The spiritual path is one of raising consciousness. Experience for yourself how changing your awareness can bring you a new way of living.

Exercise 1 - Why do you want to be more spiritual?

"There is no room for God in him who is full of himself."
-- Hasidic saying

Ego can be fascinated with spirituality. Ego loves to study techniques like meditation. It loves to go through the motions, to act the part. It loves to imitate our greatest teachers. Ego always wants to be more, do more and have more, because this reassures it that it is safe and valuable and worthy. But it won't let go of its self-consciousness - that step is too frightening.

What if we could experience what is in this moment without trying to manipulate it for our own gain? This would involve really listening, observing and being present without relating back to the self. We go beyond ego when we can release its ambitions and just BE with what is. It’s a process of dropping ego’s perceptions and motives, so we can experience being fully present.

We do not have to GET anything to become a spiritual person. We already are spiritual beings - we have only to recognize that.

EXERCISE: The WISE WHYS - This exercise will help you explore your deepest motives for developing your spirituality. Ask yourself the question: "Why do I want to be more spiritual?" Listen closely for the answer that comes to mind. Write the answer that comes up, and then ask yourself "Why do I want that?" ?” When an answer comes up, ask yourself again, “Why do I want that?” Continue with this process until you get no more answers.

"Make your ego porous. Will is of little importance, complaining is nothing, fame is nothing. Openness, patience, receptivity, solitude is everything." -- Rainer Maria Rilke

Exercise 2 - How soulful is your life?

"People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges." -- Joseph F. Newton

Soul exists in connection. We experience soul when we open to life - when we stop and become conscious of relationships.

We lose soul with anything that brings separation:

• resistance - to anyone or anything
• superficiality - we skim the surface of experience, and do not seek depth
• control - we try to control the relationship
• selfishness - we remain self-centered.

As you go through your day, pay attention to how you relate to other people and things in your life.

• What do you typically resist?
• Which interactions feel superficial?
• What situations do you seek to control in your life? How does this need to control affect your ability to connect with the other?

Write a few answers to each question in your journal. Review your notes and identify the ways you most obviously block your experiences of soul. Often, just being aware of a block begins to release it.

"Peace is not won by those who fiercely guard their differences but by those who with open minds and hearts seek out connections." -- Katherine Paterson

Exercise 3 - Do you live more from personality or soul?

"All of us souls are on a circular journey, from beginning to beginning. Nourishing the soul helps move us through the physical incarnation - the 'John' part of the journey - and bring us back to the state of pure awareness again."
-- Ram Dass

We all have a working knowledge of our personalities but our souls are more elusive. Soul is our essence. Until we get to know our soul, we do not really know ourselves. We can't understand the meaning of what happens in our lives or experience peace.

Learning how the personality differs from the soul will help you be more aware of which one is operating at any time. This awareness will allow you to consciously shift into soul, if you choose. As we become more soul infused, we experience more meaning, beauty, goodness and truth in our lives.

by: http://www.higherawareness.com