In the hustle and bustle of modern life, amidst the noise of technology and demands of society, many of us find ourselves yearning for something more profound, something beyond the material realm. This yearning often leads us to embark on a spiritual journey—a journey of self-discovery, inner growth, and enlightenment.
Many philosophies and spiritual gurus have laid out specific methods to start or progress on the spiritual journey. But for every individual, it’s a very personal and transformative experience. What works out better for one may not be applicable for the other. Hence, we will be discussing various ways to take the first step towards your spiritual journey.
Your choice of the spiritual path depends on what you are seeking out of it. It can be inner peace, awareness, connection with something large or even inquisitiveness towards finding the true purpose of life. It’s better to try one or more of these practices and assess what helps you in your pursuit.
No matter which route you choose, discipline, perseverance and patience are common prerequisites for any spiritual practice. Also, one should be ready to shatter the old beliefs and patterns of life.
Meditation
Meditation is one of the most common and fruitful spiritual practices. The basic idea of meditation is to observe the chattering of mind and keep a neutral opinion towards it. With continuous practice, you will start to disassociate yourself from your thoughts. This will help you to connect with your inner being and feel its magnificence.
Get Started:
As a beginner, you can start meditation without any guidance by simply focusing on your breath. If you think it’s challenging you can seek help from various meditation apps as well.
The other very powerful method of meditation is chanting. This method is usually followed by practitioners of various religious faiths. Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc. have offered different spells (‘mantras’ as said in Sanskrit) for chanting meditation.
Practice Gratitude
The practice of reflecting on all good things in your life and being thankful for them is called gratitude. This is a very powerful tool to start with your spiritual journey and uplift the personality. It’s true that the universe is kind to those who are thankful for what they have already received.
Get Started:
You can start this practice by simply acknowledging 3 things that you are thankful for every morning right after waking up and before going to sleep. Writing down in a diary is even more impactful. Another method is to say ‘thank you’ to the people around you more often for every small or big gesture that you like. Start being thankful for all the unacknowledged blessings around you and reap the benefits of it.
Read more about gratitude: Why Should You Practice Gratitude
Journaling
Journal is your friend who listens to you without any judgments and keeps all your secrets. Isn’t this great? It’s an amazing way to keep expressing your heart and mind by writing how and what you feel. Apart from an exceptional method to help one with anxiety, fear, stress, depression etc., it helps with spiritual progress also.
A journal helps you to keep a record of your thoughts and emotions. When you read through about how you have felt about something in the past, it gives you the perspective of the largeness of life. What was so troubling, fearing or even exciting in the past, may not have any significance in the present. This will remind you of one of the most important spiritual lessons, that life exists only in the present, neither in past nor in future.
Get Started:
Set aside 5-10 minutes to reflect upon your day. You can either buy a Journal workbook or simply take a blank diary and start writing. There are various ways and prompts to journal. Choose what suits you best.
Read more about benefits and how to start journaling.
Connect With Nature
In our busy city life, we often start to feel disconnected and secluded from the world. Going out and connecting with nature is a great way to remind us of our connection with the universe. It gives us time to contemplate and get back our peace and calm.
Get Started:
A small walk on the grass, observing the plants, trees, mountains, land, soil, birds, animals, acknowledging the breeze etc. all are different ways to connect with nature. It can be as simple as taking care of house plants and observing their life.
Connecting with nature helps us to experience our true being and look beyond the false ego.
Embrace Yoga
Contrary to general perception, yoga is much more than physical exercises. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’ which means to unite. The practice of yoga leads to union between mind and body. In a spiritual sense it means harmony of individual consciousness with universal consciousness. One who experiences oneness with existence is said to be in Yoga or a Yogi.
Yoga practices are known for inculcating better physical, mental and spiritual health. One can sense inner peace by practising the yoga poses along with regulated breathing exercises. One of the other major benefits of yoga is balancing of chakras, the focal energy centers within the body through which the universe interacts with us.
Get Started:
Start by taking out 20 minutes either in morning or evening to do Yoga stretches. You can learn Suryanamaskar or other bits of asanas through an instructor or a guided apps or video websites.
Reading Sacred Literature
While spiritual journey is about practicing the spiritual lifestyle, reading related texts helps one to develop rationale about following this path. Reading spiritual literature also helps the practitioners to stay motivated in the long run.
Get Started:
Various sacred literatures like Bhagwat Geeta, Holy Bible, Quran etc. talk in length about the magnificence of the spiritual world. One can also opt for books on mindfulness, spirituality, meditation and self help from contemporary authors.
Seek Spiritual Mentor Or Community
A man is known by the company he keeps. Keeping company of like minded people who are also in pursuit of their spiritual awakening can be of utmost help.
Get Started:
You can also look for a spiritual mentor who can be a guru, coach, friend etc. whose philosophies resonate with your pursuit. A mentor is usually the person who has walked the road of spiritual awakening and demonstrates qualities like calmness, equanimity and liberated wisdom.
Takeaway
Always remember, spiritual journey is unique for every individual. You could start small and stay curious. One should be open minded and curious to try various methodologies before finalising which one works best for them.
Road to spiritual awakening is a marathon and should not be run as a sprint race. One needs to focus on slow and gradual progress. Intense efforts in the beginning may not only lead to disterest in the long run but also can do more harm than good.
Ultimately, the spiritual journey is not merely about reaching a destination or attaining some lofty goal, it is about the transformation that occurs along the way—the shedding of old patterns, the expansion of consciousness, and the awakening to our true essence. It is about coming home to ourselves, rediscovering the inherent divinity that lies within each and every one of us.
Related Read:
Art of Slow Living : Benefits and Tips to slowing down in life
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