Are you practicing meditation but feeling that you are not progressing on the spiritual path? Spiritual realization is less about doing and more about dissociation from false identification of Self. So, meditation alone will not lead you to spiritual realization. But, meditation, combined with spiritual understanding will lead you to progress spiritually. Here, I am sharing a few tips and techniques which may help you to further progress on this path:

Removing initial roadblocks to spiritual awakening

When we come on the spiritual path following our inner calling or by whatever factor which prompted us to follow this path, we come with many pre-conceived notions about spirituality.  These pre-conceived notions get developed from the family, society during our upbringing or we develop our own based on what we looked around. That’s quite natural and it happens with everyone. But, those preconceived notions create real barriers to our spiritual growth. So on the path of spiritual maturing, it is equally important to remove our preconceived notions and explore this path with an open mind and curiosity. Here, I am indicating a few of such roadblocks which may hinder your spiritual progress.

The first roadblock to spiritual awakening is that many of us do not believe that spiritual awakening can happen to them or they can advance spiritually. There may be various reasons for such disbelief in themself and that may vary from person to person. Some of the most common reasons why many people think so are – feeling of not being good enough or worthy, the belief that spiritual awakening is not possible to the people who are living family and working life and it may happen only who live monk life or do studious spiritual practices or the belief that spiritual awakening is not possible without following a specific spiritual master, etc.

I myself suffered from such preconceived notions for many years. But, later on, I realized that those were imaginary and not true. The door of spiritual growth is open for everyone.  If one is really desiring, he/she can grow and advance on the spiritual path no matter where he/she has been or is right now in one’s life.

Few vital steps on the path of spiritual deepening

Spiritual awakening which is also referred to as Self-Realization is more about our disassociation with our false identities and less about doing spiritual practices. So, meditation alone will not let you discover your true self but there is also an important element that needed to be combined with meditation and that is – understanding and disassociation with the false self. So, in order to deepen our spiritual realization, we need to eliminate the following blocks :

  • Social conditioning
  • Mental conditioning
  • Identity blocks
  • Egoic blocks

One simple practice to spiritual submerging

There are various methods and techniques which are adopted and practiced in different spiritual traditions and I was confused about which to follow. I wished that for normal people who have responsibilities of family and have to work, there should be some simple practice that does not require much time or lifestyle change but is effective in spiritual growth. I am sharing one such technique and I believe that it can help you on your spiritual journey:

Dropping technique: (Practice it with closed eyes in any comfortable posture preferably in sitting posture. It can be at any time which is comfortable and convenient to you. )

At beginner stage(1-10 days; Total time required: 10 minutes): Take a nice deep breath and leave your body relaxed. Few times, internally say – “I am nothing, I am nothing” and drop everything from your mind. You will feel nothingness or emptiness within you. Be in that state of inner emptiness and, put your attention at the center of your heart. Feel the peace of your empty inner being and keep your attention on your heart. Practice this technique for 10 minutes every day for  10 days. Try to preserve that peace during your daily activities as far as possible.

At practitioner Stage(11-21 days; Total time required: 15 minutes): After the beginner stage, there comes the practitioner stage. In this stage, first, you practice the above technique for 10 minutes. Then free your attention from the heart and observe the nothingness or emptiness within you. That place of nothingness or emptiness in your being is the place where you discover your hidden spiritual genius. So, be in that state for some time, and based on your experience try to develop an understanding of that state of your being by observing whether that nothingness lacks or needs something. Whether any achievement of the external world adds anything to it? Whether any loss of the external world takes away anything from it? Whether that nothingness is joyful and restful or otherwise? You may discover that your inner-being when freed up from external identities and accumulations, is a quite peaceful and joyful state. Allow yourself to be merged with that peace and joy of your inner being. Practice it for 5 minutes. You may continue it for more times if you wish. Try to preserve that peace and joy during your daily activities as far as possible.

At Advance Stage(After 21 days; Total time required: 15 minutes): In this stage, you practice the first stage practice for 5 minutes and then the second stage practice for 5 minutes and be merged with inner emptiness and spaciousness.  Then, be aware that even in that state of emptiness or nothingness observing remains which observe that nothingness. Be aware of the observing which witnesses and confirms that there is nothingness. Feel yourself as that identity free observing which observes everything, but cannot be observed. Remain in that observing for 5 minutes in the state of the observer. Try to preserve that observer state during your daily activities as far as possible.

I hope this will be helpful on your spiritual journey.

Stay blessed!