Spiritual development happens through many ways that will be unique to each individual. But we can simplify it to the 4 things we must do in order for spiritual awakening to happen.
The first factor to spiritual development is daily practice. For most people, some form of meditation is the main part of their practice. Pick a meditation technique that works for you and practice it every day. It could be silently repeating a mantra. It could be using self-inquiry or silently repeating “I am” to help you rest in the feeling of being or awareness. It could be just being aware of what is in this moment. What is most important is that the practice works for you enough that you will stay with it for a period of time.
The second part of spiritual development is taking care of your mind and body. Diet is extremely important. What you put into your body has a large effect on your awareness and subtle energy. Exercise is also very important to keep your body healthy and to help the flow of subtle energy. What you put into your mind through television, music and other media also has a deep effect on you.
The third factor to spiritual development which many people overlook is the awakening of the subtle energy within you, also known as Shakti or Kundalini energy. When this energy is awakened in you, you feel it as peace or bliss or love. Not as an emotion but something extremely profound that attracts you. You are feeling the essence of what you are, what everything is. By receiving Shakti, you given a direct experience of spiritual awakening in the form of energy. It is this energy that leads you to spiritual awakening.
There are 2 main ways you awaken this energy. One is through the direct transmission from a fully enlightened teacher that can transmit Shakti. You may have to travel far to find and enlightened teacher that can transmit Shakti to you. The easier way is through sound which you can read about in the end of this article. Without this spiritual energy, your spiritual development will be go very slowly.
When you do these 3 things; daily meditation practice, taking care of the body and mind, and receive Shakti on a regular basis, you will start to awaken to feelings of peace, bliss, love and silence. Your awareness will increase which leads to the fourth factor to spiritual development.
The fourth factor to spiritual development and spiritual awakening is surrender. As your awareness and experience of peace, bliss, love and silence increases, it will start to unravel you sense of being a separate “me.” You may feel mental or emotional upheaval for periods of time and these times are incredibly important.
Because if you can surrender and just allow what comes up to be in awareness, without resistance, without trying to change it but just allow it in full acceptance, then you become free of the limiting perception you have of yourself and your life. Your sense of being a separate ‘me’ begins to relax into oneness. You come to realize the one consciousness that you are and everything is. In this realization, spiritual awakening happens.
If you are looking for an easy way to receive Shakti as talked about earlier, you can receive it in your own home through sound. Just by listening to this “Shakti Music” you receive Shakti and begin to feel it as bliss. Then you can enjoy this experience of bliss anytime you choose just by listening to the CDs.