About the only markers that you can count on for your spiritual progression are you going up or down which is an inner awareness. As far as measuring or quantifying spiritual progression, I don’t see the importance because you’re going to be in the level of your spiritual progression that you can hold. You’re going to be in that level, unless you’re in a spiritual assignment that would take you into a lower level than what you would be holding, and that’s pretty rare.

Usually, that’s something that isn’t about learning and growth as much as it is holding a place or a consciousness that’s part of that assignment. In terms of progression then, it’s much more about taking advantage of the opportunity and maximizing what’s here for you in the level you find yourself.

Practically speaking, to look at where you are in your spiritual progression, ask yourself if you are neutral or happy? Are you accepting? Are you trusting? On the other side of that coin, ask yourself if you are resisting. Are you doubting? Are you fearing? Are you taking your energy and withdrawing it or contracting it?

The energy of Spirit is here to be utilized. So use everything for your learning, upliftment and growth. That’s not a lazy consciousness. That’s a very active consciousness. However, active doesn’t translate to doing lots and lots of things. An active consciousness can be active in holding the Light and transmuting what’s coming to you which is very practical in this world.

More and more, there’s an opportunity to say to certain experiences, “No thanks. Pass,” or “I don’t need that. I don’t want that.” Hopefully, what you don’t want is something you don’t need, rather than something that’s coming for your learning and growth, and you say, “Well, I don’t want that.” That would be the kind of situation where you’re allowed to have that choice to a certain degree, but eventually you’re going to have to grow. That’s when we find out whether we can do it laughing and enjoying the process or we put up a fuss and resist it.

You’re going to grow spiritually anyway, so it’s more about your own personal preferences in the process. If you’re resisting, then you’re likely having judgments. When we’re in judgment, we tend to withdraw or contract in relation to the opportunity, instead of maximizing it which would be progressive for our learning and growth.

Our spiritual progression calls upon us to utilize this moment and this stage in our learning and growth which then introduces us to the next moment and the next stage. Going up spiritually is expansive, and going down is withdrawing and contracting. It’s not necessarily that you run into a wall that stops you. It could be that you go to sleep. So a downward progression can be subtle in how you process it.

A good marker for your spiritual progression is if you can use less and less to create more and more. The energy of Spirit becomes more and more able to use everything. It doesn’t waste.

We’re in place where we’re allowed to experience and learn from our creativity. You’ll tend to go at a rate eventually that you cannot handle.

The good news is that you’ll come to a stop, but you may come to a stop by crashing. So that may not be the best choice. Yet, there is good news here in that you will learn, “I don’t want to do that again,” or “That hurt,” or maybe your bicycle gets scraped or broken and doesn’t work anymore.

When I was about seven years old, I went over and visited my uncle’s house which was next to a river. To get to his house, you had to come from a kind of a plateau and switch back down to where he was on the river. I got the bright idea to get my cousin’s bike and walk it up the hill, because it was too steep to ride upwards. Then I wanted to see how fast I could bicycle downhill.

It was really fun at first, until I got to the first right turn. I didn’t know how to turn at that speed. I went flying over the side of the road and landed in a bunch of bushes that had stickers on them. That didn’t feel so good. So I learned something real fast about watching what I was doing, especially if I didn’t really know how that worked.

Spiritual progression is much more subtle than riding a bicycle downhill for the first time, and it’s subtle in both directions – going away from Spirit, which would be down, or going into Spirit, which would be up. It takes a kind of consistency in our practice. If you lose your place or you falter or get off track, you don’t stay down too long. You pick yourself up, and realize “Well, that’s the way it’s working right now. I’m still choosing to go up. I’m choosing into the Spirit. That’s my intention. That’s my dedication.”

The markers for your spiritual progression are where you are now. They’re not about where you’ve been. They’re about where you are right now.

