver to this person and give to myself?”

I’d begin to actively bring compassion into my body remembering a time when I too had forgotten to read the sign and ended up in the wrong line with people growling behind me. I’d invoke understanding and remind myself that the person in front of me in their haste had simply made a mistake. My mood would start to shift, and I would take a long slow breath and return back to my neutral state. Truth be told, my humanity did not always enable me to respond to all from a loving place. In the times when I could not be kind to others, I’d give myself Grace. Kindness prevailed.

My habit of living my spiritual values was extremely practical. Over time, external chaos that once rocked my world, now briefly affected it. My emotional state was no longer at the mercy of others. I was able to move through the world with ease. This translated into rarely losing my energy to situations around me, increased good health, and the ability to easily manifest my desires. Very practical indeed!

Grad Level Appears

It’s been said that each time you reach a certain level of mastery in the spiritual realm, the ante is upped. When my sons became teenagers my graduate level began. A neutral state was constantly called for as my boys became sulking teens. Progressively, each son pulled away from me. I became seen as the invasive parent when I would ask about their thoughts, feelings or activities, so with great reluctance I chose to stop asking. I invoked trust and learned to give them space. Additionally, I brought in the energy of patience with every breath I took.

When I felt that I was receiving very little love or appreciation from them I continued to deliver those frequencies in spades to both of them. Over time, I learned that my loving my boys did not rely on me having to experience love from them. My feeling of being loved could be self-generated. Instead of walking around creating lots of negative energy and wounding others I used each experience in a positive way. As a result, awkward moments dissipated more quickly, irritations rarely festered into big events and teens became loving men who once again opened the doors and let me in!

A lecturer and author of two books, Selina Maitreya empowers her students through the teachings of Practical Spirituality, where students learn how to respond to their daily life from one of the many physical manifestations of love. Selina works with individuals and with groups, helping them to awaken and re-connect to their higher wisdom through their daily actions and choices. Selina has been interviewed on numerous radio programs and blogs. Her latest writings can be accessed on her website, in the new book Lifesparks, and at www.creationsmagazine.com. To learn more about Selina and Practical Spirituality go to: selinamaitreya.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/ PracticalSpiritualityWithSelina/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/selinamaitreya.