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Workout for the
Soul
by Chrissie Blaze |
Life is a series of journeys. Each
journey starts with an initial step that requires our
courage and faith. To complete the journey takes
determination and will. Whether it is a physical
journey, a mental journey or a spiritual one, the
ingredients for success are the same. The spiritual
journey is the most difficult one of all and the most
rewarding. Why? Because we are so used to scratching the
surface of life that going deep within ourselves
requires greater effort and commitment. It is the most
rewarding, because with spiritual growth we learn that
the journey is in fact the goal.
Every person in history who has attained self-mastery
has started his or her inner journey at the same place
as you or me. My spiritual teacher, Dr. George King, was
an extremely unusual and enlightened man. At the age of
twelve he went into the woods one day and was inspired
to send healing to his sick mother; shortly afterwards
she was completely cured from a life-threatening
illness. Such occurrences, commonly regarded as
miracles, were to become a part of his everyday life. He
went on to discover that healing could be done on not
only an individual level, but on a global scale. This
was to become part of his life’s mission, which was an
exceptional one.
Dr. King sat down one day and started a series of
spiritual practices. After years of intense and diligent
practice for many hours each day, he eventually attained
enlightenment and became a master of many forms of yoga.
He attained ultimate self-mastery, the elevated state of
"union with God", known in the East as "samadhi."
He no longer just believed things were true; now
he was a "knower." He could understand the
real mysteries of creation and had discovered the world
of lasting inner bliss. However, his personal
advancement led him to realize that he must leave this
rich, inner world in order to give his power, strength,
courage and inspiration in the service of mankind.
You may have begun your journey to go deeper, to
understand more and express the divinity within. You may
have already heard the voice of your higher self. You
may have been through experiences that, in retrospect,
have served to move you from an egocentric groove to a
more God-centered place. It is usually at this point,
that we become aware that our true mission in life is
not just about earning a decent living and having lots
of nice things. Although the full blossoming of divine
powers may still be far from our minds, we begin to make
more conscious choices towards what is right, and feel
more aware that we are all just a small part of
something huge. It is then we start to feel frustrated
at our ignorance, whereas previously we were satisfied.
It is at this point that we yearn to know our true
destiny and to fathom the mysteries of our inner self.
The biography of Viktor Frankl is very inspiring and
it was through his own personal suffering that he
learned the vital importance of the soul and inner
fitness. He was a respected psychiatrist in Vienna who
was captured by the Nazis in World War II and thrown
into a concentration camp where he endured terrible
years of imprisonment. The terrible hardship and
limitation he endured there forced him to go within and
he discovered many things about the human condition. His
discoveries – which were fundamental to the ancient
mystics – were that every man and woman has an innate
human impulse to understand the purpose of life. He
found through his further studies that, if this impulse
is thwarted, it results in sickness. He found that it is
not just outer conditions that make us sick, but it is
also the inner struggles and frustrations. These are a
real part of our desire to discover just what we are
born to do. Workout for the Soul will, if
practiced, help us in our inner journey and enable us to
find our place in life, so that our own frustrations can
be healed at a deep level.
My own expertise does not lie in the business world,
the athletic world or academia, but in the world of
metaphysics, yoga and the spiritual sciences. I began my
studies into the psychic and spiritual realms in the
1960s, at the early age of 14. My own urge towards
personal growth is in these areas and this led me to the
fortunate position of meeting my spiritual teacher, Dr.
King, whom I recognized as an extremely unusual man and
Spiritual Master. His life was a mission for world peace
and enlightenment; all of his energy, his genius and his
scientific and spiritual knowledge were towards this
end. He passed on in 1997 and left behind him a
spiritual legacy that will not be fully understood for
decades. One of the things he taught was that
practicality is the key in this new millennium: not
theories, hopes or wishes, but practical action.
When I first started my own inner journey, I spent
years finding the techniques that suited me. I have
spent hours visualizing different objects, forms and
colors in psychic development groups. I have practiced
and taught the psychic art of psychometry, the art of
divination through touching objects. I have studied and
practiced hands-on healing for twenty years and taught
it for fifteen years. I have performed breathing
exercises in different environments, and have felt the
elevating effects of the great pranas of creation
coursing through me.
