These exercises are for examining your conscience, meditation, contemplating and prayer. As physical exercise benefits the body, so spiritual exercise will benefit the spirit.
You will benefit more by considering the topics and finding answers for yourself, in a way that makes it clearer to you through both your own intellect and Divine revelation. It is not the knowing but rather the realising that will truly satisfy the soul.
Use acts of the intellect in reasoning and acts of the will in movements. Marry the mind and the body in your striving so that what you say and what you do are in agreement.
Bring no temper to these exercises. Be moved by neither consolation in your success or desolation in time of distress. This way you will be moved only by God and not by different spirits. Have courage and dispose of those impediments prior to your exercise.
Always stay a little longer in your contemplation, rather than rush away, as this will help to guard against the distractions of the modern world and help your focus. Similarly, though, do not be too hasty or dogmatic in your approach to these exercises.
Do not be attached to any thing. Be motivated not by your own advantage and interest, but rather for the honour of God and the benefit of souls. In light of these things, examine your conscience regularly and honestly, in order to preserve what you have gained.
Do each of these exercises in private. This will remove distractions, allow you to concentrate your thinking, and allow God to approach and enlighten your thoughts.
© The White Swami 2009