Embrace Simplicity in Your Spiritual Life: The Power of a 5-Minute Practice

Last updated on: June 29, 2023 at 7:06 am by Andrew Lang

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Embrace Simplicity in Your Spiritual Life: The Power of a 5-Minute Practice 2023-06-29T07:06:47-07:00 Andrew Lang

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hands open for a 5-minute practice

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In the pursuit of meaning, many of us have been trained to treat spiritual depth the same as intellectual consumption.

We might read more books to gain more knowledge or attend every workshop and conference we can. Or perhaps we engage in overly complex practices we have little hope of holding onto for more than a week.

But spiritual depth – and therefore finding deep meaning in one’s life – isn’t rooted in accumulating more information or adopting elaborate rituals. It’s about holding space for wisdom to unfold within our own lived experiences (and learning to be aware of it!).

The monks and mystics have taught us again and again in their own ways: less is more and depth grounds us more than breadth.

Chew on a little bit of nourishment and see what emerges.

Here’s the 5-Minute Practice Framework:

At its core, the 5-Minute Practice Framework isn’t a rule or anything to hold too tightly.

It’s just a simple reminder to engage in a simplicity of practice. If you’re new to spiritual practices, this is a sustainable way to get started. It has two parts:

Find a practice you can immerse yourself in for five minutes. Whether it’s reading a book, listening to a podcast, or gazing at a pond filled with ducks, the key is to engage in the activity for a short time period with intention, attention, and repetition. (If it’s a podcast or video, listen for five minutes and then hit pause. I promise the world won’t explode.)
After five minutes, ask yourself: what is emerging? A variant of this question might be “What is alive in me right now?” It doesn’t need to involve journaling (although you might want to jot some words down); the point is just to check-in and build your capacity for noticing how your practice is moving within your inner life.

Isn’t this fast-food spiritual practice?

Some might question how a mere five minutes can lead to any sort of spiritual depth.

And I get it – we’ve all been trained to place consumption on the top of our pyramid of values. When we think of personal or spiritual depth, we use words like: growth, development, and formation. Each of those words implies a sense of building more.

Remember: depth over breadth.

Have you ever had your attention caught by the beauty of a bald eagle flying overhead? Or by the way a tree’s leaves tend to sing in the wind? Or perhaps by the stunning wonderfulness of your partner or spouse?

Experiences don’t need to be long in order to have tremendous meaning for us.

By giving ourselves the gift of short, focused, and intentional time, we allow our inner lives to interpret and understand the wisdom we encounter. Instead of seeking ready-made answers, engaging deeply in a five-minute practice provides the fertile ground for questions to emerge naturally, leading to a more authentic and personal spiritual journey.

Some ideas for 5-minute practice from across traditions:

Christianity: In addition to lectio divina, the Ignatian Examen is a practice that involves reflecting on the events of the day to discern the presence and movement of the divine. Devoting just five minutes each evening to this practice can cultivate spiritual depth by increasing our capacity for awareness and fostering a sense of gratitude.

Buddhism: The Zen tradition emphasizes the practice of zazen, or seated meditation. By setting aside even five minutes daily to sit in silence and observe the breath, we can deepen our understanding of ourselves and the nature of reality. This practice encourages us to let go of conceptual thinking and directly experience the present moment.

Sufism: The Sufi tradition employs various methods to connect with the Divine. One practice, known as dhikr, involves repeating sacred phrases or names of God. This kind of contemplative repetition, even when only done for five minutes, can open us to the transformative power of divine remembrance.

Secular Mindfulness: The practice of mindfulness meditation has gained popularity in a ton of contexts – I use it regularly and used to teach it in schools. By spending just five minutes each day focusing on the present moment without judgment, we can cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness, clarity, and inner peace.

Want guidance as you engage in your own 5-minute practice?

Every Wednesday, I send a weekly email to 471+ folks offering a short contemplative and embodied teaching, two questions for your inner work, and three resources to go deeper. If you’re interested in this kind of spiritual guidance and support, I’ve packed the first 25 weeks of teachings into one place just for you. Click here for the 25 Weeks of Wisdom Teachings resource.

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About Andrew Lang

Andrew Lang is an educator in the Pacific Northwest, an alumnus of Richard Rohr’s Living School for Action and Contemplation, and author of the award-winning book Unmasking the Inner Critic: Lessons for Living an Unconstricted Life. Along with writing regularly, he facilitates workshops helping people to navigate their inner lives and explore their sense of identity and spirituality. You can find more of his writings and offerings at www.AndrewGLang.com. You can read more about the author here.

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