Dear Grihastha Coach ,

Tips on Spiritual Growth and Progress in the Grihastha Ashram

1. Cultivate a deep friendship with your spouse. The emotional support they can give you is invaluable. Your kids will feel more secure when your relationship with each other is good, and it will be easier for them to accept Krishna consciousness.

In today’s rough and tumble world, practicing courtesy, kindness and respect may seem out of place but NOT for us devotees trying to purify our lives! For us, it is imperative to practice these as ‘devotional service begins at home.’ It is so easy to lose respect and appreciation for each other due to the challenges of familiarity, conflicts, stress, unexpected events such as guests, illness, financial downs, hormonal changes, natural disasters, and even more serious ones such a shaky relationship, abuse or infidelity. These last 3 mentioned need marriage counseling and reading these tips and acting on them may be appropriate in the maintenance stage after your relationship has healed, not used as a substitute.

General trends found in situations resulting from divorce.

1. PARENTAL LOSS-- divorce often results in the loss of a parent for the children and with this loss children also lose the knowledge, skills and resources (emotional, financial, etc.) of that parent.

Physically, psychologically and spiritually we will go through many changes in the natural course of our lives and our marital relationship may need to adapt accordingly. Yet some basic, vital qualities are present throughout all healthy marriages. Let’s look at seven of them in relation to our potential spouse and ourselves.

“Empowering couples, families and individuals with skills and techniques based on universal, spiritual principles.”

8 Tips for Parenting Older Children (Adolescents and Teenagers)
by Krsnanandini Devi Dasi & Tariq Saleem Ziyad of the Dasi-Ziyad Family Institute

Some Common Challenges Internal

* Thinking family duties are a hindrance rather than part of the process
* Thinking that family life means that spiritual life will automatically decrease
* Thinking that a family’s spiritual program has to be identical to that at a temple (usually too long and complex to do at home); the “all or nothing” mentality
* Lack of enthusiasm esp. regarding sadhana; feelings of hopelessness

Helpful attitudes

* If I believe something is important, then I’ll find a way to do it. Krishna will help.

Some things, if done consistently, will promote healthy, spiritual interactions amongst family members. One is having a weekly family meeting.