A Beginner's Guide to Spirituality

Name: A Beginner's Guide to Spirituality
Rating: 4.5 (22 reviews)

How a Spiritual Practice Brings Success in Life, Business, and Relationships

Created byEliyahu Jian

Last updated 6/2022

English

What you'll learn

The meaning of a spiritual practice and perspective—What is spirituality?
The value of a spiritual practice and perspective—Why should I practice spirituality?
How is spirituality different from religion?
How to navigate common obstacles to developing a spiritual practice
How to begin building a spiritual practice with simple actionable steps and exercises

Course content

3 sections • 7 lectures • 1h 24m total length

Why Spirituality?13:29
Welcome to A Beginner's Guide to Spirituality!
In this episode we will explore the meaning and value of a spiritual practice, and how to get started.
You will:
Learn what to expect from the course
Begin to build an understanding of what it means to be spiritual or adopt a spiritual perspective
Understand how spirituality can enhance your life and success
Be able to begin your spiritual practice with our behavioral challenge today
Eliyahu will also share a few stories that help illustrate these concepts for students.
CHALLENGE:
Start to question what you see, feel, and do on a daily basis. Begin to shift from only using the 5 senses (see, hear, smell, taste, touch) to a higher form of awareness, so you can begin to see the entire picture and how things are connected.
This practice will enhance your perspective so that you begin to see beyond mere effects ("Suddenly Syndrome") and become more aware of "whys" and root causes. You will begin to set a foundation to see the good in all things and more easily move toward fulfillment.
Being Spiritual vs. Being Religious (What's the Difference?)11:10
Welcome back!
In this episode, we will explore the differences between spirituality and religion.
You will:
Be able to understand and articulate the key differences between spirituality and religion
Understand what animating forces (love, fear, etc.) drive a spiritual perspective and a religious perspective
Learn that you can be both spiritual and religious, only spiritual, only religious, or neither
Become aware of potential pitfalls of religion without spirituality (internal vs. external locus of control)
With this new understanding, decide how you would currently define yourself and how you would like to move forward in regards to spirituality and/or religion
CHALLENGE:
Write down how you currently define yourself (Religious? Spiritual? Both? None of the above?) AND how you would like to see yourself change in the next 6 weeks in regards to spirituality.
Make sure to write it down! We want you to write it down so you can revisit your goals throughout the course and track your progress.

Spirituality for the Agnostic11:33
Welcome back! This one is for the pragmatists, skeptics, and uncertain at heart. Spirituality can work for you too!
In this episode, we will explore what many experience as an obstacle to spirituality: agnosticism.
You will:
Learn how to have a spiritual experience as an agnostic, by conceptualizing spirituality as a practice or method that can be tested for efficacy rather than a belief you must accept beforehand.
Be empowered to try out a spiritual practice without fear, doubt, or resentment from prior experience
CHALLENGE:
Write down what you wish to believe in (what you wish you would or could believe), but currently feel you don’t have the power or the desire to believe in it.
THEN ask yourself, "Why? Why don't or can't I believe this at this time?" Then, write down your answer. Hang onto these pages, they'll come in handy later!
Gaining Faith When You've Lost It11:46
Welcome back!
In this episode, we will explore another common obstacle to building a spiritual practice: having lost one's faith.
We will address:
What it means to have faith
Can faith be lost forever?
Common reasons why people lost their faith
Can you live a fulfilled life without faith?
You will:
Understand the relationship between spirituality and faith
Learn the importance of faith in reaching any goal or endeavor (spiritual or not)
Reflect on what faith means to you, and why it is absent for you (as applies)
CHALLENGE:
Write about a moment in your life that you lost your faith; a situation where you could not believe in what you used to believe in, be it a person, a situation, or a way of life.
THEN
Write down the lesson you learned from it. There is a lesson in each challenge, so if the lesson isn't clear to you yet, perhaps imagine this situation happening to a loved one and reflect on what they might be able to gain from the experience.

