Carolyn who blogs at Juggling Frogs wrote in a recent post about how to take on observing shabbot.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Jewish observance of the Sabbath, it starts at Friday sundown and lasts until Saturday sundown, and there are, to put it mildly, a whole host of restrictions and things you shouldn’t do, like cook, or clean, or turn on lights, or watch television, or do work, or handle money, etc, etc.
Any spiritual practice involves restricting the ego, whether it be Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Christian, or what have you. And restricting the ego’s choices is incredibly beneficial to spiritual development.
Except if you’re new at it, it can seem overwhelming, and can bring up more resistance and rebellion than nourishment.
You see, spiritual practice is meant to be nourishing. It’s meant to leave your heart nourished, your being full of trust and peace. It’s mean to lighten the weight and consequence of the material world.
This has real consequences for your business. Often we’re running along at 1000 mph, trying to make feed little organically growing businesses the equivalant of Miracle-Gro, which may force them to pop up… but will it be sustainable for anyone?
So, one bit Carolyn wrote about that I really liked was this:
The Aseret HaDibrot (usually translated “Ten Commandments, but “Ten Statements” is more accurate.) are found twice* in the Torah. We learn a lot from the subtle differences between the wording of the two. One of these differences is in the commandment to observe Shabbat.
In parshat Yitro the Torah commanded us “zachor” (“remember”) the Sabbath day to keep it holy. In parshat V’etchanan, the Torah instead uses the word “shamor” (“guard”) the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Both of these are vital aspects of Sabbath observance.
If you (or your partner) are not ready to take on the whole of Shabbat observance, try focusing less on becoming “Shomer Shabbat” than becoming, what I call, “Zocher Shabbat.”
Instead of beginning by implementing a long list of restrictions and violations, seek ways to add beauty and distinction to the day…
‘Shomer’ shabbat means guarding all of the strict commandments and restrictions. However, spiritual practice without mercy and compassion misses the point, in my book.
I urge my clients, my readers, myself, and you to take on some sort of spiritual practice and discipline. For instance, members of our online community, The Business Oasis take part in Virtual Retreats from time-to-time, where we all observe a day of spiritual practice together, meeting three times on the phone to do practices together.
But, I heartily recommend that they, and you, begin to take on practice in a spirit of ‘zocher’ rather than ‘shomer.’
I’ve been going through a phase myself with my own spiritual practice where I’ve become less strict. I used to be very strict with it- five prayers a day, plus optional practices- and felt a real joy and aliveness in that. Recently, for the last 3-4 months, it hasn’t been so alive for me. I still do regular spiritual practices, but not always as many.
For me, there’s a balance coming into it all. I’m learning to understand my sense of aliveness with spiritual practice, and trying to gauge between my ego’s rebelliousness ‘I don’t want to eat broccolli!’ versus shoulding on myself.
So, nu, let’s here from you…
What’s your relationship to spiritual practice?
Do you use spiritual practice in your business?
How do you find your balance between keeping your spiritual practice, versus beating yourself up?
3 Responses
When it is time to just sit I just sit. When it is time to move I move. Waking up in the morning is my conscious manifesting prayer. To water I mecca. The forest is my temple.
Ego is identification of self as a separate entity from everything else. Attachment to ego is the opposite of a selfless, unified spiritual path.
Even the simplest of tasks can induce a state of positive samadhi. An master is simply an expert who knows when to stop working and does so completely. Don’t beat yourself up, just be. Work, then let it go. Sit, then move. This practice is spirituality not just in the workplace, but in every aspect of life.
onewithnomind-
I agree with wholeheartedly with what you’ve written. However, it occurs to me that what you’re describing is possible with someone who has received a certain grace of state and spiritual station. When someone is not experiencing that state, and is struggling… what then?
I’ve noticed that regular, disciplined spiritual practice is essential for reigning in the ego, so that what you describe is possible. Except for stories of rare saints or spiritually intoxicated ones, it does take a fair amount of effort to control the ego.
