Religion brings spirituality to some people, but it does not bring spirituality to others. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to spiritual well-being. Here are a few ideas to get you started if you're not sure where to start.
Before You Continue...
Do you know what is your soul number? Take this quick quiz to find out! Get a personalized numerology report, and discover how you can unlock your fullest spiritual potential. Start the quiz now!
According to a Gallup poll, 43% of Americans claim to be members of a church or other religious organization. These houses of worship provide a variety of opportunities for those living with mental illnesses to connect with others in their communities.
Reconnect with someone or an organization that shares your ideas and thoughts, whether online, over the phone, or in person. Find ways to connect with like-minded people in your religion community who can support and encourage you by reaching out to a pastor or spiritual leader.
“Many people's support mechanisms were taken away from them during the pandemicchurch, volunteering, support groups,” Wester added. “It was especially difficult for individuals who were already dealing with mental health concerns.” I advise people to reconnect with their religion group as soon as they are physically secure to do so.”
It's fine if you don't have a faith community. Finding a cause that resonates to you and giving back is another way to feel connected to your spirituality and faith. Working in a food pantry, becoming a mentor or tutor, or fostering an animal are all options. As a result, your community will develop and you will be able to meet individuals who share your interests. It will offer you a sense of purpose and thankfulness to serve others.
You don't have to be a yogi to benefit from the practice's spiritual benefits. Yoga is suitable for people of all ages and abilities. It can improve your mind and spirit, as well as strengthen and stretch your body, by lowering stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms.
You don't have to be an expert meditator like you don't have to be an experienced yoga practitioner. Because it takes so little time, meditation is one of the easiest disciplines to keep. “Some people believe you must sit and be silent, but this is not the case,” Wester explained. “You can walk while meditating, paying attention to the sensations of your feet on the ground and the intricacies of your surroundings. Simply slowing down your body can help you calm down your mind.”
Even five minutes of meditation can help you reduce stress, despair, and worry while also increasing your mindfulness. There are numerous fantastic guided meditation applications, such as Calm or Balance, if you need help.
Writing can help you process your emotions, raise your awareness, and provide a nonjudgmental space for you to express your feelings in the present. Start a daily thankfulness notebook with prompts or write down your anxieties and fears.
Spending time in nature, whether you live in the mountains, the desert, or near the ocean, can improve your spiritual health. You can't seem to get away from your phone, your day, and your problems. Even a few minutes spent watching the birds, trees swinging in the breeze, or crashing waves on the shoreline can be relaxing.
Find activities that you enjoy, such as knitting, coloring, cooking, sports, or working out. Focusing on things you enjoy might help you regain a feeling of purpose and stay present in the moment, even if only for a short time.
If you're having trouble connecting with your spiritual side or your mental health, get help from someone who is specially trained or someone you trust.
“Chaplains are specifically equipped to deal with religious issues in a clinical setting,” Wester added. They can assist validate your feelings without sweeping them under the rug. They can help you get back on track spiritually.”
Ask and pray for a spiritual awakening
To begin your spiritual awakening, pray to God, Spirit, or your Higher Self. Simply ask for your journey to begin or deepen through meditation, prayer, or journaling, depending on where you are in life.
Make your request as specific as possible. The following are some instances of spiritual awakening requests:
- Please, God, open my heart, mind, and soul so that I can more clearly see and feel your truths.
- I'm ready, higher self. Please assist me on my spiritual path so that I can live my most true and greatest life.
Consent to a spiritual awakening & ask your guides for help
You must consent to a spiritual awakening in addition to asking for it. This may appear to be the same thing, but there is a subtle distinction to be made here.
What does spiritual awakening feel like?
Psychological research on spiritual and kundalini awakenings is still in its early stages, and it has tended to ignore events that occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Studies on the impact of mystical experiences, such as spiritual and kundalini awakenings, on well-being have identified the predominantly positive, healing effects of these experiences, as well as some of the more challenging aspects brought on both by their disruptive nature and by their typically biased clinical interpretations. Despite a greater number of research addressing the powerful physical aspect of kundalini awakenings compared to spiritual awakenings, the subtle phenomenological variations between spiritual and kundalini awakenings have rarely been studied. The interchangeable use of these terminology could make it difficult to comprehend these experiences and their effects, especially as stronger bodily feelings may imply more difficult outcomes. Some of the phenomenological and neurobiological bases of drug and non-drug induced ASCs, as well as the links between the spiritual features of ASCs and the symptoms of TLE and trait absorption, have been investigated by neuroscientific and psychological study. However, SSA/SKAs have yet to be mapped within the ASC framework, and the common predictors used to research ASCs (TLL and absorption) have not been tested as efficient predictors of SSA/SKAs.
This paper will explore the general properties of SSA/SKAs, their consequences on well-being, how they compare to other measurable ASCs, their links with TLL and absorption, and the potential phenomenological variations between them in order to fill certain gaps in the data. The authors hypothesize that Spontaneous Kundalini Awakenings (SKAs) are not only more physical than Spontaneous Spiritual Awakenings (SSAs), but also more likely to produce negative experiences, based on the prevalence of anecdotal accounts of physical and energetic experiences preceding challenging kundalini experiences. After that, the phenomenological distribution of spontaneous Spiritual and Kundalini Awakenings will be mapped within the ASC framework by comparing their phenomenological distribution to that of non-drug and drug-induced ASCs. Following a similar approach to the investigation of induced ASCs, analysis will be undertaken to evaluate the hypothesis that TLL and trait absorption predict the severity of the SSA/SKA ASC. More research will be done to see how the SSA/SKA sample's population distribution compares to the distribution of previously reported “normal” TLL and absorption samples. The short- and long-term effects of these events on one's well-being will be investigated.