Creating a Spiritual Practice That Works for You14:36
Welcome back!
In this episode, we get into the nitty-gritty of what it looks like to begin engaging in a spiritual practice every day!
You will:
Learn how to add spirituality into your life on a daily basis using two techniques (meditation and intentional kindness)
Understand the right time and place to practice spirituality
Begin to view challenging moments as opportunities to practice spirituality
Appreciate the relationship between spirituality and capacity to love others
CHALLENGE:
Create a miracle! Sound difficult? Not a problem, we'll show you how:
Find a person you that you have challenges with, maybe they rub you the wrong way or you experience conflict with them; then, share something with them that you think will make them happy (it could be a nice text, a letter/card, a gift, a compliment).
A rule: you cannot receive thanks in return. The point is that you give without expectation of anything in return from them.
THEN, in that moment of giving, meditate that whatever is blocking you from achieving the life of your dreams or a higher level of spirituality will be resolved; that whatever needs to happen for you to reach the next level that hasn't happened yet will occur.
Spirituality and Success11:43
Welcome back!
In this episode, we will explore how spirituality will enrich your interactions at work and at home, and how the absence of spirituality can exacerbate problems in both of those areas.
You will:
Learn about the relationship between spirituality and success in business
Understand how spirituality enhances interpersonal relationships at home
Discover how spirituality increases a sense of personal power, agency, and energy in all that you do
CHALLENGE:
During one work week (M-F), choose one person at work to be extremely kind and helpful to (e.g. bring them coffee, compliment, be of service to them). Notice the power and happiness you begin to feel within as you practice spirituality in the work place. If you're not currently in a place of work, choose one person you interact with on a regular basis to do the same exercise with.
Spirituality: Taboo or Not?10:39
Welcome back!
In this episode, we challenge the notion that a spiritual practice is necessarily taboo, esoteric, reserved for certain kinds of people (gurus, shamans, etc.), or incompatible with your prior experience.
You will:
Understand that spirituality is for all people, at all times, in all places
Be introduced to examples of tangible spiritual tools to enhance your self-understanding and communication with others
Appreciate the importance of keeping an open mind when exploring new forms of spiritual knowledge
FINAL CHALLENGE:
Reflect on what you've learned thus far through the course, and write down three things that have moved and/or impacted you. Then, choose one of those things to share with three people in your life. After sharing, ensure that what you communicated is clear by asking if what you said made sense (this demonstrates care). The next day, call and ask what they think about what you shared, and begin a conversation with them.

Requirements

This course is geared toward beginners; no previous experience or study of spirituality is needed.
All that is required is: an interest in what a spiritual perspective may have to offer you, an openness to adopting a spiritual perspective, and a personal commitment to engage with the behavioral exercises/challenges for best results.

Description

This course guides students through a practical introduction to a spiritual practice and perspective with Eliyahu Jian. We explore the meaning and value of beginning a spiritual practice, how spirituality is different from religion, how to overcome common obstacles to developing spiritually, and simple daily practices and weekly challenges to jumpstart your spiritual journey so you can start living a happier and more fulfilled life. We also address common myths about spirituality through the course. Through a combination of lecture, story, and action-based challenges you’ll be well on your way to a deeper understanding of spirituality; in theory, and in practice.

Spirituality is a way of being in the world that is facilitated by simple tools and techniques such as meditation and loving kindness. The spiritual perspective emphasizes inner power over external forces, is motivated by love rather than fear, and increases your awareness of the big picture so that you make better decisions each day.This lens will foster your success in business, love, and life—allowing you to feel fulfilled in achieving your dreams.

This course is for anyone with an interest in spirituality, regardless of their history. Spirituality is for all people at all times; you do not have to be a believer, a guru, or a mystic. Fundamentally, you’ll learn that spirituality consists of methods you can test out to see if they work; you don’t need to believe in anything other than your own experience, and maintain an open mind as you commit to trying out the exercises and perspectives. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.

Who this course is for:

People interested in how a spiritual practice can enhance their personal, professional, and relationship success.

A Beginner's Guide to Spirituality

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction to Spirituality2 lectures • 25min

Overcoming Obstacles to Building a Spiritual Practice and Perspective2 lectures • 23min

Spirituality in Practice3 lectures • 37min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: