Where Are You In Your Spiritual Journey

The spiritual journey is a personal adventure that we embark on in order to reconnect with our Souls, discover our true life purpose, and embrace our True Nature. In a nutshell, the spiritual journey is about returning to the core of our being: it's a route that mystics, shamans, and sages have pursued for centuries. However, in this day and age, when times have changed and we are all experiencing collective soul loss, the spiritual path is open to all. It is, without a doubt, our deepest desire and highest calling as a species.

How do you describe your spiritual journey?

One of the most significant impediments to spiritual progress is pride, particularly spiritual pride. “The seeker seeking Truth should be humbler than dust,” Mahatma Gandhi stated. The world crushes the dust beneath its feet, but the Truth seeker should be so humble that even the dust would crush him or her.”

When discussing your spiritual experience, be modest and mindful not to come out as superior in any manner. By criticizing someone else's beliefs, you can avoid being aggressive. Although your practices may seem significant to you, be open to and accepting of other people's practices and viewpoints. Others are more likely to listen to what you have to say if you respect them. Unfortunately, many of today's disputes are the consequence of one group attempting to force its spirituality on another. Remember that you can only judge yourself based on your own degree of ignorance.

Where do I start on my spiritual journey?

Suddenly, what I was seeing wasn't enough. I was hankering for more. Beyond the veil of my reality, I knew there were things to be disclosed. I really didn't know where to start untangling the web I'd become entangled in.

For a long time, I wanted I could be like Alice in Wonderland and drink a magical potion that would transform my perspective and answer all of my spiritual problems.

Instead, I began the arduous task of charting my own course. But I made a critical error. I imagined that if I found the correct thing, I'd be able to wave a wand and everything would become crystal obvious.

The problem is that when you're considering about starting a spiritual practice or need help coping with ordinary life, just knowing where to look and where to start can be daunting.

What I finally discovered is that there are various pathways to take in reality. What matters is that we simply begin walking.

Here is some guidance to get you started on your own spiritual quest for a more fulfilling life.

Don't be too concerned about adopting new belief systems or practices that seem vague and perplexing. Look for things that speak to you and are relevant to your particular way of living.

Simply sit in solitude for 5-10 minutes once or twice a day and focus on your breath. It doesn't have to be more difficult than that. Simply take a break from the normal sources of stimulation, such as your phone, Facebook, and television, and instead focus on yourself.

Make a commitment to your practice, whatever it may be. Make a small amount of self-discipline. Do it every day, without fail, whether it's 10 minutes in quiet, a solo stroll, a run, or a yoga class.

How do you know where you are spiritually?

The first evidence of a spiritual person is their lack of fear. When you have a fear or a chronic worry, that fear takes over your life and you are unable to be in the present moment. Fear of public speaking, fear of heights, and fear of bugs are the three most common fears among Americans. Many people, however, are terrified of death, rejection, loneliness, failure, illness, or making poor judgments. Spiritual people understand how to yield to forces beyond their control. In this way, they are similar to children in that they know how to ignore their minds and live fearlessly.

What is an example of a spiritual journey?

In March, I finished Yuval Harari's Homo Deus, and one section in particular remained with me: his thoughts on spirituality and why religions are anything but spiritual. Religion is defined by Harari as follows:

Any all-encompassing myth that bestows superhuman validity on human laws, conventions, and values is referred to be religion. It establishes the legitimacy of human social systems by claiming that they are based on superhuman laws.

Religion claims that we humans are bound by a set of moral principles that we did not create and that we are powerless to change. This is the system of moral laws created by God and revealed in the Bible, according to a believing Jew. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, according to Hindu belief, devised the laws that were revealed to us humans in the Vedas. Other religions, ranging from Buddhism and Daoism to communism, Nazism, and liberalism, contend that the so-called superhuman rules are natural laws rather than the work of some god. Of course, from Buddha and Laozi to Marx and Hitler, each believes in a separate set of natural principles discovered and revealed by different seers and prophets.

The claim that religion is a mechanism for maintaining social order and organizing large-scale collaboration may irritate people who see religion as primarily a spiritual path. However, just as the divide between religion and science is shorter than most people believe, the divide between religion and spirituality is far greater. Spirituality is a journey, whereas religion is a transaction.

Religion offers us a well-defined contract with specified aims, as well as a thorough picture of the world. ‘God is real. He instructed us to act in certain ways. You will be allowed to paradise if you obey God. You will burn in hell if you disobey Him.' Because of the deal's clarity, society can create universal rules and ideals that govern human behavior.

Spiritual journeys aren't like that at all. They generally lead individuals on intriguing journeys to unknown locations. Usually, the quest begins with a big question, such as “Who am I?” What exactly is the purpose of life? What exactly is good? Spiritual searchers, on the other hand, are not easily satisfied with the ready-made answers offered by the powers that be. They are adamant about following the big question wherever it leads, not only to places they are familiar with or would like to see. Academic studies, for the most part, are a transaction rather than a spiritual journey, because they lead us to a preset destination that has been sanctioned by our elders, governments, and banks. ‘I'll study for three years, pass the tests, earn my BA, and find a well-paying career.' Academic study may be transformed into a spiritual trip if the major questions you discover along the road lead you to unforeseen places you couldn't have imagined at first. A student might start studying economics in order to get a job on Wall Street, for example. However, we may label what she learns a spiritual journey if it leads her to a Hindu ashram or to assisting HIV patients in Zimbabwe.

