3 Underrated Spiritual Practices You Can Do Anytime—Even Better Than Meditation

Photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash

Meditation is powerful, but it has limitations.

For modern, secular people, life can get hectic, and missing meditation sessions is easy—called "fishing for three days, drying nets for two" in China, describing an inconsistent approach. Most of the time, you simply can’t sit quietly to meditate.

Instead, practice these three habits to elevate your consciousness, often surpassing sporadic meditation.

1.Surrender: Radically accept the reality unfolding before you.

Practicing mindfulness with all daily events—joyful or painful—is surrender. Understand that everything happening now has the right to unfold this way. Resisting by insisting things must go your way creates struggle. Let uncomfortable feelings exist without pushing them away or escaping. This is non-resistance, embracing the moment as it is.

2. Forgive: Recognize the innocence and release resentments.
If others could do better, they would. If you could, you would. If society could, it would. A rabbit may resent a tiger chasing it, but from a higher view—like ours—it’s nature’s way. Similarly, mistakes by you or others are part of evolution’s imperfect yet perfect process. A half-bloomed rose is as perfect as a full one. It’s never personal. Forgiving frees you from negative energy, fostering healing.

3.Serve: Offer selfless service without expecting rewards.
Set an intention to serve. Peeling an apple for family isn’t a chore—it’s a loving act. Serve small: I asked my son to pick up trash in our residential community, and he agreed happily. Reframe work tasks as service, even if disliked. Once, a work message annoyed me on vacation, but answering it eased the sender’s anxiety—so I did.

These practices sound simple but are challenging, which is good. If easy, everyone would live with peace and joy. So, surrender to each moment, forgive imperfections, and serve however you can.