We might think of the spiritual journey as moving forward, toward a destination. And it’s true that we want change and growth – we want to be less reactive, more loving, more at peace, more connected to Spirit. But the kind of change we want is different – it’s a change in our way of being. That kind of change is not found through force of intellect or willpower. It happens largely by grace.

And we place ourselves in the path of grace by repeatedly entering a state that is receptive, fluid, open to guidance, and ready to surrender the images we have constructed of ourselves. That is what spiritual practice does. It is a habit we form that allows us to enter the doorway to Sacred experience again and again so our way of being can shift.

The path is not so much forward, as inward to the levels of our inner dimensions and then outward to connect with the world. Lasting change and spiritual growth takes a commitment to practice.

There is a wide variety of spiritual practices, and the decision of what to commit to is personal. In this episode of the Stumbling Mystic Podcast, our conversation covered many ideas that support a spiritual practice, including some that might surprise you.