What are the five stages of spiritual awakening?
The hero's journey, an evolutionary process of growth and transformation woven into all great myths and stories, was outlined by renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell: “A genuinely heroic shift of awareness occurs when we stop worrying about ourselves and our own self-preservation.”
The primary pushing off point for any hero's quest is known as the call to adventure. The call to adventure is a break from regular life, a signal that comes from deep inside, grabs your attention, and drives you in a new direction. The spark that sets off a spiritual awakening is a call to adventure. Every life has a moment that, if grasped, will change it forever. The call to adventure is a reawakening experience, a shift in perspective that forces you to reconsider your perspective on life. A travel to a strange location, the loss of innocence, an illness, a challenge, the death of a close friend, a near-death experience, or the loss of a job are all examples of spiritual experiences. Regardless of the specifics, the experience alters your perspective and causes you to see the world through fresh eyes. You've been given the task of living an ordinary life in an extraordinary way.
At this critical juncture, Joseph Campbell advises that you must choose whether or not to accept the call to adventure. In truth, though, ignoring the call isn't an option because your soul is inviting you to change on a deeper level. If you ignore the call, the opportunity will recycle itself like a skip on a record, patiently waiting for you to embrace the call to a new existence, thanks to your unique karmic influences. Furthermore, there is no going back once a transforming and deeply waking incident has occurred. Your eyes have been opened, and no matter how much you try to reject it, you can't turn away from the image of a greater reality calling to you.
You enter a broader universe once you've answered the call to adventure. You take an active role in your spiritual development and advancement. As you begin to manage your life toward chances that enhance your knowledge, responsibility becomes the operative word. Everything feels the same and weirdly different at the same time, thanks to a tiny alteration in perspective.
What are the ways to grow spiritually?
5 Ways to Develop Your Spirituality
- Consistency is key. Maintain behaviors that will help you grow spiritually, such as praying, studying the Bible, and attending church services.
How do I get in touch with my soul?
There's a distinction to be made between your ego and your soul. Your ego is your social mask and picture of yourself, whereas your soul is who you truly are beneath all the labels and titles. It is eternal, heavenly, and intrinsically valuable.
Life seems to flow more effortlessly and taking action is less of a challenge when you learn to align more with your spirit each day.
You feel more liberated, joyful, satisfied, empowered, and at peace with yourself. Even when things don't go as planned, you sincerely love and accept yourself.
Unfortunately, we're not taught how to align with our soul, and it can take a little patience to find our way to this area of safety and strength within us after years of being governed by our ego's fears, worries, and incessant chatter.
Here are ten ways to reconnect with your spirit. Making time for one or two of these once or twice a week can make a huge difference in your happiness, well-being, and life.
Spend time in nature.
Nature has a calming impact on us and encourages us to slow down, take deep breaths, and enjoy the moment. Go for a walk in the woods, a run on the beach, a picnic in the park, or some stretches by the water.
Write a soul journal.
It's similar to keeping a standard diary, however you'll delve deeper. You ask your soul questions such as: “How can I get out of this?” in addition “What's holding me back from reaching my goals?” Then, without any self-censoring, you write down your immediate thoughts and feelings to observe what inner wisdom emerges.
Schedule solo dates.
We might become so preoccupied with checking off items on our to-do lists and keeping up with others that we forget to check in with ourselves. So organize a weekly solo adventure to learn more about yourself. Take a coffee break, go to a gallery show, read a book, enroll in a creative class, or explore a new neighborhood.
Take yoga classes.
Yoga is a wonderful method to bring your mind and body together. You get an opportunity to calm your mind and build a lasting sense of inner serenity as you focus your attention on your breathing and positioning for the remainder of the day.
Meditate.
Your inner guide has a moment to talk to you when you tune out from the cacophony of the world and your own internal worries and circling thoughts. Try meditating for five minutes with a soul-calming mantra like “I have nowhere to go, nothing to do.” “There's nowhere to go and nothing to do.”
Travel.
It could be as basic as changing your commute or as grand as planning a vacation around the world. In either case, breaking up your routine and seeing new places forces you to break out from your comfort zone and old patterns. This allows you to rely more on your instincts and inner guiding.
Offer to help others.
You temporarily forget all of your ego-based cares and troubles when you give your time, energy, and love to others, and align with your true spirit, which is kind and open-hearted.
Make time to just be.
For a few moments, just sit and do nothing. Listen to the sounds around you, scan your body for feelings, and take a few deep diaphragmatic breaths. “One conscious breath in and out is a meditation,” Eckhart Tolle says.
Lose yourself in something you love.
It might be anything from dancing to cooking to writing to running to painting. When you're immersed in something you truly enjoy, your mind quiets and your soul takes over. It's a lovely, liberating sensation that we should all try to have more often.
p.s. Do you have trouble with self-doubt or confidence? Have you lost sight of yourself and your radiance? Do you want to be a magnetic queen and own your worth? I have a gift for you. My Self Love online course is a step-by-step journey to self-worthiness and wild self-love. You may read about it here.