Can Shopping Be a Spiritual Practice?

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By Karl LaRowe

Can shopping be a spiritual practice? This is the question I asked myself while accompanying my wife during a marathon shopping spree over the weekend. As a “traditional” man getting what I needed from any store has always been a form of “Guerilla Shopping:” quickly infiltrate, secure the item and quietly escape, with stealth and precision. 

The idea of transforming shopping into a spiritual practice evolved during our visit to an Asian supermarket that was the size of a used car lot and twice as busy. My wife, an accomplished Chinese cook, was eager to explore the richness and variety of groceries often difficult to find in other stores. 

Our journey began at the oyster sauce isle. At first, I marveled at how intensely absorbed my wife was carefully identifying, inspecting and comparing each item before finally selecting just the right one with a smile of satisfaction as she placed it in the shopping cart. This process repeated again and again as we slowly proceeded up and down each and every isle in the store. 

After a couple of long hours, I found my fascination giving way to impatience. Unwelcome thoughts began to intrude into my awareness: 

“How long is this going to take?” 

“Why does she have to inspect each and every item on the shelf?” 

“Why is this store so big?” 

By the time we reached the Kimchee counter my inner voice was in a state of protest betraying the image I held of myself as a calm, centered, spiritual person. I needed to make a change!

The first thing I noticed was how disconnected I felt from my heart center. My impatience drove my attention away from my heart and into my head where my reactive mind was racing with its judgements and complaints. I needed to slow down, let go and allow the graciousness of the moment guide my awareness back to my heart.

Pause. Breathe. Relax. Allow. Pausing for just a moment gave me the space I needed to step away from being pulled into the swirling stream of negative thoughts. Taking a long, slow, deep breath helped relax my body and soothe my emotions. 

With a calmer body and quieter mind, I could begin to allow feelings of gratitude and appreciation living within my heart center to emerge once again. Each new isle and shelf transformed shopping from a race to the checkout counter into a dance of spiritual unfoldment. Shopping really can be a spiritual practice!

Karl LaRowe received his Master Degree in clinical social work from the University of Chicago and is licensed as a mental health therapist. He has worked in the mental health field as a crisis intervention and outpatient therapist, mental health investigator and examiner, program manager and clinical director. Since 1997 he has had the privilege of providing over 1000 workshops, webinars and consultations to more than 50,000 participants across the United States, the Middle East, and S.E. Asia on how to transform stress and burnout into vitality and positive energy. He has published two books and several eBooks on the subject.

Karl is happily (semi) retired with the love of his life of 34 years and is focusing on his spiritual growth. ​His website is www.karl-larowe.com