7 Spiritual Habits You Cannot Live Without

Let's face it. Most of us struggle with staying connected with spirituality throughout the day. Our busy lives are not conducive to it. Most of us get so absorbed in the daily grind we forget that we are so much more than errands, and business deals, and emails and tasks. 

So here are 7 spiritual habits you can incorporate into your life that will make sure that you keep your spirituality and vitality every single day of your life. 

How will you remember them, you wonder? I made it easy for you with the following acronym to serve as a memory tool.

"LIGHT UP”
which stands for:

1.     Rise Like a Lion

The Code of Jewish Law begins with the words “Strengthen yourself like a lion to rise in the morning to serve God”. Open your eyes! Take a moment to appreciate the new day. Say Modeh Ani. And jump out of bed!

2.     Torah Inspiration

Torah study unlocks the power of self-growth, Jewish identity and connection to God.  Today one can find almost any Torah topic available in multiple languages, online and in MP3 format. Even 15 minutes a day can have a profound effect. So no excuses!

3.     Give Tzedaka

Our Sages teach that it is better to give “smaller” sums of charity, but do it frequently, than to occasionally give a very large sum, because it habituates us to be generous. So keep that Tzedaka box handy and when it is full, donate it to your favorite cause. 

4.     Hitbodedut (Alone time/Meditation)

Meditation isn’t just for Yogis. It is an ancient Jewish practice. For some it means closing your eyes, breathing and clearing your mind. For others it means taking a walk and thinking about the bigger things in life. But it is essential for your mind and mood.   

5.     Thank Hashem (Blessings)

God gives us a whole world of pleasure. All he asks in return is that we show gratitude by making the proper blessings. Though it takes some time to get the blessings down, once you’ve got it, they are easy and inspiring.

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6.     Unplug- Time for family and friends

Our world throws at us massive amounts of hyper-stimulation from our phones, email and social media. Take some time every day to unplug and connect with your loved ones in a very real way.

7.     Pardon- Forgive and Let go

There is a special declaration Jews say before bed time that we forgive anyone that has wronged us. When we forgive, God forgives. When we go to sleep happy, we wake up refreshed, replenished and ready to back to step 1 and RISE LIKE A LION!