Harnessing the Power of Daily Spiritual Practices

Superconscious Meditation: An Appointment with the Divine

The first spiritual practice is daily superconscious meditation. Paramahansa Yogananda counseled devotees to “make a daily appointment with God and to keep it.” He was referring to the importance of daily superconscious meditation practice, yet this counsel can be supportive of remembering that every day is a day for being aware of the power and presence of God in and through our lives. It can be a guidepost for daily focus, a reminder to put God first. The contemporary sage, Baba Hari Dass, wrote: There are no holidays in yoga.

Meditate More Than You Read: The Essence of Learning

The second spiritual practice is to read and study spiritual teachings every day. Inspirational reading is encouraged because it lifts our thoughts, helps us focus on life’s higher purpose and goals, encourages right action consistent with our true nature, and provides insight into the transformation of consciousness that occurs with spiritual realization.

Rather than study more and more, however, Parmahansaji advises us to read “a little” and to “meditate more.” Meditate more than you read. This instruction is consistent with Patanjali’s observation that there is a distinction between realization and information. Sutra 1.49 states: The truth-bearing wisdom that results from samadhi is distinct from and beyond the knowledge obtained from books, testimony, or inference. Reading and studying is meant to inspire and elicit the revelation of inner knowledge, it is not intended to fortify the intellect with information. Read. But read and realize.

To realize, it is necessary to have direct experience of what we are contemplating, not just information about it. This is where meditation comes in and why it is even more important than study. Meditation is the vehicle for realizing our true Self. It is the method by which we experience what the sages tell us is possible. Without our own experience of the inner light of Self-awareness, what we study is only words. Words alone, while encouraging, ultimately cannot satisfy the heart’s desire for awakening.

Embracing God: A Conscious Daily Commitment

The third spiritual practice is to think of God all the time. “Thinking of God all the time” is the third practice that sews study and meditation together into a living tapestry of realization that includes every aspect of our lives. The teachings of yoga are expansive in their approach to how we think of God—whether we think of the one divine Reality as Spirit, or Life itself, or Father, or Mother or Friend—the key is to remember that we are never separate from That.

Maintaining Consistency in Spiritual Practice

Meditating for hours one day and not at all the next, or just practicing whenever we feel like it, will bring us face to face with inconsistency. If unsteadiness is allowed to prevail, we will trend toward more days of staying in bed than of diving into the ocean of divine bliss. The remedy for inconsistency is consistency. Sounds logical and easy enough! And it is. It is with support.

A simple formula for successful sadhana, or daily spiritual practice, was offered by Paramahansaji when he encouraged students to “Read a little, meditate more, and think of God all the time.” Like Goldilocks seeking out the right chair, we all have to find the balance of time spent in contemplation and action that is “just right” for us. Yoganandaji has given us the key: let your days be infused with the conscious awareness of God.

Realize the essence of what you study by meditating more than you read. With everything you do, with everyone you meet, let the searchlight of your mind keep returning to the awareness of the presence of God. These three best practices can help us banish the obstacle of unsteadiness and build strength in daily discipline.

By anchoring our lives in spiritual practices and maintaining a steadfast commitment, we open doors to a world where our inner light shines the brightest, guiding us on the path of Self- and God-realization.