This page may be used on other sites or printed as long as it is reproduced in its entirety including the link to this site: Soul Quest Learning Center - http://groups.msn.com/SoulQuestLearningCenter              Daily Life as a Prayer                                                                                                                                                                                                by Barb McLaughlin I offer this idea to you - live your life as a prayer. Feel the power of the Universe that blesses you. Rejoice in it and use it wisely. This morning you woke up with a roof over your head, clothes to wear and food to eat. Live with a grateful attitude. What a glorious world we live in! We are physical and spiritual beings. To stimulate your physical aspects so that they function as well as possible for your benefit and to benefit your fellow humans, I suggest daily activities similar to the following:   You have a mind – exercise and feed it! Read, watch television, listen to the radio, communicate with others, surf the web. Decide what makes sense to you from the input you receive. Only you can decide what you believe. What is your truth? What beliefs work for you? Use your mind. If you feel strongly that something is true for you, don’t let anyone persuade you otherwise. But remember, as our life’s circumstances change, so, too, may our beliefs. You will grow spiritually and be nurtured physically if you let go of beliefs that no longer serve you and allow new ones to flower. You have a body – enjoy and employ it! To make best use of your body, purposely stimulate each one of your 5 senses daily. Be aware of a strong smell and rejoice that your olfactory organs relay that information to your brain. How does it make you feel? What memories does it trigger? Isn’t your nose a wonderful tool? It gives you pleasure and can warn you of danger (as in smelling smoke from a fire). Send feelings of gratitude to your body for your sense of smell. Look at an object and let your optic nerves send the awe of its shape, texture and color to your brain. Explore the way the object appears until you can see it in your mind’s eye with your physical eyes closed. Visualization skills are a powerful tool for manifestation! Your eyes are wonderful gifts also. Be grateful to your body for them. When you eat or drink, hold it in your mouth a little longer than usual before swallowing. Is it sweet, sour, salty, or bland? Allow your taste buds to send the pleasurable impulses to your brain and be aware of them. Not only has the Universe provided you with fuel for your body, you experience the pleasure of enjoyable flavors as an added bonus! Fuel your body well according to what you believe from information you accept as true for you. Have a grateful attitude toward your body for your sense of taste. Use your fingertips to explore the texture of something in your immediate environment. Feel the velvety petals of a flower, the grain of the wood on your kitchen table, or the warmth of the sun streaming through a window. Be aware of the pleasure and sensibility of your sense of touch. Without the nerve endings near the surface of your skin, you wouldn’t know when you were getting burned or cut, for instance. Be grateful for your skin and nerve endings. Stop and just let your ear drums send you signals you might tend to ignore a large portion of the time. Hear the hum of the furnace, a dog barking, or the trickle of a fountain. Delight in the music of everyday life. Our ability to hear gives us pleasure and warning of danger in our immediate environment. Love your ears! Another great way to get in touch with your physical body and to keep it in good working order, is to exercise it. Cardio-vascular exercise keeps our heart and other muscles in shape so that our daily tasks are easier for us. But if you have a job that involves a lot of movement, an additional daily workout may not be necessary. I do highly recommend some other form of body workout, such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong or yoga to promote flexibility and align your mind, body, and spirit. You are made of Spirit - go inside yourself daily with deep contemplation or meditation. Feel the light of your True Self shining through your physical body, giving you the gifts of true wisdom and intuition. Nurture these awesome gifts! Even if you see life from a mostly scientific viewpoint, take a few moments each day to contemplate what you think allows the Universe to function, change, and grow. Open yourself to the wonders of the Universe. Feel the energy coursing through your body, and recognize its power. As the sun rises each day, the moon illuminates the nighttime, and the seasons flow, experience and be aware of, the awe and mystery of nature. Another way to live your life as a prayer is to look outside yourself, as well as in. Performing a selfless act each day shows your love and reverence for all of creation. Do something of your own free will for a friend, family member, or a complete stranger. Give a compliment to your competitive sibling, offer to go grocery shopping for an elderly neighbor, babysit for a harried friend who has a new baby. But whatever kindness you perform will have much more value if you do so without expectations, or strings attached. Do some good, hard work and contribute to society! Pray like you mean it!