Do you have a Spiritual Practice?

This is the second part of my review of Return to the Sacred by Jonathan Ellerby. In my last post, April 29, I commented on Dr. Ellerby’s belief that a spiritual practice is necessary for spiritual growth.

Dr. Ellerby presents 12 Master Paths, or different types of spiritual practices. Each has an ancient past, and while most are known to us in some form, his clear presentation and grouping of them is unique.

To assist our choices, Dr. Ellerby groups these twelve possible practices into four dimensions, according to “four spiritual personalities.” All practices are equally viable; the best one depends on the personality of the individual. The four dimensions of personality types are:

Body-Centered Practices: ceremony and ritual, sacred movement, and music and sound
Mind-Centered Practices: prayer, meditation, and sacred study
Heart-Centered Practices: devotion, sacred service, and a guru or teacher
Soul-Centered Practices: aesthetic practice, death practice, and a life path

The challenge is to define which of the four dimensions best describes us, then choose the best practice within that group. Remember, this does not preclude choosing from other groups since most of us experiment with many, if not all, of the practices in our quest. We may finally choose a variety of practices, but I believe that most of us have a dominant group that is our main connection to spirituality.

Which one seems most appropriate as you read through the four groups? Which of the practices seem most comfortable, or which one are you more willing to try? Question your way of reacting to the world. Many of us need some activity when we learn, or we need to read when we learn. That defines the first two groups of Body-Centered and Mind-Centered Practices. Each of these practices is self-explanatory, yet Dr. Ellerby provides excellent commentary on each.

The Heart-centered group includes those who react with emotion as a first response. Devotion, sacred service, and a guru/teacher imply a relationship-based or heart-felt connection.

Again, none of this implies any judgment, just an understanding that we are all different. To be successful, we want to find our greatest strength as our fall-back position before trying others.
The last group may be the hardest to define: aesthetic practice, death practice, and a life path. Most of us don’t decide on extreme fasting or a hermit existence, yet many of our mystics choose this path.

I like the Life Path, or third example of The Soul-Centered Approach. In some ways, this may be a goal of each of us. “Each moment of life is a ceremony in fellowship with all others. Each moment is sacred. That is the greatest path, and you’re always on it” (215). Perhaps this is the path we all aim for.

For our journey, Dr. Ellerby provides 12 possible Master Paths that show us how to reclaim our connection to the Sacred.