A Personal Spirituality: Finding Your Own Way to a Meaningful Life

by Thomas Moore

Spiritual Practice Beyond Institutional Religion and Secularism

As much as science tries to answer all our questions and technology tries to make life easier, there is always a part of us that hungers for something greater. "We have souls that need meaning and purpose as much as the body needs food and water," says Thomas Moore. With A Personal Spirituality, this respected teacher presents a guide for cultivating your own practice and faith - not based on laws etched in rigid tradition but on your inner yearning for wisdom and truth.

How to Let Your Soul Guide Your Spiritual Practice

"The gift of spirituality is not to provide an escape from the world," teaches Moore. "Its power is to take us so deep into the wonder of everyday life that we are fully absorbed, motivated, and inspired." In these sessions he reveals the key steps for developing a deeply engaged practice that arises from your unique perspective and gifts. Here he illuminates the sacred aspect of relationships and sexuality; examines the shadow sides of both spirituality and secularism; offers guidance for relating to the timeless wisdom of religious traditions; and reveals how beauty, art, and deep intuition can serve as your greatest guides and teachers.

"I believe many of us are shifting toward a more intense, substantive spirituality," says Moore. "In this time of unprecedented connection, we have the opportunity to make better spiritual lives than we did before." A Personal Spirituality is a powerful call to find a spiritual path that honors both your rational intelligence and the imperatives of your soul.

Highlights:

Beyond dogma - a new way to relate to religious traditions and text
Soul meditation - a practice that fully embraces memories, fantasies, thoughts, and other so-called "distractions"
How dreams can guide us to the deeper needs of our souls and psyches
Defining a code of ethics and moral guidance based on expansiveness instead of fear
Ordinary mysticism - the art of finding the sacred in anything, even the parts of life we reject or disdain
How we can trust our sexuality as a valued aspect of our spiritual lives
Creating a supportive spiritual community not based around a single shared practice or belief system
Embracing art and beauty for their sacred qualities beyond simple entertainment
Prayer as an affirmation of respect for the unknown and trust in the generosity of life
Using intuition and synchronicity for spiritual guidance

Genres: Nonfiction

Audible Audio

Published January 3, 2016

About the author

Thomas Moore is the author of the bestselling book, Care of the Soul, Ageless Soul, and fifteen other books on deepening spirituality and cultivating soul in every aspect of life. He has been a monk, a musician, a university professor, and a psychotherapist, and today he lectures widely on holistic medicine, spirituality, psychotherapy, and the arts. He lectures frequently in Ireland and has a special love of Irish culture. He has Ph.D. in religion from Syracuse University and has won several awards for his work, including an honorary doctorate from Lesley University and the Humanitarian Award from Einstein Medical School of Yeshiva University. He also has a B.A. in music from DePaul University, an M.A. in musicology from the University of Michigan, and an M.A. in theology from the University of Windsor. He also writes fiction and music and often works with his wife, artist and yoga instructor, Hari Kirin. He writes regular columns for Resurgence and Spirituality & Health.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 1 out of 5]

The entire book could’ve been limited to the closing chapter. It’s not that these ideas don’t have merit, but that the explanation of each is full of words. Much emphasis is placed on terms that sound meaningful but are left undefined except in the vaguest sense. I can count on one hand the number of books in my life that I’ve set aside with no intent of finishing. This one nearly made the list.

[Curt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was OK.