If you have to do everything you can just to survive, just to get that next breath, then you don’t have much time to really process inwardly. Everybody needs to rest in this world. Nobody can just keep going, going, and going. Even the Eveready Bunny needs to change batteries every now and then. That’s the truth of it. Even though the ads don’t show you that part, they’re selling batteries. What does that mean? Well, batteries run out too. They’re not designed to last forever.

If you’re basically okay with how things are, that gives you a chance to relax. If you’re always in a state of fending for yourself, ducking, weaving, striking out, or trying to keep somebody away from you, then your energy would be going toward survival. Then you’re not having much of a chance to process inwardly because one of the things that happens is we grow when we rest. Something happens spiritually in the sleep state so that the next time we look at where we are in a specific area of our learning and growing, we discover we’re more capable. Something occurred, and we’re seeing things more clearly. That’s one of the advantages of being able to relax as you’re going through whatever is your process. Spiritual progression doesn’t have to be a sprint. Spirit isn’t about an urgency. So why would we be doing it with a sense of urgency? Spirit’s pace is a gradual pace and a consistent pace. When it’s time to rest, Spirit rests and it rests well. If it eats, it eats well. So it’s on purpose. It’s going more and more towards effectiveness and efficiency.

From the outside, it might look like your spiritual progression is boring or that nothing is happening. However, you can sing to yourself inside, and then it doesn’t have to be boring. Although people tend to forget, you can entertain yourself. The more you open up your inner dimensions, the more you can entertain yourself because there’s a big field inside full of creativity, joy and upliftment.

It’s smart to learn how to enjoy yourself within so you’re self-reliant and self-contained. That doesn’t mean you can’t share. There’s actually a reward for sharing your spiritual nature. So choose to be in cooperation. If you can lend a hand to help someone, lend it. If you can share a little joy, share it.

If you feel that you don’t want to get into whatever someone else has going, consider you can trust yourself in your choosing to help and to serve. You might think, “I don’t know if I can lend them a hand with that situation.” You can consider your confidence, trust and the power inside of you and whether you are called upon from Spirit to serve. In truth, it’s in God’s hands.

When we realize we are offering God’s hand, then we tend to give it willingly and joyfully. We can understand that we got our hands from God, and we have the opportunity to return the favor.

The highest consciousness becomes a serving consciousness, a giving consciousness, a “lending-a-hand” consciousness. It’s not about lending a hand and then feeling, “I’m now depleted and I can’t go on. I’m stuck and my life’s ruined because I gave my hand to you.” No, don’t do that to yourself. Come from a place where you can give because you are overflowing from the Spirit and the Light of God.

One of the things to realize about the Light is it’s not just an illumination; it’s also an energy. When we run out of fuel, the Light brings fuel. So when we send the Light to someone, we’re sending them what they need. Sending the Light is about a consciousness of what is needed.

In the Bible, Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” [Matthew 4:4 KJV]. In this world, bread serves a purpose, but it’s a very limited purpose. By far the more powerful purpose is in what comes from God that breathes us and gives us that sense of, “I know who I am. I know what I am. I know what my life is about.”

There’s a sense of understanding and realization that is joyful because Spirit is not lacking. When we really get that, then this world starts becoming rather hilarious in a way. It may appear as though it’s so serious, and it’s always an urgency, like “I have to have that” or “I can’t have that.” We may see all these limitations, yet the Spirit is having none of that. We may be soaring in Spirit while there’s all this machination, friction and struggle going on in the world. When we struggle and resist, it’s like it strikes the funny bone in the Spirit. It’s ridiculous because there’s really no problem. There’s no urgency. There’s never a lack. There’s never a separation. It’s all from God. It’s all from love.

Even with all the drama and struggle, there’s compassion. We can see when someone doesn’t understand or doesn’t see something spiritually. They may seem blind to their spiritual progression so they can’t help themselves. Yet, there’s still mercy and great patience from Spirit. Some people get it at that moment. Some people get it much later. The way is still pointed out, even if it seems like some people are not getting it ad infinitum or ad nauseam. The Lord’s patience with our spiritual progression is without end.

