 Magnetism is the result of your spiritual vitality. In order to radiate and attract beauty, power, wealth, and love, you have to be connected to the source of those energies. Contrary to popular belief, merely having beads, pots and titles is not enough to create such a connection. Simply participating in rituals, carrying charms and consuming concoctions is not enough either.
Anybody who is truly committed to your development within Orisa Lifestyle will tell you that the tradition of daily devotion is one of the single most powerful tools for improving your spiritual connection. Even if you are brand new to Orisa Lifestyle, it won’t be long before you hear something about the relationship between the Orisa and the days of the week. And while each tradition has its own variation of the worship calendar, they all serve the same purpose, which is to guide your daily devotion. Daily devotion will invite orderliness, patience, and a sense of clarity into your life. After being a professional teacher for more than 20 years, I know that personal energy is radiant and open by nature. No matter what your spiritual discipline has been, I can say without hesitation that you have a certain level of magnetism that draws people and experiences to you all the time. The challenge is learning to harness that power and let it be governed by something greater than your ego and emotions. Stated another way, you may have an emotional predisposition that tends towards unhappiness or doubt. Likewise, your emotional predisposition may be aimlessness or entitlement. Over the years of returning to this emotional default, you don't have to exert much effort to go there and stay there for as long as you like. Your emotional disposition becomes second nature. Eventually, it shows up in your body language, your tone of voice and the overall vibe you emanate. QUESTION: Are you confident in the vibrational message you're sending? Is it saturated with your inspiration? Think of your emotional predisposition as a telescope. Looking at a telescope and exploring all its parts could be quite interesting. But that's not the true function of a telescope! You're supposed to use a telescope to see the cosmos. Likewise, your emotions are meant to facilitate your connection to something greater than yourself. Adopting an appropriate daily routine is certainly one of the most grounding and nurturing things you could do for yourself. It will break the cycle of emotional predisposition by creating opportunities for you to stop looking AT your emotions and start looking THROUGH them. The Orisa Lifestyle Academy has developed a number of resources to help you create and implement a personalized daily devotion. Our resources are organized to help you to perfect five practices associated with daily devotion:
Because the spirit of daily devotion is to support your alignment with destiny, the best starting place is your present path of transformation (if you don’t know yours, consult Ifa for guidance). Even if you're uncertain about your path of transformation, you can still develop your spiritual practice responsibly. This can be accomplished by getting properly trained by a qualified teacher. Ultimately, having a sense of routine from one day to the next is almost as important as perfecting the five practices. I recommend that you approach this process with a sincere commitment to continuous improvement, no matter how small or large. After having helped so many devotees establish their practices, I know that even the most humble effort to embrace a routine is likely to have a positive impact on your life and the lives you're destined to serve. For the very best results, approach your daily devotion with joy; be nourished by the process and add more to your routine as you feel truly inspired to do so. As you grow, so will your daily practice.
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 A hobby is something you do in your spare time. When I was playing drums, I would jump at any opportunity to swing by a dance class or a drum circle at the flea market. But I never considered going to play drums instead of going to work or instead of preparing a meal for my children. I loved to drum and I got a great sense of fulfilment from it, but at the end of the day, it was just a hobby.
Ifa is my pathway to destiny. So, even when I was playing drums, I was worshipping Ifa. When I was tending to my children, I was worshipping Ifa. I was a top performer at my job precisely because I spent the greater part of my time translating the principles of Ifa into corporate language. Eventually, Ifa inverted my conditions so that I found myself reverse-articulating many of my corporate teachings into Ifa language. A hobby is nice to have but destiny is a must; it is indispensable. Your hobby may bring you joy, but it should not be confused as a pathway to destiny. Here is a the real challenge: Some of you have chosen Orisa Lifestyle as a hobby. You chant in your spare time. You study when you get the chance. You consult Ifa and make offerings when it's convenient. Some of you have the beads, pots and titles, which makes it seem like you're on the path. But the reality is, your practice is just a hobby. You see, because a hobby is casual, you have no expectation to actually accomplish anything. I am reminded of a verse of the Holy Odu OkanranOyeku which teaches this way: Praises of Ifa do not allow one to learn Ifa Praises of opele do not allow one to know opele When you commit to Orisa Lifestyle as the path of destiny, there is an explicit expectation that you will learn and develop in your practice. Here is a list of five capabilities every practitioner ought to demonstrate AT WILL:
When I think about the drum circles, I remember all the guys who never discovered the concept of "the one", in spite of playing for years. Some of them had expensive drums. Some wore tape on their fingertips. Others scowled and grimaced passionately when they played. But they were almost always out of sync with the rhythm. This did not make them lesser people, mind you. It was just that drumming was not their path; it was only a hobby. They were doing it for the fun, for the emotional release, for the social interaction. All of that is fine, so long as you know that it's your hobby. One of the tell-tale signs that your practice is a hobby is if you call yourself "spiritual" but not religious. Here, let me make an important distinction: Having a spirit and being spiritual are closely related but not quite the same. We all have a spirit. But to BE SPIRITUAL - especially when you're saying it to mean you do not have a religion - implies that spiritualism is your practice, your methodology or your approach. Over the years, I have come into contact with a considerable percentage of people who are quick to say, "I'm not religious. I'm spiritual" but they cannot demonstrate what spirituality is, beyond having things that "look" spiritual and saying things that "sound" spiritual. If spirituality is the discipline by which you intend to fulfill your destiny, you ought to be able to actually do something spiritual. Here is a list of five capabilities you should be able to demonstrate - AT WILL - if you are spiritual:
In the spiritual systems of old, the practitioner was trained in the art and science of spiritual discipline. You were required to learn certain practices and demonstrate particular abilities. You had to dream something specific or encounter a particular key in your visions. Your prayers had to manifest. All of these were considered revelations of your calling, which defined the specific ways in which you would serve a higher cause. I am looking for spiritual leaders who are ready to respond to the call to serve something greater than themselves. If that is you, find out how Obafemi Origunwa and the Orisa Lifestyle Academy can help you take your practice ot the next level. |
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