Over the last 7 years, I’ve learned a lot about myself, my spirituality, and the wellness community. When I first felt a shift within myself, I didn’t understand it. The notion of ‘spirituality’ didn’t cross my mind, and while I was exploring spiritual practices, the wellness and spiritual communities felt foreign to me.
When you are starting to dip your toes into a new practice, community or modality, it often feels intimidating. It may feel as though everyone is more advanced than you. It’s like that first yoga class after a few months back—you think everyone’s looking at you, when really, everyone is thinking the same thing about their OWN practice.
It took many years, exploration, and endless scrolling to begin to understand that what I was developing was a spiritual practice. I was adopting spiritual beliefs, and as my twenties went on, I was shifting and changing. The shifts felt ‘wrong’ because most of my friends from childhood didn’t have the same interests, besides a yoga class here or there. Some similarities intertwined, but I began to feel like I was the only one changing as I got older, and wasn’t sure how to deepen the practices I felt connected to.
If you’re reading this, it feels safe to assume you’ve gone through some similar shifts in your life, no matter the age. As time went on and my purpose in life became clear, I let go of the fears of being misunderstood. I declared who I was with clear conviction.
There are a few things I learned over the years that helped me deepen and develop my spiritual practice. These tools helped me connect to myself and became rituals in my life.
Rituals for Developing a Spiritual Practice
What feels good for YOU:
The most important ritual. If someone suggests Breathwork and you hate it, you don’t have to do it! Explore what feels good to you. Try different things and incorporate them into your life. When things feel good, they will stick.
Meditation and Visualization:
Simple meditation and visualizations can drop you out of the mind and into your body. They can put you into a parasympathetic state and allow you to slow down, practice mindfulness, and connect you deeper to yourself.
Practice Gratitude:
We’ve all heard it before, but it’s true. While it’s important to acknowledge how we are feeling at any time, acknowledging the good in our life helps us recognize what we already have.
Journal/Write:
This seems simple, but writing is important for many reasons. Journaling to get things out of your mind alleviates stress and anxiety. Writing also sparks creativity. Free-write or write with prompts. There is never any wrong way to journal and write.
Notice your Energy:
Start to pay attention to your energy. What makes you feel energized? What drains you? Begin to do more of what lights you up. When you feel connected, energized and immersed in the moment, keep doing it.
Take Inventory of What Feels Aligned:
Similar to your energy, what in your life feels aligned? Start to take note of the things on this list, and in your life that feel good and the things that don’t. If it brings you joy. Keep doing it. If it doesn’t let it go. You can always come back to it later. This goes for people, places, things, and practices.
Listen to Your Body:
The last thing I will tell you to do is how to eat or move your body. However, listen to your body. Intuitively move and nourish it in the way that makes it feel good. Rest when you need rest. This sounds simple, but it goes such a long way. I promise you.
Connect with your Mind, Body, Soul & Spirit:
Connect with all parts of yourself. All four parts of you are deeply connected and make up your whole self. Honoring these parts of yourself allows you to listen to what you need and how to best serve YOU.
I could keep going and going, as there are so many ways we can deepen our connection to ourselves. I truly believe that is the way our spiritual practices begin, but these tools and rituals are what supported me in diving into my journey years ago.
My last piece of parting wisdom is this: trust yourself and lean in. You know yourself best, and if you feel drawn to something, trust that nudge. Try it. Interested in Kundalini? Do it! I waited to try it for years. Listen to the whispers. Let go of the fear, and follow your soul’s desires.
