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Workout for the Soul
by Chrissie Blaze


Life is a series of journeys. Each journey starts with an initial step that requires our courage and faith. To complete the journey takes determination and will. Whether it is a physical journey, a mental journey or a spiritual one, the ingredients for success are the same. The spiritual journey is the most difficult one of all and the most rewarding. Why? Because we are so used to scratching the surface of life that going deep within ourselves requires greater effort and commitment. It is the most rewarding, because with spiritual growth we learn that the journey is in fact the goal.

Workout for the Soul by Chrissie Blaze

Every person in history who has attained self-mastery has started his or her inner journey at the same place as you or me. My spiritual teacher, Dr. George King, was an extremely unusual and enlightened man. At the age of twelve he went into the woods one day and was inspired to send healing to his sick mother; shortly afterwards she was completely cured from a life-threatening illness. Such occurrences, commonly regarded as miracles, were to become a part of his everyday life. He went on to discover that healing could be done on not only an individual level, but on a global scale. This was to become part of his life’s mission, which was an exceptional one.

Dr. King sat down one day and started a series of spiritual practices. After years of intense and diligent practice for many hours each day, he eventually attained enlightenment and became a master of many forms of yoga. He attained ultimate self-mastery, the elevated state of "union with God", known in the East as "samadhi." He no longer just believed things were true; now he was a "knower." He could understand the real mysteries of creation and had discovered the world of lasting inner bliss. However, his personal advancement led him to realize that he must leave this rich, inner world in order to give his power, strength, courage and inspiration in the service of mankind.

You may have begun your journey to go deeper, to understand more and express the divinity within. You may have already heard the voice of your higher self. You may have been through experiences that, in retrospect, have served to move you from an egocentric groove to a more God-centered place. It is usually at this point, that we become aware that our true mission in life is not just about earning a decent living and having lots of nice things. Although the full blossoming of divine powers may still be far from our minds, we begin to make more conscious choices towards what is right, and feel more aware that we are all just a small part of something huge. It is then we start to feel frustrated at our ignorance, whereas previously we were satisfied. It is at this point that we yearn to know our true destiny and to fathom the mysteries of our inner self.

The biography of Viktor Frankl is very inspiring and it was through his own personal suffering that he learned the vital importance of the soul and inner fitness. He was a respected psychiatrist in Vienna who was captured by the Nazis in World War II and thrown into a concentration camp where he endured terrible years of imprisonment. The terrible hardship and limitation he endured there forced him to go within and he discovered many things about the human condition. His discoveries – which were fundamental to the ancient mystics – were that every man and woman has an innate human impulse to understand the purpose of life. He found through his further studies that, if this impulse is thwarted, it results in sickness. He found that it is not just outer conditions that make us sick, but it is also the inner struggles and frustrations. These are a real part of our desire to discover just what we are born to do. Workout for the Soul will, if practiced, help us in our inner journey and enable us to find our place in life, so that our own frustrations can be healed at a deep level.

Mercury Retrograde by Chrissie Blaze

My own expertise does not lie in the business world, the athletic world or academia, but in the world of metaphysics, yoga and the spiritual sciences. I began my studies into the psychic and spiritual realms in the 1960s, at the early age of 14. My own urge towards personal growth is in these areas and this led me to the fortunate position of meeting my spiritual teacher, Dr. King, whom I recognized as an extremely unusual man and Spiritual Master. His life was a mission for world peace and enlightenment; all of his energy, his genius and his scientific and spiritual knowledge were towards this end. He passed on in 1997 and left behind him a spiritual legacy that will not be fully understood for decades. One of the things he taught was that practicality is the key in this new millennium: not theories, hopes or wishes, but practical action.

When I first started my own inner journey, I spent years finding the techniques that suited me. I have spent hours visualizing different objects, forms and colors in psychic development groups. I have practiced and taught the psychic art of psychometry, the art of divination through touching objects. I have studied and practiced hands-on healing for twenty years and taught it for fifteen years. I have performed breathing exercises in different environments, and have felt the elevating effects of the great pranas of creation coursing through me.

