We have seen a huge uptick in the interest of spirituality in the last couple of years. There is a ton of online content, social media pages, even TikTok crazes, but what is spirituality anyways? It most certainly is so much more than just walking around your house with cleansing herbs to get rid of bad energies!
Spirituality is defined as “The quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.”. We spend a lot of our time in this world trying to build an understanding of things in our life like our surroundings, other people, and our careers. We may even find a life full of distractions, empty relationships, and an unknowingness of who we truly are. Spirituality allows us to encompass a deeper understanding of who we are and who we are meant to be. It can greatly help us to be more at peace with ourselves and the world we are experiencing.
If you were to ask one hundred people what spirituality means to them, you would get many different answers. Some feel that it is how they seek “enlightenment”, while others may feel it is their way to find “God”. When I found my spiritual path I wanted to connect with my “highest self”. It was super important to me to serve my highest good for not only myself, but those around me. Given that spirituality is such a broad concept, with room for many perspectives, each person's spiritual path will look different. It is very important to understand that the beauty in your journey is the intimacy of it being completely your own! It is also very important to understand that you may not resonate with every idea or healing modality
When you decide to travel down the spiritual path you are taking an intimate journey to find your truest self, building a sense of connection to something bigger. This type of journey takes immense courage to walk! A lot of hard emotional work will take place in order for your transformation to occur. In today's society, we are conditioned to lose touch with our energetic selves. We build unhealthy habits, relationships, and hold on to energy that doesn't serve our highest selves. It is in these moments that spirituality is found. You may wish to explore a healing modality to help you let go of your past. There may be lineage healing that needs to take place in order for you to truly move past emotional damage you may be carrying. Finding spirituality knows no age or place in life. You may be open to it when you are older, or maybe be interested when you are young. I have had experiences as a child with spirituality but never took the deep dive until I was in my mid twenties. When I was a child it was more of a lead spiritual practice from my elders, and as I got older, that path did not resonate with who I needed to become. Spirituality finds you when you need it most, and when you are ready to receive. That is one thing to always remember, that all of this happens when you are ready and open to receiving it.
So how do you start to embark on your spiritual journey? First you must realize that all of us are experiencing life differently therefore there isn't a clear solution to what you may be seeking. What is important, however, is that you have the right tools at hand to make the most out of your spiritual journey. While every journey is unique, they all share certain commonalities. They all rely on common, or at least very similar, steps. These steps might not always be arranged in precisely the same order.
To start, you must first ask yourself, where do you want to go? Have a clear understanding of what you want to get out of this experience. It is always a good idea to set a goal for yourself, or understand where your healing needs to begin. If you don’t have a clear destination in mind, you’ll be more likely to walk mindlessly without making progress. However, if you do have an approximate idea of where you want to go, it will be much easier to steer your actions in one direction. This may be incredibly difficult to identify exactly where you want to go with your spiritual journey, but understand that it can be challenging to discover your purpose in life. Really sit with this question, and ask yourself deeply, where do you want to go on this path?
The next step is to step into courage. Yes that's right, find your courage to push yourself past the limits you have set on yourself. Step into your courage, and know that you are going to be the only person that knows how YOU need to heal. This means that you are the master of this life and you will be able to follow what truly resonates with your frequency. Remember that there are many of us with the same spiritual goals in mind, but what works for my frequency may not work for yours. Understand that there may be many influences trying to lead you, and no one's path is better or worse than anyone else's. What is important is that you find YOUR own path. Be sure to have the courage to follow where this path leads you. If you allow others to force you in a given direction, you may not find what you seek in your healing.
Next, set goals for yourself. Dig a little deeper! Now that you know where you want to go, set a few goals you wish to accomplish while walking this path. When I started this step I would write out my goals with my healing and reflect on them. I personally like to journal and used that as a way to really get my feelings out. It was also a great way to keep track the successes I was making. Writing down goals, even if it is just in a list format, will help you be able to measure your progress. Journaling can also help you take a deeper look into your past life experience. Looking back may prove to be very beneficial. Taking a reflective approach can help you to discover important lessons and insights from the various things that happened to you in life. This can lead to a truly healing experience.
Take some time to decide how your spiritual journey will be incorporated into your daily life. Some people decide to make it a career path for themselves. They choose to expand in their life in this way so that they can in turn help others. Others may choose to walk the path completely for themselves, working mindfully throughout their day to reach their spiritual goals. Neither one is wrong, nor right. We have to remember that we need to choose what best fits our own lives. Ask yourself how important the spiritual aspects of your journey are to you. How deep do you want to go? The biggest thing to remember here is that there isn't a time limit to reach your spiritual goals. We can not expect to see immense progress overnight. Do not give your journey a distinctive beginning and end. Rather think of it as a lifelong journey.
There are no mistakes on your journey. Every hardship has a lesson. It is on this path you may find new ways of coping with things that trigger you. If challenges arise do not let them make you feel like you are not making progress. Sometimes the most beautiful moments we find in the lessons of our pain. Know that it is impossible to plan exactly how this will play out. Remember in the beginning I said it takes great courage to walk this path. It literally gets to the nitty gritty of who you are. Be kind to yourself. Be gentle to yourself. Allow yourself to be immersed in this energetic shift.
It is so important to acknowledge that when you walk this path, you are taking responsibility for who you are and your actions. You will work hard to quiet your mind and gain control over your ego. Start to take notice of how your ego takes over in certain situations. Notice when the voices in your head overcome you with self doubt, and other nonsense. These two factors literally can hold you back and keep you in a low vibrating frequency as long as they are in control. This is one of the hardest things to acknowledge and work on. Working on the not so nice parts of ourselves is what is known as shadow work. Knowing how to control the shadow portion of ourselves can be one of the most freeing experiences. Develop strategies to cleanse your mind and to gain control over your thinking processes. This in turn helps you think more positively and radiate a higher energetic frequency.
Trust yourself and follow your intuition. In the end only you can answer what your body and soul needs. If meditation is your jam, lead with that. Explore different healing modalities and find what resonates with you. I personally love doing my work through ritual using sound, candles, crystals, and herbs. I like to think of it as my personal ceremony, or my personal temple I hold for myself. If you are new to the different healing modalities try a few things. Remember it is okay to not resonate with something. I have a friend who does not resonate with using crystals in her practice. An acquaintance of mine works strictly with mantras and morning affirmations. Find what feeds your soul. Get to know others who may be walking a similar path and ask what they find helpful. This can really create community, and help you feel like you have support. Finding a “tribe” of like minded individuals to share your experiences with can help to see a different perspective or a new approach. It can also keep you accountable and on track to your spiritual success.
Always keep in mind that walking down a spiritual path is for YOU. When we are able to raise the vibration in ourselves, we can truly make a difference for those that we share space with. May you find what your soul needs to stand in your truth!
- Kaddie