Most people think they’re meditating. But they’re not—because they don’t live the life that produces meditation.
This quote from my guru, Gurudeva Subramuniyaswami, struck me deeply when I first read it decades ago. It’s stayed with me ever since. And it’s the perfect entry point into the final part of our series on the four steps of a spiritual life. I’ll return to it at the end of this article.
The fourth and final component of spiritual unfoldment is lifestyle—and it’s not a minor footnote. While it’s the last step we define when reverse-engineering our spiritual life, it’s actually the first step when we begin to live it. Most people underestimate just how much their lifestyle determines their spiritual progress.
Lifestyle is the day-to-day container that holds our energy, guides our awareness, and channels our will—or said another way, our effort. It’s made up of two essential aspects: Guidelines and Practices. These form the bedrock of spiritual life. They are not abstract ideals. In Hinduism, they are the very first two limbs of the eightfold path of Ashtanga Yoga—the spiritual framework outlining eight progressive steps to enlightenment.
Life is a manifestation of where we invest our energy. To manifest our purpose, our priorities—our spiritual goal—we must first minimize energy loss, then accumulate energy, refine it, and finally channel it toward what matters most.
Think of desalination: it transforms salt water into clean, usable water. Spiritual practices do the same. They take raw energy and purify it—so it can nourish our inner growth.
Think of driving on a well-maintained road. Lane markings, guardrails, traffic lights, speed limits—these are guidelines. They facilitate vehicles moving harmoniously in a directed path. Focusing on the road, using mirrors, signaling, and adhering to speed limits—these are practices. Together, they make the journey smoother and the destination reachable.
Clearly defined guidelines and practices do the same in our life. They create a framework that aligns us with our purpose and priorities—and allows us to focus our energy unwaveringly toward them.
Guidelines are the framework of restraint. They’re not about moralizing or restriction—they’re about conservation. Every time we indulge in distraction, anger, jealousy, overconsumption, or selfishness, we bleed energy. Guidelines create boundaries that prevent that leakage. They build inner stability.
Examples include non-violence, honesty, non-stealing, purposeful living (acting in alignment with one’s purpose), and simplicity (choosing only what truly matters).
Practices, on the other hand, are about cultivation. Once energy is stabilized, you build and refine it through consistent, structured effort. Practices include daily meditation, spiritual study, generosity, gratitude, and more. These aren’t things you do when you “feel like it”—they’re commitments you uphold because of the goal you’ve set.
Together, guidelines and practices do something powerful: they create a stable foundation upon which a spiritual life is built. They shape a lifestyle that fosters self-reflection, introspection, meditation, and inner experience—and as my guru said, this is what’s needed.
Without them, even the clearest path and highest goal mean little. Your lifestyle—your actual day-to-day choices—ultimately determines whether you stay on the path or get pulled off it.
When both are in place, your lifestyle becomes a source of momentum. Your days become deliberate. Your life, focused. And slowly—but surely—transformation begins to unfold.
The lifestyle you lead is what keeps you on the path—one that leads to the goal shaped by the philosophy you’ve chosen.
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