In the Context of Religion
In the context of religion and spirituality (individual religion) spiritual practices are practical actions in which we engage in order to express our faith. In my opinion, they are more accurately called religious practices.
Religious practices, corporate and individual, include but are not limited to prayer, attending to sacred writings, devotional reading, following a moral code, confessing one's failures, purifications, making promises to do better, study, meditation, contemplation, dressing a certain way, fasting, vigils, gazing at sacred images, pilgrimage, giving to the poor, humility, obedience to authority, poverty, celibacy. chanting, physical exercise, mantra, and attending corporate rituals.
In the Context of Thumotics
In the context of Thumotics "spirit" is clearly defined as "that which makes alive" and "spiritual" is clearly defined as "of, about, or related to spirit." So, spiritual practices are practical actions in which we engage for the good of our own spirit and that of others.
Rather than being focused on expressing one's beliefs by one's actions, in the context of Thumotics, spiritual practices are spirit-focused; that is, they are focused on the goal of mastering one's own spirit.
The core thumotic spiritual practice is being mindful of one's own spirit and that of others. Only by being mindful of our own spirit and that of others can we know, love, and take good care of that which makes alive.
Other spiritual practices include but are not limited to calming, lifting, expanding, contracting, introverting, extroverting, hardening, softening, and strengthening one's own spirit.
Directing one's spirit to invest it in thinking, speaking, writing, being mindful of other things, physical action, and loving are also spiritual practices as is affecting the spirits of others.
Put briefly, in the context of Thumotics spiritual practices are about the ability to change one's spirit from one condition to another.
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