Day Two: Life Conspires to Support You

As we turn our attention to a new way of living with spiritual awareness as our priority, we can begin to notice an influx of divine support flowing our way. One of the best things we can do for ourselves is to take note of all of the support, resources and helpful “coincidental” occurrences that we are experiencing. It’s true that once we make a commitment and change our focus, we start to see things that were there all along but previously not apparent to us. Perhaps you have heard that famous quote attributed to Goethe: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.

The tendency of the ego is to take an adversarial, competitive stance in life. After all, its very nature is to maintain a sense of separate existence. One of the ways that ego does that is to paint a picture of life as something we must master, or at the very least fight our way through, in order to thrive. The spiritual practice of surrender—surrender of the illusion that we are separate from the Source—is the antidote to that unsustainable way of living. Ego doesn’t completely disappear when we cultivate an attitude of spiritual surrender. Instead, it becomes an ally. No longer needing to be in control, ego can play the role of servant.

One Reality express as all that is. Embarking on the path of yoga is choosing to consciously turn our attention to oneness, remembering that our lives are anchored in God. Cultivate the thought that you are divinely supported in every way. Set in motion an unleashing of divine support simply by becoming receptive to it. Divine support is always there. Today, practice noticing it.

Think About It: Commitment to spiritual practice is good for our health. In a systematic review of research published in the Journal of Family Practice over a 10-year period, the positive relationship between religious commitment and physical health was shown.  Eighty-one percent of the relevant studies showed a positive association between religious commitment and health status. 
–Archives of Family Medicine

Be Inspired: Today is the auspicious birth anniversary of the great sage Lahiri Mahasaya. He said: God does everything. Life is only a medium. If one lives surrendering everything to God, one will not have any worries.

Day One: Arranging Conditions for Success

Congratulations on embarking on your 49 day program for spiritual realization and fulfilled living. Starting today, you’ll find some words of encouragement, insights from the teachings, inspiration and facts about conscious living here to support your journey. The most important foundation for your success during this program is your daily meditation practice.

Here are three suggestions to help you either get started with a daily practice or bring more focus to the one you already have:

1. Make a vow to meditate every day for 49 days. A vow is more potent than a desire, or even a commitment. The Sanskrit word for vow is sankalpa. It means resolution, will, determination or intention and its root meaning really says it all: to come into existence, to determine, perfectly, completely. When we set a spiritual sankalpa, we use what Paramahansa Yogananda called “our wisdom guided will.” We use our will power to set a divine intent into motion and bring it into existence. A sankalpa, or vow, is something we know we will do. We know from the outset that we will not let ourselves be deterred.

2. Establish a place and time for your practice. If you don’t currently have a place where you meditate, set an area aside where you can sit without being interrupted. Select a chair, or cushion, to be used solely for your meditation. Bring into the area a few things that inspire you—photographs of the saints, sayings from scripture, a candle or flowers. Keep it simple and clean.

If you already have a space for meditation, use this opportunity to bring fresh energy to it. Clean the area thoroughly and bring in some fresh inspirational items. In either case, pay attention to your energy and enthusiasm as you prepare this space for yourself. Whether it is a corner of a shared room or a private room, bless the space and know that it is filled with divine grace and energy.

Decide what time you will meditate each day, and for how long. Meditating first thing in the morning is recommended. Plan to get up earlier to give yourself this time for daily spiritual self care. Take a look at your schedule to make any adjustments you need to make to ensure your success.

3. Don’t go to bed without meditating. This third point is your meditation sankalpa “guarantee.” If you miss your morning meditation, then meditate at night. Do not miss a day.  What if you get too busy, forget to meditate and don’t even think of it until you get into bed at night? It is essential to get out of bed and meditate right then! Keep your commitment to your Self—as you do, you’ll find your soul confidence will grow and your energy and your faith will increase too.

Think about it

Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that benefits both your emotional well-being and your overall health. And these benefits don't end when your meditation session ends. Meditation can help carry you more calmly through your day and can even improve certain medical conditions.
–Mayo Clinic
Be inspired:

Make a daily appointment with God and then keep it.  –Paramahansa Yogananda