Creating a Spiritual Practice
A personal story about the importance and rewards of a spiritual practice for connection, well-being, and balance in daily life.
Bob Olson is the host of Afterlife TV, author of Answers About The Afterlife and The Magic Mala, and founder of BestPsychicDirectory.com (for top psychics & mediums).
In the fall of 2022, Melissa looked at her health from multiple angles. Physically, she ate well and exercised regularly. Emotionally, she was nearly always joyful and content. Socially, she had deep friendships that involved love and support going both ways. Intellectually, she kept herself stimulated and informed, always learning and growing. Creatively, she expressed herself through poetry, decorating, cooking, art, and photography. The one area Melissa found herself lacking was, ironically, in her spiritual life. She didn’t have a regular spiritual practice.
I use the word “ironic” because of the spiritual nature of our work. For years, we’ve spent most of our days working on Bob Olson Connect, Best Psychic Directory, Afterlife TV, and our books, Answers About the Afterlifeand The Magic Mala. Yet, the crux is that because our work involves working with spiritual concepts daily, it’s easy to think we have this crucial aspect of our overall well-being covered. However, having spiritual knowledge, teaching spiritual insights, and working with spiritual practitioners is not a spiritual practice. Said another way, the clerk behind the desk at Planet Fitness isn’t exercising his body just because he shows up at the gym every day.
This awareness helped Melissa recognize that her spiritual self-care was deficient, leading her to create a regular spiritual practice. This article explores where that led her, as well as how I and others integrate spiritual practices into our lives.
Melissa’s Spiritual Practice
Melissa and her friend, Victoria, created a spiritual practice together. They integrated two practices they both enjoy and trust: astrology and divination. Because they enjoyed astrology, their spiritual practice was planned around the new and full moons. This meant they would meet every two weeks. Here’s what their practice typically looks like.
Depending on who is hosting (Melissa or Victoria), the hostess will choose a video, article, or book excerpt to kick things off. They might use a book like Moonology by Yasmin Boland to learn about the characteristics of the current new or full moon. Or they might listen to Michael Lennox’s Conscious Embodiment podcast. Once they understand what is happening astrologically, they develop three questions about what they each need to embody during the current transits (astrology) in their individual lives.
In case you’re curious, I’ll give some examples of questions one might ask. If the full moon on a particular day presents the risk of emotional overwhelm, one might ask: How can I prevent emotional overwhelm at this time? If a new moon presents an opportunity to align your mind, heart, soul, and body, one might ask: What do I need to know to help me align my mind, heart, soul, and body? If the full moon is about releasing deep issues in relationships, one might ask: How can I use the energy of this full moon to release any relationship issues I might be repeating?
Now that Melissa and Victoria understand how the current new or full moon affects them, they will ask their first question and then randomly choose a card from whatever card deck they chose for that day. Melissa loves Kyle Gray’s Angels and Ancestors oracle cards for this practice. The cards are positive in nature, deep in wisdom, and consistent in reminding us of our connection to spirit guides and deceased loved ones in spirit. This card deck is also what I’ll refer to as a “safe” deck, meaning it doesn’t have any cards that will instill fear or dread (like the Death or Devil cards in some tarot decks).
During their practice together, Melissa chooses a card, and Victoria then reads about the message and meaning of that card from the book that comes with the deck. Since Melissa’s intention is to have the card answer the question she asked, she is now informed on what she needs to focus on related to that question. As Victoria reads from the book, Melissa takes notes on the guidance that she wants to remember.
What’s valuable about doing this with a partner is that you get to discuss each person’s interpretation of what that card says about the person who chose the card. So, while Melissa is undoubtedly best suited to know how that card applies to her life, Victoria has known Melissa for twenty years, so she can offer an outside perspective that Melissa might not be able to see. By discussing each card together (with the intention of being loving and supportive of one another), both women can derive maximum benefit from the guidance in each card.
Next, Victoria chooses a card to give her insight into her first question. Melissa reads the longer message and meaning from the book. Victoria takes notes in her journal, and they interpret the card together regarding how the guidance relates to Victoria's question.