I have made an intense study and practice of prayer, under the skilled direction of my Master, and am now highly experienced in a powerful method of radiating spiritual energy, which he termed "dynamic prayer." I have not only prayed for the plight of mankind, as I am sure you have done many times, but have learned that prayer is one of the greatest of the spiritual sciences which can be used to heal and perform miracles.

For over twenty-five years, I have studied and practiced the science of mantra. This is a sacred ritual of the repetition of sounds in Sanskrit and by doing this we can change ourselves as well as our environment for the better. I have had many interesting psychic experiences, as a result of these years of spiritual practices, and I have developed my intuition to a fairly high level so that it is a reliable, trustworthy friend.

One thing I realized is that it is more important to have a system of practices that you can perform at least three times every week, instead of spending eight hours one day and then doing nothing for several months. It is repetition, practice and more practice that brings results. Consistency really is the key to success in spiritual matters, just as it is in every other area of our lives. I believe that your Workout for the Soul will not only be effective in helping you to gain some degree of enlightenment, but will generate within you a deeper desire to help others and the world as a whole.

Our world needs help. Unfortunately there has been so much conflict and war in our world in the name of religion. The result is that many people are seeking a new understanding -- a universal religion -- spirituality without dogma or hypocrisy. Over the years, we have seen a deep desire in people of different backgrounds and religious beliefs, to manifest their divine potential and to work together with other good-hearted people in the service of mankind. The word "service" is often misunderstood and is certainly not a popular concept. It is, however, far more beneficial than work alone. When we work we produce things, but when we serve, we become something; as such it is a vitally important part of our soul growth and an essential part of this workout.

Edgar Cayce, who helped millions of people with his famous life-readings, summed it up in another way when he said:

"Know that the purpose for which each soul enters a material experience is that it may be a light unto others."

It is only when we realize this that we begin to find the deeper inner fulfillment of our soul’s purpose.

There is a story in Greek mythology of Theseus, a great king and hero of Athens who went down to the netherworld where the lord of the netherworld offered him a chair. Theseus didn’t realize that it was the chair of forgetfulness and he sat down and instantly forgot everything. He forgot who he was, where he came from, and why he came down to the netherworld in the first place. He just sat there until Hercules came and got him out. This story is an allegory about man and woman. We have forgotten what we are and why we are here. We are not physical beings striving to be spiritual; we are spiritual beings in physical bodies. We are all sparks of God, we only have to remember it, realize it and then learn how to re-awaken our divine nature.

Material life constantly encourages us to be superficial. We are judged not so much by our character, our integrity, our honesty, our spirituality, but by how well we fit into the standards laid down by those who wish us to conform. Whether you are a parent, or the president of a country, it is far easier to deal with a family or a nation of pleasant, apathetic sheep, than a group of vital, vibrant, independent, courageous, self-motivated, spiritually minded individuals. It is, however, the latter group who change our world for the better; the former just maintain the status quo, no matter how corrupt it may become.

Workout for the Soul is not about self-knowledge, although that is a part of it. It is not about self-realization, although that is essential. It is about expressing your divinity, realizing that we are all one, and working towards the enlightenment of all mankind. By having the very highest motive, you will obtain the best results and your own progress will be that much more successful.

Most of us reading this are in the fortunate position of having a roof over our heads at night. We have two or three meals each day, probably a job, a car and regular vacations. Many of us have families and friends whom we love and take regular trips out to dinner, a movie and the local shopping mall. Many of us have a college education and are in reasonable health; we may even make fairly regular trips to the local gym. We never seem to have enough money, but somehow we always get by. Our hearts go out to those less fortunate and to the suffering around the world. We are moved by the poverty and contribute regularly to a charity of our choice. We are pretty good on the whole and are ready to lend a helping hand. We are among the most fortunate people on this Earth and many of us, realizing that there is more, search for the next step. This is the step towards personal growth, self-development, and advancement. We have read books that tell us we are only using a small portion of our potential and want to use more.

