If you have a longing to connect with something higher, whether it be your higher self or higher powers and beings, one of the simplest ways to connect is by creating a daily ritual for yourself. Whether you meditate, do yoga, read inspirational books, or just take a walk, doing a daily ritual creates a doorway through which the higher can enter your life.

Most of us are so busy during the day that we have a hard time hearing that quiet, dry voice of higher guidance. Whether we know it or not, our guides, totems, angels, and higher selves are speaking to us all the time-most of the time we just can't hear them over all the noise of cell phones, radio, teleconferences, and gossip. So, we need to set aside some sacred time to connect, and daily rituals are perfect for that.

If you've already got a daily ritual that you use, you're one step ahead. Just make sure and do that ritual with as much consistency as possible. In spiritual circles, people have discovered that the consistency of doing a ritual at the same time every time increases the level and quality of the connection with the higher. If you don't already have a ritual, you can try meditation (see the Resources section for more details), or you can try this simple walking ritual:

1) Decide what amount of time or what distance you want to walk each day (you can adjust this later).

2) The first half of the walk, you get to talk. Talk to your guides, your totems, your angels or the Universe in general. Talk about what's on your mind, or what's going on in your life, or what you want or need. Talk about anything that's important to you or that you need help with.

3) The second half of the walk, you get to listen. Take in everything your guides or the Universe is trying to express to you. Feel your feelings, feel the sensations in your body, hear the sounds around you, smell the smells, and take in the sights. Become an instrument of listening and absorbing.

If you take this walk daily at about the same time every day, you will have established a consistent connection with the higher. In other words, it's a scheduled appointment between you and your higher helpers. It's a time when you can truly connect, listen and be heard. Your life will increase in richness, depth, and understanding. This and other daily rituals will become like a maypole around which your life revolves with steadiness and strength. Enjoy!