They continue this for all three of their questions. Of course, Melissa and Victoria incorporate tea, aromatherapy, and music to add to the atmosphere of their practice. And they usually have some carefully chosen crystals on the table. The entire practice lasts about an hour to ninety minutes. If one of the friends is dealing with an extra-emotional issue that week, it might take longer.
Judy’s Spiritual Practice
My mother-in-law, Judy, has her version of a spiritual practice that she does with four other women—all in their eighties. They refer to themselves as “The Meditation Group” and get together once a month. Initially, they would meet to meditate at various beautiful locations like the beach, an open field, an expansive flower garden, or even a local monastery. In winter, they typically go to one another’s homes.
Their practice has evolved over the years. Sometimes, they do less meditation and are more likely to read a spiritually-focused article or poem or even watch an online video and discuss it. Often, their practices will involve tea, snacks, or even lunch. It’s a great way to stay connected with friends while simultaneously connecting with your spiritual essence.
My Spiritual Practice
I have several practices that fall into this category. Here are a few of them.
Melissa reads the daily astrology forecast every morning as we sip our coffee. It’s a great way to begin the day, contemplating how the planets, stars, and moon may affect us throughout the day. I’ll admit that my mind starts to wander when the writer uses astrology jargon, like trines, conjunctions, and sextiles, that I don’t grasp, but Melissa helps me to understand the gist of the forecasts.
At night, before bed, Melissa usually reads to me (don’t worry, I can read; I simply love listening to her voice when she reads to me). For years, she’s read from Paul Selig’s books like Resurrection. This fall, we took a break from the channeled texts to read The Mindful Body by Ellen J. Langer. What an eye-opening and fun look into the power of our minds, especially in reference to our health. We’re now onto Paul’s latest book, The Book of Innocence. His channeling helps remind us of how connected we are to Divinity.
After Melissa finishes reading and we shut off the lights, I practice my mala. This includes a) choosing an intention, b) selecting a mantra to represent the intention, and c) repeating my mantra for every one of the 108 mala beads.
In the early days of this practice, I began with a Sanskrit abundance mantra, “Om Shrim Maha Lakshmiyei Swaha.” That practice worked so effectively that I’ve been hooked on the mala ever since, which is why I wrote The Magic Mala to share it with others who might benefit from it. As I see it, a mala practice is a communication to our spirit guides. Since we often communicate what we don’t like or want in our lives by complaining or worrying out loud, a mala practice helps offset those messages by expressing what we do like and want.
These days, more often than not, my mantra is “Thank you for the blessings,” as I think of a new blessing in my life for every bead. Thank you for the blessings—Melissa. Thank you for the blessings—my health. Thank you for the blessings—our home. Thank you for the blessings—my dogs. This practice is my way of telling God and my guides, “Thank you for the blessings in my life. This is what I love about my life. Please keep it coming.”
Thinking of 108 blessings in your life is a fabulous way to end the day. It’s not a bad way to start your day, either.
When I’m driving alone, I have a practice of checking in with my father in spirit. In other words, I have conversations with him. While one could argue that I’m imagining his responses, I like to believe that he’s impressing his thoughts upon my mind. Luckily, we live in a society with Bluetooth speakers and microphones, so most people driving by me think I’m on the phone. In a sense, I guess I am, only I’m talking with dead people, and the phone, in this case, is telepathy.
Finally, I occasionally take the time to do what I call Spirit Writing. In this practice, my intention is to receive guidance from my spirit guides or Infinite Intelligence (God/Source Energy). You can read the article I’ve written about it, but basically, I’m typing out questions I have for my guides and then typing out the responses that pop into my conscious mind.
Make It Your Own
Creating a spiritual practice is open-ended. There’s no right and wrong. Do whatever helps you to feel connected to the spiritual realm. This can mean connecting with loved ones on the other side, angels and spirit guides, your higher self (your soul), or even Infinite Intelligence.
There’s an abundance of evidence to indicate the healing power of feeling connected to a source greater than ourselves. It doesn’t matter what you call this source or how you define it. What matters is that you feel the connection. People who lack this feeling of connectedness are at risk of depression, loneliness, and an emotional detachment from life and other people. Feeling connected to spirit or a higher power helps us recognize our connection to other people and nature.
Spiritual practices have many faces. Some people pray every day. Some pray with a group of friends. Some read from a book of daily inspiration. I know people who use their nonfiction books as a divination tool. They open up to a random page and read what is written. It’s often mind-blowing how appropriate and timely the message can be.