We are inspired by people who have done this – athletes, scientists, artists, adventurers of every kind – because deep down we know that we have the will power and the urge to push ourselves further, just as they have done. Most thinking people realize that we are not born in order to live in contentment and procrastination, but we are here to contribute to the advancement of mankind in some way, to take control of our lives and to push the limits that bind us that much further. We instinctively know that all advancement on this planet stems from this urge, this desire, this will to move mountains. We are the "salt of the Earth," the ordinary person, the fortunate person who doesn’t have to struggle just to survive. We are truly blessed.

Although time spent lifting weights at the gym, or performing some other kind of exercise, is important to keep our physical bodies in shape, it is our soul workout that is more important. Through doing this we can improve our health, our mental powers and above all, begin to express our soul qualities and so start to advance along the path of spiritual evolution – the ultimate quest of us all.

We stand on the shores of a vast universe that continues to amaze and inspire us with awe and wonder every time a new discovery is made. Despite recent developments in rockets, computers, and other marvels of science, we are painfully ignorant of the world in which we live. We are even more ignorant of our inner universe which, for some reason many have forgotten about and ignore, despite an ever more urgent need to uncover the truth of our existence. If we take the time to be silent and reflect; if we are really honest, somewhere deep within us we know that something is missing.

Our everyday life has become increasingly competitive, full of anxiety, disease, stress and the pursuit of materialism. Most of us are on this seemingly endless treadmill with little relief in sight. Because of this we often develop an inner emptiness, sense of futility and restlessness. Why? Because by being caught up in the many traps of material life, we are in effect putting our hands over our eyes – the mirrors of our souls – and are then left groping in the dark.

What really is the use of spending all our time and energy on our worldly dreams? Even if we were to become a great singer, we would eventually lose our voice; every great athlete eventually has his or her day. The businessman who amasses a fortune will have to leave it behind him when he dies. It is only logical, therefore, to spend at least some time and energy in our lives on increasing our spiritual wealth, for this is never wasted. Our spiritual wealth, which we amass through our good thoughts and actions, will grow and accumulate in our "spiritual bank account." This spiritual bank account will pay us dividends forever. Even when we are reborn, we will be able to reclaim this wealth that will always work for our benefit, for good deeds are never wasted.

When we realize and find God in our lives and when we start to act upon our highest inspirations, our lives will take on a whole new meaning and purpose. Suddenly all the problems in our material lives will seem more easily managed and less important and some may vanish altogether.

Not only should we work at our self-mastery and growth, but we also have to do so with regularity. We cannot just make one great attempt and expect our goal to be reached. It is like anything else. Let us take a fruit tree as an example. After the seed has been planted it first sprouts and then eventually grows into a tree. Before it can produce fruit, a specific amount of time must pass. Further, the tree must be exposed to a certain amount of light and heat and consume a certain amount of nutrients and water. If it does not get these elements in appropriate amounts and at the appropriate time the trees growth will be stunted; it may even die before reaching maturity. If it is deprived of the proper amount of light for months and is suddenly bombarded by intense light for days at a time, just imagine what will happen to that poor tree? Our soul, like the tree, must be nurtured and encouraged in the same way through steady, regular practice.

We then need an effective way in which to perform our soul workout. There are many books on yoga and the spiritual sciences that teach the path to enlightenment. Yoga means "union with God" and there are many different paths of yoga we can take in order to find the God within. These range from the popular Hatha Yoga that consists of physical postures; to the many other forms of yoga, little known in the West, for example, Gnani Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Mudra Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and others.

