spiritual diary

[Guest guest]

Beloved Sangha,

Here is a valuable tool that is simple to use, takes little time and

can be powerfully useful. It is called the Spiritual Diary. Swami

Sivananda of Rishikesh suggests its use. And so do I!

It is mostly a check list. List those things that you want to be

doing in your life. Then each evening before bed go through and

check on yourself. Master Sivananda called it "the whip." Not a whip

to punish with but like snapping the whip to get the horse's

attention and spur him forward. This is a way to make sure that you

do those things that you have decided are useful for you. It keeps

you on track.

Though you can use any format that you like, here is the way I do

it. I use one of those small spiral notebooks that can fit into a

shirt pocket. After an opening page blessing, I list down the left

side the things I want to be doing: Meditation, Pranayama, Asana,

Healthy Diet, Chandi Recitation, Early to Bed & Rise, Exercise,

Spiritual Lesson (I like to record a brief spiritual lesson each

day), Keeping the Spiritual Diary (be sure to give yourself

recognition for this practice, too), Mauna, etc. [i use

abbreviations]. You can put anything you want to include in your

life there. Some things you want to be doing daily and some weekly.

Along the top I put the date, and then check on those listed items

for that day. I get about two weeks in on the 2-page spread and then

need to re-list the items when I turn the page. That gives me an

opportunity to assess if there are some thing I want to drop off or

add to the list. Since I keep daily lessons (very brief), I simply

turn the book over and record them in the back.

I really have found that this helps me to shape my life, to

discipline myself, to be doing what I want to be doing. By the way,

I am very easy in that I give myself credit whenever I can - but

still it is important to be honest with yourself. Only then can you

see what is going on. But it is easy to see.

I hope this might be of use to some.

your partner in the Dance,

jayadeva