7 ways to pass spiritual testing
7 ways to pass spiritual testing
1. Don’t panic. It’s on purpose.
Spiritual testing has a way of making us feel isolated, alone, singled out by the gods to punish us. It’s not called testing by accident, when we are on the spiritual path we are watched. Why are we tested in school? It is to see how we are doing in our studies, what do we really know? What have we retained? How are we using it in life? Testing pushes us to see how really strong our spiritual muscles are, and the Divine watches to see if we are ready to go on to the next thing. It is kind and merciful to be tested. It makes us stop for a bit and really assess. If we just sail on unencumbered and unprepared into places and actions that we are not ready for, the outcomes could be negative.
2. Use what you’ve got.
If you are on the spiritual path you undoubtedly have a set of skills and practices that you use daily. This is the great value of forming good habits that are so entrenched that even if the outer world seems to be throwing everything it’s got at you, you have automatic reactions that take you to a higher space. Sit down and make a list of everything you do that brings you peace and centeredness in order of how effective you feel that is in grounding you. Establish the top 2 or three things and really double down with those. Practice a lot. You will start to feel that energy pushing out the emotional responses and negativity. Do it until you feel peace.
3. Chant.
If you don’t have a good solid chanting practice, start one. Chanting is a lot more that just repeating a word or set of words over and over. Chanting a sacred mantra, which can be whatever you feel to be sacred, brings your energy and frequency to a higher level, and replaces the monkey mind. Toxic mind chatter is relentless and is powerful to keep you out of the present moment, powerful to keep you in a continuous state of worry, anger, agitation, depression. The mind can be a valuable tool, but when it runs the show you don’t go anywhere but down that road of one dimensional mortal experience. The name of a saint or light being for instance, will have a soul of its own. When you call it, it will come to assist you.
4. Establish a forgiveness practice.
The teaching in many disciplines is that what goes around, comes around. Call it karma, fate, action and reaction. Believe it or not, like it or not it is a spiritual reality. If you’ve done some painful thing to someone in this or any lifetime, the scales of justice are perfect, and that debt must be paid. Shy of a full blessing from an enlightened teacher, you can balance a lot of that yourself through forgiveness. It is a real mind shift for a lot of people to realize that we might have caused terrible harm to a soul or souls, and that is why we are experiencing that very same suffering in this lifetime. It’s the law, and it’s inescapable. Can you said very sincerely,
“I am truly sorry for causing that pain to you! Please please forgive me. I will do my best not to make those mistakes again, and I will serve others more. Please forgive me.”
And vice versa, don’t hold any unforgiveness in your heart or mind. Revenge, getting back, blame, anger, are all hot coals held to the heart. Let them go.
5. Meditate.
The word meditation carries a lot of baggage frankly, and it doesn’t need to. It can be what you want it to be, as long as it takes you to a place of stillness, no thinking, peace, listening. I personally can go to a meditative state through mindful walking. Combined with chanting I can do that for hours without tiring. It can be gazing at a flower or a candle, reciting a mantra until stillness comes, whatever brings you to the present moment. Call upon your higher soul self to assist you. Listen to its guidance. Meditation can be a place of resting and nourishment, strengthening you for the outer experience again.
6. Serve.
One thing I know for sure, when I am in service to others, I feel energized and empowered. True mindful, heartfelt service takes you out of the “me me me” experience of darkness and challenge, and elevates you to a place where it is your soul that is taking action. I always always feel better after giving a chanting healing program or blessing, interacting with others who are thirsty for whatever love and teaching I might have to offer. Everyone has something going on. Service can be as simply as asking,
“Are you ok? What can I do to help you feel better?”
Or it can be as big as organizing a big event with a group of fellow healers and teachers to bring more light to your corner of experience. Service is stepping out of your mortal experience and offering love in whatever form that takes to others. Service is probably the fastest most effective way to navigate and get through your testing.
7. Self-care.
Sometimes you just have to do an about face and do something else. Do a day trip with your significant other or child. Take a hot bath, have a glass of wine. Watch a Disney movie. Get a massage, a facial, a haircut. Plant something. Kiss your dog. Read some fiction, but keep it positive, all words have energy and frequency and can affect you in a lot of ways. Look at yourself in the mirror, smile, say,
“I love you”
and mean it. Accept yourself. Appreciate yourself. Sigh. Release. Set a trap for subtle negative self-talk. Look at that statement,
“In 100 years this won’t mean a thing”.
Remember that this world as we know it at the human level is illusion, a kind of dream state. Laugh. As Scarlett O’Hara said,
“Tomorrow is another day.”
We don’t know how many tomorrows we have, so make the most of this day.
Kristin Strachan. I am a student of Master Zhi Gang Sha. I am a teacher, author, and spiritual practitioner in Colorado. I am most blessed and thankful.