It’s hard to keep up with all things we should be doing to care for ourselves.
Every week scientists release new research supporting old and new methods for keeping us sane. One week we’re told yoga is the answer; the next: meditation; the next: tai chi; then back to yoga. Keeping up-to-date is a challenge.
The truth is there is no right practice for everyone. We should explore and experiment with different practices to discover what works for us. Engage different techniques with an open mind and open heart.
Cognitive Scientist John Vervaeke recommends building an “ecology of practices”. A set of complementary practices to help us weather life gracefully and flourish as humans. But what is an ecology of practices? How does it benefit ones life? And how can one develop it?
What is a practice?
A practice is an activity done regularly in order to improve skill. Practices are deliberate and focused. The behaviour is intentional.
In school, we practice multiplication. We attempt calculations over and over again. A teacher checks our work and gives us a tick or a cross closing the feedback loop. Eventually we internalise the process and have thus learned the skill. We’ve expanded our capabilities.
Peter Limberg described practice nicely: “[Practice is] A recurring action that shapes ones capacity.”
Handstands. Another skill we obviously can’t do without practice. A baby cannot handstand. Most adults are unable to do handstands too. But with practice many are able to learn. Through recurring actions adults can develop their capacity. Building enough upper body strength; developing coordination skills; even learning how to fall gracefully is required; they will eventually be able to handstand.
There are many activities that you were not good at when you first tried them. Through practice you developed your skill. Now you have many. High five! I’m so proud of you.
What is a spiritual & wisdom practice?
Spiritual and wisdom practices are recurring actions designed to shape one’s capacity towards a virtue.
Take metta meditation for example. Metta meditation focuses on cultivating loving kindness (a virtue) towards one’s self and others. The meditator practices by bringing to their mind’s eye different relationships and wishing them well. Daily practice builds this muscle. Proficient metta meditators are able to bring kindness towards everything in life, including unpleasant emotions, difficult people and dire situations. Feeling unconditional love to a person you hate sounds impossible to people who haven’t practiced in this way. And yet it is possible.
Perhaps a friend tells us about a new practice. Or we read about a practice in a book. Maybe we start doing it. We start getting good at it. But we didn’t recognise the virtue that we’re honing. Are we moving towards a version of yourself that you’d like to be. For example, some styles of meditation result in a reduction in your sense of self. This can significantly impact your personality.
I know yoga and meditation, what other spiritual practices can I do?
For any possible skill a human can develop (and humans have many) there are practices to help you cultivate it. The first step to adopting any new practice is having awareness of it
Since we are focused on spiritual and wisdom practices, I’ve included a shortlist below with an example virtue they cultivate (non-exhaustive).
Meditation
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Mindfulness meditation – presence
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Metta meditation – loving kindness
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Jhana meditation – concentration
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Labelling distractions – reframing
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Vipassana – insight
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Body scanning – interoception
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Walking meditation – interoception
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Mantra meditation – concentration
Yoga
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Vinyasa Yoga – focus
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Ashtanga Yoga – coordination
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Hatha Yoga – balance
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Acro Yoga – trust
Movement
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Ecstatic dance – self-expression
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Capoeira – flow
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Parkour – problem solving
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Tai Chi – harmonising
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Qi Gong – harmonising
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Dance – self-expression
Other self-development practices
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Improv – agency
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Breathwork – connectedness
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Circling – empathy
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Authentic Relating – empathy
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Nature connection – connectedness
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Lectio divina – reframing
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Chanting – focus
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Creative writing – creativity
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Journalling – self-awareness
What is an ecology of practices?
An ecology of practices is a set of practices operating in relation to one another.
In any period of our life we may cultivate multiple virtues. We may wish to develop our capacity for love and our ability to problem solve. Or expand our ability to empathise with others and our sense of oneness with the natural world. In order to cultivate these virtues we practice.
Fully developed humans master many skills. Consider a friend who seems extremely competent. Maybe they talk eloquently, they move with grace, they display kindness to those who need it. They’ve mastered skills that allow them to interact skilfully with the real world.
To become competent and confident humans we can build a collection of active practices to develop the skills to get us there. This collection of active practices creates an ecology of practices.
Choose practices that help you flourish
To summarise:
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Consider the virtues you wish to develop.
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Discover practices that develop those virtues.
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Practice, practice, practice. Find classes and teachers that can support you.
