There are so many different spiritual practices of which we can avail ourselves these days, that it’s hard to know which is best for each of us. Often I think it’s just a matter of trial and error.

Many of these (contemplative) practices are discussed in the “Library” section which Gregory has arranged. Chuck Dunning has also posted a number of various practices either on his blog, or in forum discussions, so hopefully I’m not being redundant.

One of the contemplative practices I will also mention is the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. For the longest time it was considered (for better or worse) “very Roman Catholic”. Most of the people I know who have actually done them have been Catholic or Episcopal. I honestly don’t know if that is still the case, but converting to Catholicism is not a requirement to do the Exercises (breathe a sigh of relief here!).

I’m not going to go into the details of this practice, except to say that the were developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century. Some say the Exercises were part of his ongoing battle against the Protestant Reformation! He was also the founder of the Jesuit order.

I did the Excercises about twelve years ago under the tutelage of a spiritual director trained to do them. I took the easier route and did them while I was going about the business of earning a living. Doing it this way takes about 9 months with a bi-weekly or monthly meeting with your director. I would like to say it changed my life…but it didn’t…at least not consciously. I’m not trying to “sell” this to anyone, I’m just mentioning it. I’m providing a link below describing the Exercises that I find impartial and accurate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_Exercises_of_Ignatius_of_Loyola
God’s Peace
Steve

I like to chant the Hebrew names of God or Jehovah. Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh – I Am That I Am – is especially effective for me. It is supposed to be the Holy Name or Word given to the prophet Moses on attaining nirvanic consciousness (samadhi or contemplative ecstatic union with the Lord of the Heart).

That’s a wonderful practice, Simon. The chanting of sacred names and mantras are very powerful spiritual tools. One that I always have silently going through my conscious thought is: “O God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me.”
Steve

Any thoughts on the length of time one should chant for? Is it more effective to chant aloud or would an internal repetition of a sacred name or phrase work just as well?

Hi Jerry,

I often just let the Spirit guide me on how long I chant. Often I chant aloud for a while, and then silently, and then let go of the chant and only pick it back up if the mind starts to fill up with distractions. It can also help to use a rosary, and just repeat the chant on each bead until a full circuit has been made.

Here are some chanting practices that have been very helpful to me: http://christianmystics.com/wayoftheheart/2010/12/05/meditations-psalms-4610/

Agape,
Chuck

Hi Jerry,

Some of these practices you have to “play by ear”. Like Chuck says, let the Spirit guide you in these things. Trust to your own best judgment. While chanting aloud is great, I tend to make more use of internal repititions. This is only because my vocalized chanting time is a bit limited.

I mentioned my main one in my other post. I’ve been using that for a long time. After a while, I don’t know, two or three months, it became part of my conscious stream of thought during the day. It tends to kind of drown out other, negative internal chatter. So, I like to joke that my internal chatter has been replaced by my internal “chanter” (haha). I know it’s lame…..

Best of luck in experimenting with these practices, Jerry.

God’s Peace.
Steve

For those who like to journal as a discipline, the following is an instruction for keeping a thanksgiving journal:

We want to focus for a moment on benefits or gifts that you have received in your life. These gifts could be simple everyday pleasures, people in your life, personal strengths or talents, moments of natural beauty, or gestures of kindness from others. We might not normally think about these things as gifts, but that is how we want you to think about them. Take a moment to really savor or relish these gifts, think about their value, and then write them down every night before going to sleep.

Also, I use when I journal, the series of booklets entitled, Bridges to Contemplative Living. They are edited by the (Thomas) Merton Institute for Contemplative Living, and are meant for small group discussion (but I use them on my own). There are eight of them in all, with eight sessions in each.