What is spiritual hygiene?

·     Mindful attention to developing and sustaining relationship with ourselves as spiritual beings as we enact the presence of spirit in our lives and in the world

·     Body hygiene = brush teeth, eat well, get good fresh air and exercise

·     Emotional hygiene = tell truth, apologize, don't carry grudges, confront fear, ask for help, take pride in accomplishments, accept limitations, say what we mean / mean what we say

·     Important in helping us avoid spiritual materialism and manipulation, and self-rigtheousness

What do you mean by spiritual materialism and manipulation?

·    Using spiritual practices for material gain

·    New-agey and other quick fix ideologies that persuade us into focusing on externals to do what should be our personal responsibility to do

·    Example: Affirmations alone don't work if we still have self sabotaging beliefs

·    Example: Feng shui mirrors and coins don't work if we abdicate responsibility to become a better person or to ask forgiveness or to make and follow a business plan

·    Self-righteousness that our view is the only correct view  just invites discord, huts down relationship with the Sacred, and takes us out of integrity

Why shouldn't we use spiritual tools to bring us abundance?

·     Purpose of spirit tools is to help us be in the flow of our life mission (aka god's will)

·     When we're in the flow, we get what we need, not necessarily what we want, or think we want

·     Abundance is the by product of a clean spiritual practice and balanced life focused on being in flow

What are some of the elements of spiritual hygiene as you see them?

·     Having impeccable integrity tops my list today

·     Means being congruent in thought, word and deed, or as the Buddhists might say, having right intention, right speech, right livelihood

·     Impeccable integrity is the most difficult of the spiritual hygiene practices

·    Requires examining our core beliefs and unspoken thoughts and unconscious behaviors all the time

---are we congruent with our intention to be in integrity?

---are we in the flow with spirit or running a manipulative agenda?

---asking, how might what we think is having someone's best interest at heart actually be manipulation of their life by the imposition of your influence, your goals for them?

·     Having compassion is the second important practice, as in accepting others as they are, and not as you want them to be.

·     Compassion is also being non-judgmental, and celebrating similarities in our differences

·     Also compassion for oneself, by letting go of perfectionism, choosing to be in integrity, letting go of negative self judgments

You talk about the transcendent and the immanent sacred.  What do you mean?

w    The transcendent sacred is that which is greater than ourselves = Spirit, lifeforce, God/dess

w    Listening for the TS is a spiritual hygiene practice.  It's being open and accepting

w    Listening means being open and aware, meditating and praying, paying attention to spirit speaking to you through signs in environment, through other people, through unfolding events

w    The immanent sacred is the presence of the sacred within us  = knowing we are a spark of the Flame

w    Resting in the IS is a hygiene practice, which is being aware with expanded consciousness

w    Resting means to have and recognize your own sensory signal system whereby you feel Spirit

w    Might be hearing the still small voice, might be seeing an image when you call for one, might be feeling a warm hand at your back, might be experiencing a welling up of peace or knowing

How does practicing spiritual hygiene contribute to emotional wellness ?

w    Keeps our integrity shiny which makes for good relationships and good boundaries

w    Helps us not take things so personally, keeps us psychologically balanced

w    Opens us to experiencing joy and receiving gits from the universe

w    Helps us see and understand signs and omens in our life that are the Sacred talking to us

What are the other elements of spiritual hygiene?

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