I have made an intense study and practice of prayer,
under the skilled direction of my Master, and am now
highly experienced in a powerful method of radiating
spiritual energy, which he termed "dynamic
prayer." I have not only prayed for the plight of
mankind, as I am sure you have done many times, but have
learned that prayer is one of the greatest of the
spiritual sciences which can be used to heal and perform
miracles.
For over twenty-five years, I have studied and
practiced the science of mantra. This is a sacred ritual
of the repetition of sounds in Sanskrit and by doing
this we can change ourselves as well as our environment
for the better. I have had many interesting psychic
experiences, as a result of these years of spiritual
practices, and I have developed my intuition to a fairly
high level so that it is a reliable, trustworthy friend.
One thing I realized is that it is more important to
have a system of practices that you can perform at least
three times every week, instead of spending eight hours
one day and then doing nothing for several months. It is
repetition, practice and more practice that brings
results. Consistency really is the key to success in
spiritual matters, just as it is in every other area of
our lives. I believe that your Workout for the Soul
will not only be effective in helping you to gain some
degree of enlightenment, but will generate within you a
deeper desire to help others and the world as a whole.
Our world needs help. Unfortunately there has been so
much conflict and war in our world in the name of
religion. The result is that many people are seeking a
new understanding -- a universal religion --
spirituality without dogma or hypocrisy. Over the years,
we have seen a deep desire in people of different
backgrounds and religious beliefs, to manifest their
divine potential and to work together with other
good-hearted people in the service of mankind. The word
"service" is often misunderstood and is
certainly not a popular concept. It is, however, far
more beneficial than work alone. When we work we produce
things, but when we serve, we become something; as such
it is a vitally important part of our soul growth and an
essential part of this workout.
Edgar Cayce, who helped millions of people with his
famous life-readings, summed it up in another way when
he said:
"Know that the purpose for which each soul
enters a material experience is that it may be a light
unto others."
It is only when we realize this that we begin to find
the deeper inner fulfillment of our soul’s purpose.
There is a story in Greek mythology
of Theseus, a great king and hero of Athens who went
down to the netherworld where the lord of the
netherworld offered him a chair. Theseus didn’t
realize that it was the chair of forgetfulness and he
sat down and instantly forgot everything. He forgot who
he was, where he came from, and why he came down to the
netherworld in the first place. He just sat there until
Hercules came and got him out. This story is an allegory
about man and woman. We have forgotten what we are and
why we are here. We are not physical beings striving to
be spiritual; we are spiritual beings in physical
bodies. We are all sparks of God, we only have to
remember it, realize it and then learn how to re-awaken
our divine nature.
Material life constantly encourages us to be
superficial. We are judged not so much by our character,
our integrity, our honesty, our spirituality, but by how
well we fit into the standards laid down by those who
wish us to conform. Whether you are a parent, or the
president of a country, it is far easier to deal with a
family or a nation of pleasant, apathetic sheep, than a
group of vital, vibrant, independent, courageous,
self-motivated, spiritually minded individuals. It is,
however, the latter group who change our world for the
better; the former just maintain the status quo, no
matter how corrupt it may become.
Workout for the Soul is
not about self-knowledge, although that is a part of it.
It is not about self-realization, although that is
essential. It is about expressing your divinity,
realizing that we are all one, and working towards the
enlightenment of all mankind. By having the very highest
motive, you will obtain the best results and your own
progress will be that much more successful.
Most of us reading this are in the
fortunate position of having a roof over our heads at
night. We have two or three meals each day, probably a
job, a car and regular vacations. Many of us have
families and friends whom we love and take regular trips
out to dinner, a movie and the local shopping mall. Many
of us have a college education and are in reasonable
health; we may even make fairly regular trips to the
local gym. We never seem to have enough money, but
somehow we always get by. Our hearts go out to those
less fortunate and to the suffering around the world. We
are moved by the poverty and contribute regularly to a
charity of our choice. We are pretty good on the whole
and are ready to lend a helping hand. We are among the
most fortunate people on this Earth and many of us,
realizing that there is more, search for the next step.
