by Sally Comfort
How I care for my Spiritual Health:
That is the question Charlene put to me and asked if I
would write about it for the newsletter. Big
challenge, scary challenge, and one that won't let me
go!
So I decided I would just write how I
manage my day. That at least would be easy and
might answer the question. I have turned into an
early riser in my old age, so I am up around 6 or
earlier.
After breakfast and a few wake-up
physical exercises, I write three pages in a notebook.
I started doing this after a class I took from Judith
Bardsley. I am not certain why I continue to do
it, except it starts my day. This is not a journal
of happenings, but just whatever comes into my mind as I
write.
After that I practice piano.
Doesn't sound like Spiritual practice, but it nurtures
my soul, and that must count! I love making noise
with my piano.
Then I walk with my dog.
Starting out on the walk, I sing,
Sophia, renew my soul
Fill me with your spirit
And make me whole.
As I walk I listen for the spirit in
the trees. Which brings the trees into view.
Trees are just trees. They are silent and always
trees. I remind myself that is all I have to be,
just myself, Sally.
First after singing I call on the four
directions for their blessing and my honoring of them.
This I learned from our former Reverend, Robin Reed.
I see the street sign on the corner.
This is a reminder to be aware how joyous my life is and
can be. And filled with that joy, I hope, I begin
my prayer list. I have this list named on my
fingers and have run out of fingers by the time I am
done.
All the time this is going on, I am
watching my faithful companion, Eldon. He is never
far from my side except to explore some new smell that
only he can detect, and I prefer him close due to the
traffic. I must say here that my dog and, for that
matter, my cat feed my soul.
I always have a good book on hand to
read. I bribe myself with reading so that I get my
house cleaned -- half hour reading, half hour cleaning!
Sometime during the day, I will
meditate. I have been meditating for about 25
years. I learned Transcendental Meditation to help
with the stress of my job at the Welfare Office. I
don't say I have been faithful through the years, but I
do it now. Sometimes I go to sleep meditating.
The meditation gurus don't approve of going to sleep.
They recommend putting yourself into uncomfortable
positions to keep awake. I don't buy that.
If I fall asleep, I think I must need to sleep.
Because of my difficulty in keeping up
this practice, I was glad when Reverend Thresher started
a meditation group. That is a wonderful experience
which I recommend.
I think the last Spiritual practice I
have learned and am still learning is Transformational
prayer. I am now in the third group studying this
means of understanding oneself and others. I use
it all the time. It is quite simple in a way.
There is a grid to follow which guides one's thought.
And, eventually, along comes that time when you give the
Universe the opportunity to speak to your life. I
really recommend this experience with the Reverend
Doctor Thresher.
Oh, I almost forgot: I sing with
the choir. We rehearse once a week and sing three
out of four Sundays. I have no words to describe
how meaningful the preparation, practice, and
performance are to me.
At night before I go to sleep, I read
Eckhart Tolle. My favorite is "Stillness Speaks."
I read only a short paragraph and, aware of my quiet
house and my sleeping companions (my pet friends), I too
sleep.
This is my day, and my week. I
top it off with time at worship on Sunday.
Our
Spiritual Health
