A spiritual practice is something you do every day that brings you close to your Soul, your true self. Closer to love. Closer to Spirit.
It doesn’t have to look ‘spiritual’ or be what everyone else is doing – it can be absolutely anything you want it to be, whatever your intuition is guiding you towards. It always brings you back to a feeling of deep joy, feeling connected, mindful, elevated, grounded… LOVED.
Your true self is not the person or personality that you show to the world. It isn’t your name, job, or role as wife, mum, sister, daughter, husband, dad, brother, son, or friend. Your true self doesn’t have any labels, it just is. Your Soul is the watcher, the peaceful being of love and light. You might connect to it while knitting, running, playing the guitar, singing, reading or cooking. You may find it in yoga, meditation, chanting, dancing, or in nature.
Follow your heart, find what works for you. Discover those rituals that you want to do every day. Break through preconceptions, try new things, and find what lifts your spirit. Let go of resistance, fear, judgment, and the need to be right. Your spiritual practice is whatever you want it to be.
Here are a few ideas from my personal experience that have helped me cultivate a meaningful practice…
CRYSTALS
You don’t have to know anything about crystals to enjoy their healing power. And wow are they powerful! If you haven’t played with crystals before, the next time you find yourself in a crystal shop, choose three that speak to you. Don’t read anything about them before you choose them. Just let your heart decide what you need.
Once you’ve bought them, ask for a little info on each, most shops have little notes you can take home, or just make a note of their names and look them up online. If you’re sensitive to their energy, you might want to keep them out of the bedroom (crystals can disrupt sleep) and be sure to cleanse them properly.
Take time to move them around your abode intuitively and meditate with the often. They love to be loved!
CARDS
Learning from oracle cards has been a huge game changer for me. It’s my go-to these days for advice, guidance and a quick or deep understanding of what’s going on in my life. There are so many different kinds of cards you can buy with messages from saints, angels, archangels, animals, crystals, and much more. Choose a pack that lights you up on the inside when you hold it.
Once home, shuffle the deck well. When you are comfortable with the cards, you may find yourself choosing one on a whim, gaining insight straight away, and carrying that wisdom with you for the rest of the day or longer.
Be sure to read the instruction booklet before you get going so you know how to make the most of them and how to infuse your energy into them… and don’t let other people touch them unless you’re happy to cleanse them again.
If you’re not into oracle cards but would like some inspiring ideas for conversations or journalling, you might want to try my conversation starters called Soul to Soul. They’re delicious and meaningful questions to get you thinking deeply and connecting with others on a really juicy new level.
RELEASE
There’s one simple technique I have for connecting instantly to my soul. Place your hands together like a prayer, and gently bring your thumbs to the middle of your chest. Keep pressing until you feel a release, I always feel like taking a deep breath and dropping my shoulders. Now you’re connected to yourself. And don’t it feel good!
BREATHING
I believe meditation and mindfulness are for everyone. But here’s the trick to keeping it easy: start small. AIm for a few minutes of deep belly breathing each day, and build up from there.
Once you fall in love with meditation, you’ll find that mindfulness seeps into your life in the most beautiful ways. You stop being the thinker and start living as a witness to life. From my experience, this is when life feels most miraculous. Because every moment holds a miracle if you’re open and ready.
I’ve recently learned transcendental meditation, which is incredible. I use the Insight timer to time my 20 minutes, and there are literally thousands of free guided meditations available on there too.
ACCEPTANCE
Be kind to yourself, to your shadows, dark bits, negative emotions and fears… be kind to friends, strangers, colleagues and family… be kind to nature, to animals and to your body… always be kind.
And dig deeper. There’s nothing scary in there. Just your shiniest, brightest self.
Love
