Spiritual Practices Part 6
July 26, 2026
Spiritual Practices Part 6: Walking Through the Beatitudes
There are times when I do not know where to turn, what to do, or how to move forward. When I come upon these times my first reaction is to strategize. I imagine possibilities. I try to reason my way through. But often, I am still coming from the same place inside myself. I want the same outcome. I demand the same solution. I already know what is best, and I do not want to settle for anything less. But sometimes that very insistence becomes the trap.
When this happens, I am caught in an eddy—that whirlpool in a river that pulls whatever comes near it into a circling motion. Nothing moves forward. Everything turns back on itself. The more I struggle, the more I remain caught in the same current.
There are times when we cannot escape the eddy of our own making without an entirely new pathway, a fresh perspective, a different signpost, or a spiritual strength that can only come when we are willing to go against our first impulses. This is when spiritual practice opens the way. There are many spiritual practices, and it is important to choose the one that best speaks to the situation before us. One of the most powerful ways I know to practice souling is what I call Walking Through the Beatitudes.
This practice is an intentional inward walk toward clarity, humility, and a wider perspective. It can be used for almost anything—a decision, a relationship, a fear, a desire, a grief, a conflict, or a circumstance we cannot seem to resolve. Christ spoke the Beatitudes to the crowds gathered for the Sermon on the Mount. They are not simply beautiful sayings. They are doorways into transformed consciousness. Each Beatitude offers a blessing that comes when we embody one of the essential spiritual qualities it names. When we embrace the quality and live it, we are blessed.
Looking at our concern through the lens of these nine spiritual qualities, opens a way forward. We are no longer trapped in the same narrow view. We begin to see new possibilities for insight, healing, resolution, hope, and movement. The Beatitudes carry us out of the eddy.
Whatever concern we are carrying, we can walk through these questions:
In my present concern:
Have I emptied myself of my ego’s wishes enough to be open to the voice of Spirit? Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Have I allowed myself to grieve what I am losing, or what I have already lost, so that healing may begin? Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Have I embraced enough humility to release my need for control and receive what God is giving? Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Do I hunger and thirst for Divine truth more than I hunger for my own preferred outcome? Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Have I extended mercy to others, and in doing so, opened the way to receive mercy myself? Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Are the intentions of my heart becoming clear, innocent, and undivided, so that I may perceive God more fully? Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Am I bringing peace into this situation, rather than adding fear, anger, or division? Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
If I suffer because I am aligned with Divine truth, can I trust that a higher consciousness is being formed in me? Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
If I am harmed, misunderstood, or rejected because I stand in faith, can I remain rooted in joy, knowing that I belong to God? Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad.
These nine truths spoken by Christ are echoed in the nine energies of the Enneagram. Each one invites us to see from a different spiritual angle. Each one interrupts the ego’s insistence that there is only one way forward. Each one offers a doorway out of the eddy and into the larger movement of God.
Inquiry
Why do we so often cling to our first way of seeing a situation, even when that way keeps us trapped? What might become possible if we allowed all nine Beatitudes to question us, open us, and guide us?
For a more complete explanation of the Beatitudes and how the nine Enneagram energies correspond to them, refer to Becoming Conscious: The Enneagram’s Forgotten Passageway, Chapter 17, “The Beatitudes.”
Prayer
Dear God, as I walk through your Beatitudes, help me to see what I could never have seen on my own. For the concerns I carry today, prompt me, soften me, strengthen me, and guide me. Open me to all nine of these sacred truths and lead me out of the eddy into the living current of your Spirit.
Amen
