We have been given the gift of life and one day our bodies will pass away. During this life we have the opportunity to realize and express spiritual values. Yoga provides practices which can help us grow on the spiritual path.

There are signs in meditation which can serve as hints or guideposts. These signs encourage and help us correct our course. There are five sheaths which serve as layers or veils covering the soul. The practices of yoga are designed to help us progress through the sheaths and beyond.

Meditation is an excellent tool for discovering the inner self. Yogis seek to center in their true nature and abide in that consciousness. While there are many ways to meditate, there are four main approaches. Try each of these basic approaches and see which one works best for you.

Blissful brooding is a method of reflection and attunement which can lead to spiritual awareness. Through brooding, we seek to rise beyond the constant thoughts and feelings which block our awareness of Spirit. The practice is to calmly watch our part of the world while we keep our attention centered in the heart chakra (inside the spine in back of the heart).

An important function of being alive is the ability to learn. Through life’s experiences, we learn and create samskaras (impressions in our nervous system) which become habits. Yogis seek to create new samskaras and form beneficial habits which lead to happiness and fulfillment.

At key points in history, whenever humanity has forgotten how to relate to the Divine, God Himself takes a human body in order to demonstrate His nearness and availability. Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886) came to earth to make the great teachings of the previous incarnations more available and understandable.

Spirit manifests everyone and everything through three qualities/natural forces called gunas. Each of us expresses through a combination of sattvas guna, rajas guna and tamas guna. As you determine which guna is dominantly expressing, you may find clues about how best to live and understand life.

This series on God’s Promises is filled with over one hundred promises from God. Allow these loving promises to guide you. As you gain strength, faith and love for God and your fellow man, you will be transformed.

Every time you meditate, chant or contemplate God’s promises with love in your heart, you are planting seeds in Spirit. Observe these seeds blooming into awareness of everlasting life and the realization of your eternal soul.

Desires and fears focused on personal needs prevent us from living in the harmony of body, mind and spirit and remaining focused on Spirit. As you meditate on God’s promises, you may discover that whatever you truly ask for in prayer, God will provide.