When you see yourself and your situation spiritually, it’s not like, “That’s all there is.” Often it’s kind of a stretching of consciousness, where it’s almost like you’re having a joke on yourself. If someone then said, “What are you laughing at?” you wouldn’t be able to tell them. It’s like one of those moments where, “You have to be there” and that’s in the Spirit. Remember, the Traveler is the one laughing in your heart. If they could see what you’re seeing, then they might understand why you’re laughing.

I love the reference that John-Roger gave a while back where he said, “If you’re going to laugh at this later, you might as well laugh at this now.” In some way, you’re going to be laughing at all of it later. So you might as well laugh now. Maybe they’ll think you’re crazy, but you’re laughing crazy and that feels pretty good.

Sometimes someone may say, “Wipe that smile off your face.” In order to process that sort of negativity, you may choose to run silent and deep instead of laughing out loud. You may then appear to be a mystery, and others may wonder why you are so quiet. Yet, you may realize that if you share what you see, then others might take offense. There’s no point in having someone be offended; that’s a waste of time. So you may do them a favor by being quiet and reserved or in some way not talking at that time. There will likely be a later time for you to share what you see. Still you can enjoy your awareness inside and smile inwardly with loving kindness.

As you move upward in your spiritual progression, you continue your exchange with the Traveler within. You’ll become more and more aware that you’re opening up your own inner wisdom. You then become a source of wisdom for yourself. You can have experiences where someone taps you on the shoulder and asks you a question and there’s a source of information that isn’t necessarily conscious, but it works. We have a consciousness that extends beyond our own personal level. It’s a good idea to be open to that, so that you can take advantage of not just our life experience as you know it in this lifetime through your life experience and your existence.

One of the ways to be open is to be in harmony with yourself now, so you’re not in a struggle with the circumstances in your life. Putting out fires or handling lots of challenges in your life can leave you unavailable to expand and be open to clearing, releasing and letting go of whatever blocks or restrictions you created. Those limits may not allow you to access the inner experience and the inner wisdom that you have that are resident from your own life experience. Be open to your inner wisdom as it assists you in your spiritual progression.

As far as spiritual exercise, I think the most important aspect of it is your intention to come into a direct experience with the Divine and with your true nature. That intention trumps any circumstance, any attire, any direction you’re facing, any posture, anything you ate or didn’t eat, any behavior you did or you didn’t do, any knowledge that you have or don’t have. Just that pure loving intention to be with God and to come as you are is the best approach I know to communing in spiritual exercise.

Being open to God is a process in which we let go or we surrender, but in a way that has purpose. It’s not about where you are in your existence, other than you make yourself available. It’s been called a “desireless desire.” You put every desire you can into one desire, and then you have no desire. That’s a stretch, a big stretch.

One of the things we do in MSIA is we give you a map of a sort. We talk about the spiritual centers being in the head. So when you’re starting to meditate, the energy starts disengaging from the body or the cell levels. It’s like the body is put on maintenance. How much energy does maintenance take? Not as much as outer involvement. We can release the sense of a guarding energy, which is there to protect from the outer sense of threat. You want alertness and awareness in every cell. However, if you knew you were not under attack and already in Divine protection, you could send that guarding energy up into the spiritual centers by transforming it in the light and sound.

Before doing spiritual exercise, you can ask for the protection from the Light, and Light will provide protection for you because you asked. I’d also ask for the Light through the Traveler and the Christ because it is available to release some of what you would have to do for yourself. The Light of the Traveler and Christ protection can include you.

Calling upon the Light is not necessarily a conscious process, but it can be. If you start feeling your hands and feet tingling, that’s okay. It may feel like the energy is withdrawing, like what happens when the blood is not circulating. Maybe at that moment, it’s not circulating as much so it’s tingling for a moment. You can let that be and observe your experience.

