I need some self-improvement and cleansing without religion.?

Question

I am not a religious person, nor do I believe in god.

But I want to become a more spiritual person and make myself a better, more pure person.

What kinds of things can I do to improve my body and mind?

I was thinking like, meditation and things along those lines.

Maybe fasting sometimes for self-discipline.

Or can I get some links to some sites or books that could help me?

Right now I'm slipping into too much partying, bad diet, and cynicism. I'm letting down people I care about.

Help?

Answer 1

Be honest there is nothing you can do to become more spiritual that is accepted by the True and Living God except repent and believe on his Son the Lord Jesus Christ.  

If there were Jesus would not have had to die on the cross for mankind.

DFF

Answer 2

1) Weed: Don't look at it like it's just going to be happy-fun-time all day. Contrary to what mainstream media and the way people who are part of pop culture act, you CAN think about serious issues while smoking, or drinking (tea), or eating (brownies, cookies), whatever your thing may be. Stress relief is part of the main focus here.

2) Books: Read up on different philosophers, or sociologists, etc. - I prefer reading about existentialism and socialism myself. Also, read works by people you would never think to give credit to, like a person doing time. There's a lot of prison inmates with some deep books (In the Belly of the Beast by Jack Henry Abbott). Or go to prisonradio.org

3) Debate: Debate about things that matter, not sports or something else shallow. When you debate, you not only learn to see things from another perspective, but you'll  where the flaws in your own way of thinking are. Win or lose you'll walk away with something you didn't know before.

4) Reflect: Think about something deep that you read, or an event, and examine it, break it down, etc.

5) Write it down: While writing you may come across a different way of looking at something, or finally get an understanding for an issue that you couldn't get before.

Peace.  

Answer 3

You could stop being such a twit.

You could also help people that need it.

We have floods again.

Help one person, just one old person,  and i won't call you a twit again.

Like that will happen,

Twit!

Answer 4

True self improvement can only be obtained through self awareness.

Meditation is one of the easiest ways to get self awareness.

Answer 5

I use Dial for cleansing.  I prefer liquid form.

To improve mind and body, train.  Multiple trainings may or may not result in education.

When meditating on a line, think two dimensionally.

Fasting sometimes for some people requires self-discipline.

You may or may not be some links you can get to some sites or books that can help you.

Hmm... I know someone that has similar problems, yet when help was offered it was betrayed.  Perhaps your greatest helper is you?

Answer 6

Did you try Lysol?  It works well, smells good and kills germs

Answer 7

As long as you know that none of these things can save your soul, then fine

You will simply perish an "improved" person

Answer 8

Helping those who are less fortunate than yourself. The self-improvement and cleansing comes automatically from doing this. I kid you not! God bless.

Answer 9

well I have read you question...and the answers, ...but so far I have not seen anything you can use. Christianity is definitely not the answer...it's a crutch so many people use because they so afraid of not knowing...

You have already  named  places you can start and  believe it or not, these are big things and worthy projects...

-you don't want to lose yourself to partying,

and

-you have some character/personality traits you are aware of, but wish to get rid of like cynicism, and probably others, right?

Well, there's your mission...but be realisitic. You don't want to become the next Ghandi or something, you just want to find your happy place. Start with small items...divide big ones into smaller steps...make a list...search out your own stratagies for eliminating the things you do not want in your life and if they dont work choose another. if you do it yourself you will value it more. Allow yourself some slip-ups; this is not something that will take six months and maybe not in six years will you be satisfied...but make it a lifetime process to be better each year.or whatever..but again take it all in baby steps. No "crash diets" will work. If you create too high of expectations, you will crash and burn, but if you make small but steady advances in the direction you wish to go, you will get there. The God lovers will pray that I go straight to h**l, telling you this...but look at all the people with god on thier side that could not fight being human....and I am 100% positive that those claiming to be one with God have as many bad habits and vices as the rest of us...and that's the problem with them...they pretend, even fooling themselves that they are secure, better that the rest, and  going to heaven without us.

Answer 10

I don't think it will work without religion.  It might for a little while but not for long.  Only God can help you in a situation like that.  

Answer 11

This does work without religion and It works just fine. It is just about self improvement. Just keep telling your self you want to have a better day today than you had yesterday. Me personally I was in a bad spot before back when I was a christian. Now I am agnostic and I am healthier than I have ever been. I wake about 5 days a week and go jogging about 5 miles. I eat healthy and I have a very positive outlook on life. The thing is that there is no magical secret but when you start making positive choices and can keep that up for several weeks you quickly become a completely different person.  

Answer 12

be spiritually aware

Answer 13

I am a Panentheistic Polythiest who worships forces, nature and concepts - for example I worship pi, h, and hbar (Planck's Constant and Planck's Constant divided by \2pi\).

I would recommend meditation or some sort of mental exercise to help you bring your mind into harmony with your body.  There are some guided meditations available on CD that have relaxing music paired with a guided, spoken meditation.  These are good to load onto your MP3 player, as you can take it with you to use if you have an available moment during the day  - or if you need to take a break to help you relieve stress!  A good place to start looking is if you have a local used CD store that has a knowledgable staff... you won't have to spend much to find what you like, and if you make a mistake you can easily return it and try again!

In terms of doing a fast, first I would check with your doctor or healthcare provider and make sure that fasting is an option for you... even if you cannot do a complete fast, you could do a modified fast tailored for your body type and physical needs.

As far as a cleansing ritual goes... what has meaning for you?  A simple idea is that you could set aside a day or a weekend that would be your special Cleansing and Centering Weekend.  You could do something to symbolise cleaning your body, your mind and your spirit/emotions.  You could start in the morning by watching the sun rise - see the actual moment of the sun coming over the horizion and experiencing that moment. It could be symbolic of you making a commitment to take care of yourself! During the day you could fast. You could meditate. You could write down some of the things from your past that you did, that you now regret, or things that you wish you had done, but didnt onto a piece of paper and burn it with incense.  Understand that just as that piece of paper is in the past, so are all those things... and that you will do your best to make good choices in the future. Go to a museum. Go to a sporting event. Do whatever YOU feel is cleansing, nurturing, and beneficial to you as a person. If you fast, make sure you break your fast with a good, hearty meal that makes you feel all warm and cozy inside.

I would suggest that if you wanted to look into athiestic spirituality, that you try either Theravada, Mahyana, or Tibetan Buddhism.  It is a common misunderstanding in the West that Buddhists worship Buddha - while some sects of Buddhism honor numerous Bodhisatvas, or enlightened humans - most do not believe in a diety as defined by the Western word and concept of "god".

Another path you might want to check out, although it is hard to get inforation due to their being a very private and closed culture is that of the Hopi. The Hopi tribe in North America have spirit beings which are called Kachinas; most people misunderstand the idea of Kachinas and think that they are "gods" when they are forces of nature and concepts.  The Hopi do not accept the concept of the Numinos as an anthropomorphic diety or "god".  That to them is a construct of the white men who oppress them (not meaning to be offensive, just stating a cultural viewpoint).

I would like to help you more if you would like specifics of things that I know which have worked for other Spiritual Athiests... just let me know.