Short answer
Common spiritual practices include meditation, prayer, contemplation, yoga, chanting, ritual, fasting, pilgrimage, time in nature, journaling, reading sacred texts and acts of service. People choose them for different reasons: religious devotion, calm, a sense of meaning, or a connection to something beyond themselves. Which ones suit you depends on your beliefs and temperament, and none is required.
What “modern day spirituality” means
In contemporary use, “spirituality” often means a personal sense of meaning or connection that may or may not belong to an organised religion. Surveys in many countries describe people who call themselves “spiritual but not religious,” although the group is varied. Modern spirituality can mean a traditional faith, a blend of sources such as New Age beliefs, or a secular practice such as mindfulness.
Contemplative practices
- Meditation: practised in many forms, including breath-focus, mantra, loving-kindness and open awareness. For its long history, see the oldest forms of meditation.
- Mindfulness: attention to the present moment, drawn from Buddhist roots and widely taught in secular settings.
- Contemplative prayer: silent or reflective prayer, such as the Christian contemplative tradition.
Research on meditation suggests it can help some people with stress, though results vary and it is not a substitute for medical or mental health care.
Devotional and ritual practices
- Prayer: spoken, silent or written, in many religions.
- Worship and communal ritual: services, ceremonies and festivals.
- Chanting and singing: used in many traditions.
- Offerings, altars and personal ritual: home-based rites.
- Fasting: practised in many faiths, often with set rules. Anyone with a health condition should consult a doctor before fasting.
- Pilgrimage: travel to a sacred place.
Body-based practices
- Yoga: in its traditional form, a spiritual discipline that includes postures, breathing and meditation.
- Tai chi and qigong: gentle movement practices with roots in Chinese traditions.
- Walking meditation and sacred dance, such as the Sufi sema of the whirling dervishes.
Study and reflection
- Reading sacred or philosophical texts.
- Journaling: recording reflections, dreams or gratitude.
- Retreats and spiritual direction: time set aside, sometimes with a guide.
- Time in nature, a practice many people describe as spiritually meaningful.
- Service and charity, which many traditions treat as spiritual work.
Occult and esoteric practices
Some people include practices from the esoteric traditions among their spiritual work. These include ritual magic, divination such as tarot, visualisation, working with symbols, and meditation on diagrams. Examples covered on this site include the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, sigil making and work with sacred geometry. For the wider field and the question of what “occult teachings” are, see the occult explained. These practices vary greatly in what they claim, and many practitioners treat them as symbolic or psychological as much as supernatural.
Choosing and starting
- Start small: a few minutes of quiet daily is more sustainable than a large commitment.
- Pick a practice that fits your beliefs. A religious person may prefer their own tradition’s prayer, while someone secular may prefer mindfulness or time in nature.
- Be cautious with groups or teachers that demand large sums, isolation from family, or unquestioning obedience.
- If you have a mental health condition, ask a professional before starting intensive practices such as long retreats or fasting, since some people find them destabilising.