Monday, April 09, 2007

Spiritual Time Out

I'm realizing that I have not taken care of my spiritual needs as of late. I find myself making excuses: I am leaving for Europe soon and need to get everything together; I am busy with the final revision and proofing my research for publication (needs to be finished tomorrow); my karate class; putting in extra hours at work; Easter; and more. I am starting to feel run down.

Last night, I was finally able to sit quietly and read for about an hour. I got a chance to continue reading the Poetic Edda to get a better idea of Heathen lore and enjoyed every minute. I realized that when I finished, I felt calm. I also felt like I was able to connect to my spiritual side by reflecting on what I was reading.

As many Pagans don't have a church or "official" place of worship to go to every week, sometimes it is difficult to remember to take time out from the chaos of daily life to spend time thinking about religious and spiritual needs. While I do have a church community that I attend within the Unitarian Universalist tradition, I don't have any reminders to take time to study or reflect on my personal beliefs.

I find that it is sometimes difficult to keep up with my own studies. I've got to figure out how to incorporate this into my life in way that I have a regular time to dedicate to my study. I find myself curious as to what those of you reading do to keep up with your studies and how you are able to incorporate your sense of spirituality into your daily life.

6 comments:

Spider said...

Something we all suffer with from time to time .. I felt the need to go to an old haunt on the moors today, and just listening to the birds and the wind for 10 minutes was enough .. Blessings :)

S. Nichole said...

You and I are similar in the fact that we both tend to head outdoors when we feel this way. :)

Angela-Eloise said...

Sojourner, I've been feeling the same way. I mentioned Dianne Sylvan's book The Circle Within in another comment. Addressing the issue of how to incorporate spirituality into daily life is what this book is all about. While it is specifically focused on Wicca, most of what she says is just good common sense and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is struggling with this.

Willow said...

This is just how I feel... trying to weave your spirituality into your life can be a little tricky at times, but you'll know once you manage it, because everything will flow, like a stream in spring, just after an april shower.
In Love and Light,
Willow Myrina.

Turtleheart said...

I am struggling with this as well. Around the beginning of the year, I committed to working through "The Circle Within" by Dianne Sylvan, with plans to discuss it on my blog. So far, I haven't made it out of chapter one. :-( Perhaps I should work on that today.

S. Nichole said...

I am getting the feeling that a lot of people go through this. I've heard great things about Sylvan's book before; I think I will move that book up on my list.

Thanks for all of your comments!