This is the step towards personal growth,
self-development, and advancement. We have read books
that tell us we are only using a small portion of our
potential and want to use more.
We are inspired by people who have
done this – athletes, scientists, artists, adventurers
of every kind – because deep down we know that we have
the will power and the urge to push ourselves further,
just as they have done. Most thinking people realize
that we are not born in order to live in contentment and
procrastination, but we are here to contribute to the
advancement of mankind in some way, to take control of
our lives and to push the limits that bind us that much
further. We instinctively know that all advancement on
this planet stems from this urge, this desire, this will
to move mountains. We are the "salt of the
Earth," the ordinary person, the fortunate person
who doesn’t have to struggle just to survive. We are
truly blessed.
Although time spent lifting weights
at the gym, or performing some other kind of exercise,
is important to keep our physical bodies in shape, it is
our soul workout that is more important. Through
doing this we can improve our health, our mental powers
and above all, begin to express our soul qualities and
so start to advance along the path of spiritual
evolution – the ultimate quest of us all.
We stand on the shores of a vast universe that
continues to amaze and inspire us with awe and wonder
every time a new discovery is made. Despite recent
developments in rockets, computers, and other marvels of
science, we are painfully ignorant of the world in which
we live. We are even more ignorant of our inner universe
which, for some reason many have forgotten about and
ignore, despite an ever more urgent need to uncover the
truth of our existence. If we take the time to be silent
and reflect; if we are really honest, somewhere deep
within us we know that something is missing.
Our everyday life has become increasingly
competitive, full of anxiety, disease, stress and the
pursuit of materialism. Most of us are on this seemingly
endless treadmill with little relief in sight. Because
of this we often develop an inner emptiness, sense of
futility and restlessness. Why? Because by being caught
up in the many traps of material life, we are in effect
putting our hands over our eyes – the mirrors of our
souls – and are then left groping in the dark.
What really is the use of spending all our time and
energy on our worldly dreams? Even if we were to become
a great singer, we would eventually lose our voice;
every great athlete eventually has his or her day. The
businessman who amasses a fortune will have to leave it
behind him when he dies. It is only logical, therefore,
to spend at least some time and energy in our lives on
increasing our spiritual wealth, for this is never
wasted. Our spiritual wealth, which we amass through our
good thoughts and actions, will grow and accumulate in
our "spiritual bank account." This spiritual
bank account will pay us dividends forever. Even when we
are reborn, we will be able to reclaim this wealth that
will always work for our benefit, for good deeds are
never wasted.
When we realize and find God in our lives and when we
start to act upon our highest inspirations, our lives
will take on a whole new meaning and purpose. Suddenly
all the problems in our material lives will seem more
easily managed and less important and some may vanish
altogether.
Not only should we work at our self-mastery and
growth, but we also have to do so with regularity. We
cannot just make one great attempt and expect our goal
to be reached. It is like anything else. Let us take a
fruit tree as an example. After the seed has been
planted it first sprouts and then eventually grows into
a tree. Before it can produce fruit, a specific amount
of time must pass. Further, the tree must be exposed to
a certain amount of light and heat and consume a certain
amount of nutrients and water. If it does not get these
elements in appropriate amounts and at the appropriate
time the trees growth will be stunted; it may even die
before reaching maturity. If it is deprived of the
proper amount of light for months and is suddenly
bombarded by intense light for days at a time, just
imagine what will happen to that poor tree? Our soul,
like the tree, must be nurtured and encouraged in the
same way through steady, regular practice.
We then need an effective way in which to perform our
soul workout. There are many books on yoga and the
spiritual sciences that teach the path to enlightenment.
Yoga means "union with God" and there are many
different paths of yoga we can take in order to find the
God within. These range from the popular Hatha Yoga that
consists of physical postures; to the many other forms
of yoga, little known in the West, for example, Gnani
Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Mudra Yoga,
Kundalini Yoga, and others.