For instance, you write ‘Don’t beat yourself up, just be. Work, then let it go. Sit, then move.’
Fabulous sentiments, but that’s not th experience of most people, and they don’t know how to reach that. Heck, it’s only my experience in rare moments of grace, and doesn’t usually last all that long.
So, I’m wanting folks to share- how have you taken on spiritual practice that moves towards the state that onewithnomind describes so beautifully, without hurting yourself with too much discipline?
I loved this article Mark.
I agree. Everyone needs to find their own balance and that balance, like my physical ability to balance in a yoga pose for example, changes every day and in every moment.
I also get the part about that fine line between shoulding on yourself and doing what your higher self knows will ultimately be in your best interest.
This is what is currently working for me. At this point, on most days I don’t begin my day without at least 20 minutes of Remembrance. I have a CD from the Jaffe Institute and Adam Cayce’s Inner Audio Series which has led experiences that are timed that are my current favorites.
I use either one of those followed by my own Remembrance practice or my own thing based on whatever I intuit I need in that moment.
My preference is actually 45 minutes to an hour or so of Remembrance. I also use my prayer beads with a mantra doing japa either on my own or in addition to the Remembrance.
I actually regard this as part of my workday since it focuses me for whatever I’m wanting to accomplish.
The other thing that works for me is a commmitment to move my body a couple times a week with either yoga, walking or both. I kind of let that just happen when the spirit moves me as I have more resistance in that area. (I use a David Swenson Ashtanga Yoga CD or do my own thing – whatever I feel led to in that moment. Again, I use a timer so that I have a safe container to know when I may want to stop.)
As you’ve said before, resistance is really a mask for when I need something. I’ve still not figured out what I need but it’s in my awareness and when the time is right I’ll bring it gently into Remembrance.
On a practical note, it makes it much easier for me to engage in my spiritual practices since I discovered the value of having a labelled steno pad in several areas on the house.
I have one in my study labelled – At Home/Calls to Make (Study); one in my bedroom labelled – Bedroom; one in my master bathroom labelled – Upstairs; one in my meditation room that is a different color than the rest. Then, I have a steno pad in my car labelled – Errands/Things to Do.
What I do is wherever I am, I free associate whatever comes up and make a note of it on the pad in that moment. Then, in the morning, I gather the slips of paper from each pad and bring them into my study. I bring in my Errands pad each night (which may have notes from when I’ve been in the car about calls, things at home or things from the business) from the car and leave it in the study as well.
In the morning after Remembrance, I combine my lists.
In my book labelled Study, I have the following columns:
Calls to Make.
Home
Business (on the back of the page)
I transfer all the info from the other slips of paper onto the Study Steno pad so I have all the stuff I need to do at home in one place.
Then, I take my Errands book and transfer any errands that have come up in my free associating from the other areas in my house. I put that notebook and my purse together to take out when I leave the house.
I find that this has reduced my mental chatter significantly plus I don’t find myself forgetting things as much. I also check my schedule each night before going to bed and first thing in the morning.
I know it may sound funny but having all my poop in a group in a way that works for me on a practical level makes it much easier for me to welcome and stay focused on the spiritual level.
It saves me an endless amount of mental gyrations trying to remember what I was trying to accomplish and gives me freedom to think about whatever I want and have a place to put it when I’m brushing my teeth, going to bed, whatever – because there is a pad of paper there and I have a routine.
It’s funny how much this routine plus de-cluttering my environment have given me the freedom, incentive and motivation to welcome my Remembrance practice into my life and really luxuriate in it while I’m present. It feels very nurturing, gentle, loving and most of all -I really look forward to it every day. Can’t wait to start and end my day in Remembrance and gratitude.
I think everyone has to find their own way and I offer this in the intent of what I have discovered works for me. May be too complicated for some or just not your thing but since we’re all students as well as teachers, that’s my 2 cents worth.
Thanks for this opportunty to blog with you and others, Mark.