I want to comment on oracle card decks, which have become popular today. Like the tarot deck, it’s a divination tool. Choosing a tarot or oracle card deck is a very personal choice. I mentioned that Melissa prefers a “safe” deck because there aren’t any cards that might scare or worry you. The more you learn about these card decks, the more you understand that the Death card, for example, can simply mean the end of one aspect of your life (like a child going away to college), which can lead to a new beginning. It doesn’t usually mean someone is going to die. However, if a card like that might get into your psyche and be bothersome, it might be wise to avoid card decks with cards that can be interpreted negatively. This is when you might want to ask friends or practitioners whom you trust for recommendations or at least read reviews online when choosing your deck.
If you’re the type who continues to have skepticism around divination methods, I encourage you to experiment with them. It won’t take long before you recognize how relevant the messages and meanings are to your current circumstances.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve drawn cards with friends and noticed that the cards my friends picked would not have resonated with me in my life at that time. Yet the cards I chose were spot on for what was happening. And others have commented on the same. It’s one of the benefits of doing a spiritual practice with others. It helps you to recognize that the guidance given in your chosen cards is meant for you.
We all know it’s common that we don’t fix our issues overnight. This is never more evident than when it’s been two weeks since we worked with a card deck and we choose one or more of the same cards as the last time. After a while, you begin to see the patterns. I always take notes during spiritual practice to remember what cards I choose. When reviewing my notes, I often notice that I haven’t yet overcome one of the issues I was dealing with in the previous session. Sure enough, this is when I picked the same card I had chosen two weeks prior (out of a 55-card deck).
Final Thoughts
Creating a spiritual practice has extensive benefits, but it can also be beneficial to have mini-spiritual practices sprinkled throughout your day. For instance, for nearly two decades, Melissa and I have purchased Louise Hay’s “I Can Do It” Daily Affirmations Calendar. Each day, we peel off yesterday’s affirmation to reveal the new positive message for the day, and we’ll often read it out loud to let it sink in. It takes only ten seconds to complete, yet it’s bizarrely empowering. We keep it beside our kitchen sink to repeat the affirmation throughout the day.
It's been over a year since Melissa integrated new spiritual practices into her life. I can tell you from experience that she always glows a bit brighter when she and Victoria finish their session together. It feels like she’s lighter yet more grounded, if that makes sense. She’s definitely in a more peaceful place of contentment. The advantages of a regular spiritual practice are vast.
I hope I’ve given you some ideas for increasing your spiritual connection through monthly, biweekly, weekly, or daily practices. It’s amazing how uplifting it can be, which means it’s also rewarding for your overall mental and physical health. As in Melissa’s case in 2022, it’s a method of self-care that is often overlooked. Perhaps you had a regular practice that somehow fell by the wayside. Maybe it’s time to reintegrate it into your life or start a new one. I’d love to hear about your spiritual practices in the comment section. I hope you're enjoying the winter and 2024 so far.
With love,
Bob
PS: One could argue that it’s a spiritual experience watching children and pets play. Last week I shared a video of our dog, Clipsie, playing music. Here she is again this week, and much like Cindi Lauper, this girl just wants to have fun.
Bob Olson is the host of Afterlife TV, author of Answers About The Afterlife and The Magic Mala, and creator of the reputable directory of psychics and mediums, BestPsychicDirectory.com. His latest venture is Bob Olson Connect, where you can read Bob’s articles before they become books.
Hi Bob, I feel your loving vibes in every article, interview and podcast you express. I am very grateful I came across your energy shortly after the transition of Janis, my wife (69 years old), Bill, my Dad (83 years old) and Jake, my dog (17 years old). All three transitioned several weeks apart last year in 2023. Your work and the gifts of others have lessened my load. It is with much appreciation! PS - Your directory of evidential mediums has become an equal blessing for me! Thank you!
I, too, love Kyle Gray’s Angels and Ancestors oracle cards. I tend to think they chose me instead of my choosing them.
On another note, speaking of choices, my belief system encourages me to pray that a person's chosen pre-life plan be fulfilled, rather than for a particular outcome. Namaste, Bob.