As mentioned, I have practiced and taught aspects of several of these forms of yoga, as well as many of the spiritual sciences. However, I have drawn upon the teachings of my Master and those from ancient wisdom, and designed a Workout for the Soul so that anyone can use it, whether or not they have any knowledge of yoga and metaphysics. To really advance in spiritual ways will take hours of time, effort, and energy each day, just as to really become a world-class athlete you must be completely dedicated to your success. However, my Workout for the Soul is a starting point. It consists of simple, progressive steps that lead to a simple workout that can be performed in just fifteen minutes a day.

Why should you bother to do this at all? I can give you a list of benefits that include: greater dynamism and personal magnetism, better concentration, more accessible intuitive powers, greater self confidence, more understanding of your own unique destiny, better health, inner joy and fulfillment. However, in our quest for inner fitness, the ultimate goal is to become more fully human by first realizing the God potential within and then expressing this for the benefit of all. In our ultimate quest, it is the journey back to God that becomes the goal.

Once we start to glimpse the wonder and beauty that is within us, we will not hesitate to delve even deeper. We will be like the man dying of thirst in the desert who sees an oasis just before him. He would not just stop there and stare; he would be filled with hope and joy at the glimpse of this sparkling water, just as our souls will delight when they glimpse the sparkling waters of truth and wonder that reside within us all – the Spark of God.

In the words of the great Yoga Master, Sri Ramakrishna:

"When you add zeros successively to the digit one, you get figures whose value increases proportionally; a hundred, a thousand, a million, etc., but without the digit one before them, they are of no value. Similarly God is the "number one" in all the values of life. If you leave Him out of the picture in life’s pursuits, those pursuits become a string of worthless zeros."

Many people attempt to live at a superficial level, skating across the surface. Unfortunately, it is usually through painful experience that the wake-up call comes. The universe doesn’t care about our career status; the make of car we have or whether we live in the right part of town. We are conditioned to think that to be responsible we must have all these things and we continue to stifle our soul. Where is our real responsibility? It is to break free of the limitations of convention by thinking our own thoughts; by trusting in our intuition; applying discrimination and awakening our full potential.

This is a journey of courage and the first brave step we must take is to analyze and challenge even our own beliefs and prejudices. If we do so, then at every step of the journey we will find ourselves opening up to forces beyond our comprehension. Again, it will take courage to go deeper, beyond where we have gone before, into the uncharted territories of our inner self and the nature of our soul.

First we must take that leap of faith before we will do anything different from our normal routine; most of us are resistant to change, even when we know intuitively that the time has come for us to do so. We feel we can no longer hold onto the past, but are afraid to go forward into an unknown future. That is why so many people desperately try to stay where they are, afraid to change and not sure how to do so anyway. However, once we have taken the leap of faith we will find that although we may not yet be able to fly, we can experience things equally as magical.

There are so many distractions in life. There are so very many things that will try and pull us off our paths. However, the more you persist, the more you will build your soul qualities of will and strength which will help you to continue. Perseverance and practice really are the keys, just as in learning and acquiring any new skill. The rewards with this particular skill – soul awakening – are far greater and they will last forever and forever. Every day you can build a stronger bridge to the jewels that reside within you.


© Copyright Chrissie Blaze.  Excerpted from "Workout for the Soul: 8 Steps to Inner Fitness," published by AsLan Publishing, Inc.

Audio Download by Chrissie Blaze:

 Understanding Astrology: 2010-2012 The Cardinal Renaissance

 

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Books by Chrissie Blaze:

       Workout for the Soul by Chrissie Blaze                  Mercury Retrograde by Chrissie Blaze
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Chrissie Blaze is an international speaker, metaphysician, author and regular media guest and has been a keynote speaker at conferences and expos in the U.S. and U.K. Blaze is a professional astrologer who qualified at the Faculty of Astrological Studies, London. She has eight published books and her latest book is Deeper Into Love: 7 Keys to a Heart-Based Spirituality, October 2011.

She has a popular astrology website at http://www.chrissieblaze.com which receives over 500,000 hits per month.  For further information, consultations or advice, please visit http://www.chrissieblaze.com.

 

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