As mentioned, I have practiced and taught aspects of
several of these forms of yoga, as well as many of the
spiritual sciences. However, I have drawn upon the
teachings of my Master and those from ancient wisdom,
and designed a Workout for the Soul so
that anyone can use it, whether or not they have any
knowledge of yoga and metaphysics. To really advance in
spiritual ways will take hours of time, effort, and
energy each day, just as to really become a world-class
athlete you must be completely dedicated to your
success. However, my Workout for the Soul
is a starting point. It consists of simple, progressive
steps that lead to a simple workout that can be
performed in just fifteen minutes a day.
Why should you bother to do this at
all? I can give you a list of benefits that include:
greater dynamism and personal magnetism, better
concentration, more accessible intuitive powers, greater
self confidence, more understanding of your own unique
destiny, better health, inner joy and fulfillment.
However, in our quest for inner fitness, the ultimate
goal is to become more fully human by first realizing
the God potential within and then expressing this for
the benefit of all. In our ultimate quest, it is the
journey back to God that becomes the goal.
Once we start to glimpse the wonder
and beauty that is within us, we will not hesitate to
delve even deeper. We will be like the man dying of
thirst in the desert who sees an oasis just before him.
He would not just stop there and stare; he would be
filled with hope and joy at the glimpse of this
sparkling water, just as our souls will delight when
they glimpse the sparkling waters of truth and wonder
that reside within us all – the Spark of God.
In the words of the great Yoga
Master, Sri Ramakrishna:
"When you add zeros
successively to the digit one, you get figures whose
value increases proportionally; a hundred, a thousand, a
million, etc., but without the digit one before them,
they are of no value. Similarly God is the "number
one" in all the values of life. If you leave Him
out of the picture in life’s pursuits, those pursuits
become a string of worthless zeros."
Many people attempt to live at a superficial level,
skating across the surface. Unfortunately, it is usually
through painful experience that the wake-up call comes.
The universe doesn’t care about our career status; the
make of car we have or whether we live in the right part
of town. We are conditioned to think that to be
responsible we must have all these things and we
continue to stifle our soul. Where is our real
responsibility? It is to break free of the limitations
of convention by thinking our own thoughts; by trusting
in our intuition; applying discrimination and awakening
our full potential.
This is a journey of courage and the first brave step
we must take is to analyze and challenge even our own
beliefs and prejudices. If we do so, then at every step
of the journey we will find ourselves opening up to
forces beyond our comprehension. Again, it will take
courage to go deeper, beyond where we have gone before,
into the uncharted territories of our inner self and the
nature of our soul.
First we must take that leap of faith before we will
do anything different from our normal routine; most of
us are resistant to change, even when we know
intuitively that the time has come for us to do so. We
feel we can no longer hold onto the past, but are afraid
to go forward into an unknown future. That is why so
many people desperately try to stay where they are,
afraid to change and not sure how to do so anyway.
However, once we have taken the leap of faith we will
find that although we may not yet be able to fly, we can
experience things equally as magical.
There are so many distractions in life. There are so
very many things that will try and pull us off our
paths. However, the more you persist, the more you will
build your soul qualities of will and strength which
will help you to continue. Perseverance and practice
really are the keys, just as in learning and acquiring
any new skill. The rewards with this particular skill
– soul awakening – are far greater and they will
last forever and forever. Every day you can build a
stronger bridge to the jewels that reside within you.
© Copyright Chrissie Blaze.
Excerpted from "Workout for the Soul: 8 Steps to
Inner Fitness," published by AsLan
Publishing, Inc.
Audio Download by Chrissie Blaze:
Understanding Astrology: 2010-2012 The Cardinal Renaissance
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Living) Chrissie Blaze is an international
speaker, metaphysician, author and regular media guest
and has been a keynote speaker at conferences and expos
in the U.S. and U.K. Blaze is a professional astrologer
who qualified at the Faculty of Astrological Studies,
London. She has eight published books and her latest
book is Deeper Into Love: 7 Keys to a Heart-Based
Spirituality, October 2011. She has a popular
astrology website at
http://www.chrissieblaze.com which receives over
500,000 hits per month. For further information,
consultations or advice, please visit
http://www.chrissieblaze.com.
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