When and how do you nurture your spirit? Do you have a specific spiritual practice that you follow on a consistent basis? Personally; I know the value of connecting with my spirit on a regular basis and yet for some reason, I find this to be more challenging during the summer months. Between vacations, kids being out of school and a more relaxed work schedule, I find it a challenge to maintain the spiritual practices that are practically second nature to me during the rest of the year.
I was lamenting about all of this one day, to a friend of mine (who also happens to be a pastor) when he reminded me that being spiritual is about so much more than just going to church and that summertime offers an abundance of opportunities to practice my spirituality in ways that might not be so easy during other times of the year. He gave me a few quick suggestions (which I am passing along to you) and then from his suggestions, I came up with some additional ways to experience a deeper spiritual connection during the long, hot days of summer.
If you’d like to connect with your spirit in a more meaningful and consistent manner this summer, give a few of these powerful practices a try…
Summertime Spirituality
1.) Walk it out. During the warm months of summer, it is much easier to spend time outdoors because the weather is more cooperative than at other times of the year. This means that we can easily add outdoor activities such as walking to our daily routine. We all know that walking has numerous physical health benefits (click here for a great post on the health benefits of walking and suggestions on how to incorporate walking into your fitness routine) but did you know that walking can be a great spiritual practice as well?
In his book, The Practice of the Wild, Gary Snyder writes that “walking is the exact balance between spirit and humility”. The practice of spirit walking is one that has been around for centuries and has roots in many different cultures including Native American and Zen Buddhist traditions.
While fitness walking is used as a method for increasing one’s physical well being, spirit walking is more of a meditative process with an emphasis on spiritual connection. In the book, Backbone: The Modern Man’s Ultimate Guide to Purpose, Passion & Power, author David Wagner says this about spirit walking…
“It’s a kind of walking meditation. It’s a more deliberate spiritual practice…I like to spirit walk in nature, on the beach or in the woods or desert…When I do it, I keep my eyes in soft focus, taking in everything around me. All of my senses are wide open and I’m aware of my body and my breathing. I take time to notice everything, feel the energy where I’m walking, smell the air, absorb the power of the natural place. “
To try a spirit walk of your own, simply choose a location for your walk, put away your phone, clear your head, connect to your spirit and walk. There is nothing difficult or complicated about the practice and yet, even in its simplicity, it can have a profound spiritual impact.
2.) Savor a sunset. Few sights in nature can rival the splendor of a sunset and summertime is the perfect time to revel in their beauty. Add a spiritual element to your sunset viewing by seeing it as a symbolic transition from one state to another. As the day slips away into night, take a few moments to contemplate the transitions within your own life. How are you transforming as a person? What phases of your life are being put to bed or have run their course? As the sunset ushers in the night, and cools the heat of the day, spend some time pondering the notion of rest (both physical and spiritual) and the restorative role that it plays in your life. Let go of the cares of the day and let the solitude and and quiet of the night bring a calming and peaceful end to your day.
3.) Experience growth in your garden. There is something healing in the act of getting your hands dirty and working with the earth. In fact, in the book Creating Eden: The Garden as a Healing Space, author Marilyn Barrett writes “Although weeding, cutting back and transplanting are activities that may seem repetitive and never-ending, when seen as a necessary and integral part of the overall unfolding of the garden scheme, they become purposeful rather than boring. In fact, what may appear on the surface to be tedious physical work may, in the actual doing, be spiritually liberating. In taking time to contemplate the small–in observing the details of our gardens–we can experience life on a manageable scale.” By viewing garden tending as a spiritual practice and approaching it with the deliberate intention of connecting with the earth and nurturing growth, we can find a sense of connection and growth within our own spirits.
4.) Be still. For many of us, summer brings with it a more relaxed schedule. No more shuttling the kids to and from school, no more evenings filled with football practice and homework, no more figuring out how to be three different places at once. The days are longer and less structured which allows for moments of stillness. Whether you take a few moments to go stand on your back porch at night to look at the stars or find a park bench to park yourself on as you watch a family of ducks paddle on a pond, use these moments of stillness as a time to center yourself, focus on your breathing and connect with your spirit. Don’t let your mind run wild and don’t worry about the length of your to-do list. Just breathe, release your cares and give thanks for the present moment.
5.) Let mother nature teach you a thing or two. We could all learn a lot from nature if we would just take the time to absorb and appreciate its lessons. For example, we can learn the power of persistence by observing the way in which a stream carves through hard rock over time or we can witness the power of attraction in action as we see a flower attract a bee simply by doing what flowers do and blooming (no stressing, dieting, Facebook stalking etc., just blooming) We can observe the seasons and come to understand that we too experience seasons of life and that nothing is ever stagnate. We can learn the value of strong roots and flexible branches as we watch a tree weather a summer thunderstorm. So many lessons are offered to us everyday and yet we get too wrapped up in our “busyness” to notice them. Now that it is summertime, take a few minutes every day to enjoy the beauty and serenity of nature while also allowing it to teach you valuable spiritual lessons.
6.) Gain some perspective. In today’s selfie obsessed culture, it is easy to gain an over-inflated sense of self importance. We feel like everything depends upon us and that we are failures if one tiny aspect of our life doesn’t go as planned. We mistakenly start to feel as though the universe revolves around us and that the world somehow owes us something. I don’t say all of this in judgement because I too am guilty of buying into this “selfie syndrome”. Fortunately, warm summer nights offer us the perfect remedy to this overblown sense of ego. All we have to do is go outside on a clear summer night and look up at the stars in the sky. Nothing can give a sense of humility faster than gazing at the vastness of the universe and realizing just how small we are in the grand scheme of things. This isn’t to say that we are worthless–we most definitely are not. It does however give us some perspective on just how trivial so many of our problems are. I love to look at the stars on clear nights but there are other ways to experience the grandeur of the natural world. In the book Talking on the Water, Roger Payne says “whales and redwoods both make us feel small and I think that’s an important experience for humans to have at the hands of nature…We need to recognize that we are not the stars of the show…we’re just one species among millions more.” I especially love the spiritual aspect of star gazing because not only does it instill a sense of humility; it also fosters a sense of connection with every other element in nature. We may be small, but we all have a role to play and we all fit into the larger cosmic puzzle.
7.) Float. My degree is in English so I am a bit of a poetry geek. There is a poem called “The Avowal” by Denise Levertov that I just love. In the poem, the writer makes a connection between floating in the water with one’s face looking skyward to being held up by the Creator’s surrounding grace. The next time you get a chance, try spending a little time floating around in a pool, lake, pond or ocean (you can either do this by just floating on your back or feel free to use an inflatable pool lounger or–my personal favorite–a paddle board) and as you do so, reflect upon the many ways in which the universe is uplifting and supporting you. Don’t struggle, don’t splash–just float. Let the water hold you up as you feel the buoyancy of the support and grace that surrounds you.
These seven suggestions are just ideas to help prime the pump because in truth, nearly every activity that we participate in can take on a spiritual context if we allow it. Enjoy your summer activities with friends and family but don’t forget to nourish your own spiritual development in the process.
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