Lesson 5: Introduction to Religion – Part 1: Practical and Ritual Dimension
Original journal entry from July 19, 2025 – Response to Lesson 5: Introduction to Religion (Part 1: Practical and Ritual Dimension). This was my reflection on how the Force has practical and ritual aspects in everyday life — from intentional meditation, morning prayer for focus, doctrine reminders throughout the day, to physical practices like lightsaber forms that help me sense and flow with it.
There is a practical and ritual dimension to the Force. I am convinced of that. This might seem simple but my perspective is that the mere thinking about how I connect and partner with the Force can in itself be ritual. And therein also lies another aspect of the practical and ritual dimension of the Force: meditation.
It's important to realize that we meditate pretty much all the time. If I'm letting my thoughts wander around negative thoughts, I'm meditating on the negative. If I'm thinking happy thoughts, I'm meditating on the positive. Those are examples of meditating unintentionally but intentionally meditating on the Force shifts the focus away from everyday activities to the things of the Force.
However, just because things are everyday tasks does not mean that they need to be disconnected from the Force. For example, when I start my day at work, I spend a moment in prayer. I ask God to help me focus on the tasks in front of me and to get all the things done that I need to get done today and also to support my interactions with people. And one of the things I do to get focused is to take a moment and meditate. God answers my prayer in giving me the Force which enables me to become focused when I intentionally seek focus through the Force by way of this meditation ritual.
Another practice has been our daily reading of the doctrine for July at the temple. I have been noticing that as I do this every day in the morning that different aspects of the doctrine follow me throughout the day. The Force carries the message through my day and reminds me as I move from task to task. I might see something or have a conversation with someone and be reminded of a part of the doctrine. It might be something that confirms what is happening in that moment, or it can be something where I’ve briefly gotten stuck in my day and a piece of the doctrine will remind me of how to move forward and get unstuck.
Although I have not practiced them in many years, both tai chi and yoga are practices that heavily interact with the flow of the Force. However, I consider these more of the rituals of intentionally focusing on the Force and discerning and discovering its flow inside and around the body. I’ve only more recently begun working with lightsabers but the same goes with this too; focusing on the flow of the Force inside and outside of my body and flowing with it.
Although this is not a daily or regular practice for me, mostly because of space and time constraints, I’ve been learning various techniques and spinning movements from YouTube videos that were a little difficult in the beginning. But feeling the flow of the Force through the lightsaber helps guide me in discovering where it wants to go next. Stretching and warmup exercises as some videos suggest are helpful too. Sometimes the movements seem repetitive but as I continue them I feel like I’m “in the zone,” flowing in perfect harmony with the flow of the Force.
Umalohókan
House of Twin Suns
TM: Carlos Martinez
"You don't have to see the whole staircase just to take the first step."
(Signature links to IP Journal, Apprentice Journal, A.div Journal, and Degree Tracker omitted for brevity — these were forum navigation links at the time.)
The following user(s) said Thank You: RosalynJ
Looking back now: This entry captures how the program shifted from abstract doctrine to embodied, daily ritual — prayer for focus, doctrine as constant companion, and physical practices like lightsaber forms to connect with the Force's flow. It was a reminder that the Force lives in the ordinary moments of life.