Other things may go on when there’s a clearing taking place. You might fidget or jerk around. Some people feel like they’re not getting much value out of spiritual exercise because they’re jerking around. They worry they’re not going anywhere. However, they’re progressing and clearing because the process of drawing up the energies into Spirit may point out where they’ve been hanging on. They may be releasing physical, emotional or mental blocks and then experience the releases in the body where those blocks had been stored.

The Spirit takes you as you are. So the Spirit will take you out of the body anyway at some point. That’s been my experience, and that’s what I tell people. So if you’ll do spiritual exercises, at some point, Spirit will just have mercy on you and take you out. Maybe it’s a while before you finally have an experience of the Divine. But it’s worth it.

Like spiritual progression, I don’t see spiritual exercise as about quantity. In MSIA, we say, “Don’t just punch a time clock. It’s not just about sitting down and chanting your tone.” Choose to let yourself be open and available to the Spirit. I encourage you to do spiritual exercises even if you say, “Well, I only have one minute.” Take that moment. Let God be the decider on what’s done for you. If you’re led inwardly to chant, then choose into the Spirit.

Be careful, though, if you say to yourself, “I don’t feel like it right now.” Ask yourself what that feeling actually is about. Is that feeling your friend? Is that about your strength? Is that your wisdom leading you? If you’re in rush hour traffic on a ten lane highway, maybe that is your wisdom talking. However, if there’s a ballgame on television right now, and you don’t feel like doing spiritual exercises, maybe there’s a Divine inner game on now and you might want to participate.

You decide what’s important to you. That’s allowed, and it’s not about being scored. There’s no judgment from Spirit about how much you do spiritual exercise. It’s much more about taking the opportunity. The way is shown and it’s up to you to take it. You will progress according to what you can handle and what you offer in your spiritual exercise. Put in the time, and do it to the best of your ability.

I look at spiritual exercise as going before God. It’s going in to a presence and witnessing the light and sound of God. If you happen to bring back that experience, that’s a “Wow!” It’s rare. I look at it as being open to Spirit and allowing what is of the highest good to come forward for your spiritual progression.

When people start progressing into the higher initiations, it may be difficult to bring back experiences. People sometimes write and say, “Well, I used to have all these experiences, and I’m not having experiences any more. Am I connected? Is it working?”

Yes, it’s working. You’re going really high. You’re out of your body, and there’s no reference point for it because it’s not doing it for the body. If I had a choice between, “I can do it but I don’t bring back the conscious experience,” or “I’ll only do it if I can bring back the conscious ex-experience,” I’d choose to do it and not bring back the conscious experience. I’m getting the value of spiritual exercise at some level, even if I don’t know it consciously. I understand the importance of taking the time for my spiritual progression regardless of what I bring back consciously.

One consideration is that you could be chanting your tone all the time. It’s like what’s been called a “walking prayer.” You can get to a state in which it’s just what you’re doing. Should you turn off the tone? If it’s just there, like the radio’s on, then you can be focused in the body in the way that needs your attention which is a sign of your spiritual progression. You can be conscious in the body and be aware of the inner levels at the same time. If that happens, then it’s often something that brings in other responsibilities because now you’re starting to have an attunement such that you can see things inwardly but with your eyes open or while having a conversation. How do you do that? You learn how to do that because you are multi-dimensional.

Spiritual exercise doesn’t have to be a regimented thing. We’re not a group that just goes to church on Sunday at nine o’clock. It’s every day, all day long. That’s the reality we’re looking at. It’s not like we come in to worship and then we check out. We are in worship all the time. But there’s a time when we’re dedicated to that so that the purpose now is to be in worship. At other times we’re still in worship, but we’re practical while we’re out doing what we do in the world. We can do that so we’re not disconnected from being in church or the temple or on the altar. When you can manage to be conscious in the Spirit and in the body, that’s a truly great experience and a key sign of your spiritual progression.