Why would you call such a journey “spiritual”? This is a holdover from ancient dualist faiths, which held that there were two gods, one good and the other wicked. According to dualism, the benevolent deity created pure and eternal souls who lived in a spiritual paradise. However, the malevolent god – also referred to as Satan – created a material universe. Because Satan didn't know how to make his creation last, everything rots and disintegrates in the world of matter. Satan enticed souls from the pristine world of spirit and imprisoned them inside material bodies in order to breathe life into his faulty creation. A human being is a good spiritual soul trapped inside an evil physical body. Since the soul's prison, the body, decays and inevitably dies, Satan tempts the soul with corporeal pleasures, particularly food, sex, and power. When the body disintegrates and the soul has the opportunity to return to the spiritual world, the soul's desire for bodily pleasures tempts it back into a new physical body. As a result, the spirit wanders from body to body, squandering its days in the chase of food, sex, and power.

Dualism teaches people to free themselves from material enslavement and return to the spiritual world, which is foreign to us but is our true home. We must resist all material temptations and deals during this pursuit. Because of this dualist tradition, any journey on which we question the conventions and deals of the mundane world and embark on an unknown adventure is referred to as a “spiritual” voyage.

How many of us are actually on a spiritual path, according to this definition of spirituality? Few people, I believe, can honestly state they reject all material temptations and deals in favor of aggressively pursuing big questions.

If anything, it reminds me of all the religions I follow and how little I question their tenets–liberalism, which believes in the equality of all people; capitalism, which believes in trade and markets; animalism, which believes that all animals are sentient beings; and a variety of others that I'm sure have labels I'm unaware of.

If I were to classify anything I do as “spiritual,” it could be moments like this when I can take a step back for an hour and ask myself why I believe what I believe, how I came to those ideas, and if it makes sense for me to continue believing what I believe. It's feasible that I'll become tired or bored soon and return to my numerous distractions and commitments, but it's also possible that a particular line of thinking will drive me to change my mind, seek a new belief, or slightly tweak an existing perspective. This practice–reflecting and thinking about a few important questions on a regular basis–is a strong defense against having ossified views that make it difficult for me to accept a different worldview. And I can't ignore the value of reading and how books can help us achieve these meditative states.

I'll leave you with this final quote from Harari on the cycle that transforms spiritual journeys that seek to examine, if not destroy, current belief systems into their own:

The spiritual journey is always tragic from a historical perspective, because it is a lonely route appropriate only for individuals rather than entire societies. Human cooperation necessitates more than simply questions, and people who rail against stultified religious structures frequently end up creating new ones to replace them. It happened to the dualists, whose spiritual quests turned into religious institutions. It happened to Martin Luther, who found himself drafting new law books, founding new institutions, and designing new ceremonies after opposing the Catholic Church's laws, institutions, and rituals. It happened to Buddha and Jesus as well. They violated traditional Hinduism and Judaism's laws, rituals, and systems in their relentless search for the truth. However, more laws, ceremonies, and structures were eventually erected in their honor than in the honor of any other figure in history.

How do I awaken my spiritual power?

When trying to put all eight aspects of wellness together, the spiritual aspect of wellness can be the most individualized piece of the puzzle. People, on the whole, like to live lives that have meaning and purpose. When these objectives are attained, it brings peace into one's life and the lives of those around them.

So, what are some things you may do to increase your spiritual well-being? It's best to experiment with several ways to see what works best for you. Spiritual wellbeing can be reached in a variety of ways, both physically and intellectually, because it involves one's values, beliefs, and purpose.

1. Examine your spiritual foundation. You are merely asking yourself questions about who you are and what you mean when you explore your spiritual essence. Consider the following question: “Who am I?” What is the point of my existence? What am I most passionate about? These questions will lead you down a path where you will think more deeply about yourself and recognize aspects of yourself that will assist you in achieving fulfillment.

2. Search for hidden meanings. Looking for deeper meanings and examining patterns in your life will help you realize that you have power over your future. Knowing this can help you live a happier and healthier life.

3. Get it off your chest. It will be easier to retain a concentrated mind if you express what is on your mind. You may feel befuddled and unable to make sense of your feelings after a long day or an important event. You may be able to think more clearly and move forward if you write down your thoughts.

4. Give yoga a shot. Yoga is a physical discipline that can help you achieve spiritual wellness by eliminating mental and physical stress. Yoga is taught at all levels and can help relieve anxiety, sadness, weariness, and sleeplessness as well as reducing stress, strengthen the immune system, and lower blood pressure.

5. Take a trip. Yes, it is correct! Taking time for yourself to travel to a familiar location or to a new location can do wonders for your mental health. You will have a greater connection with yourself when your mind is able to block out distractions and assist you in reflecting and resting. This allows you to eliminate stressors and retrain your mind to focus on total wellness. Exercising, visiting with a counselor or advisor, meditation, or taking a temporary vow of silence are all activities that can be done while on a trip.

6. Keep an optimistic attitude. You will find yourself thinking differently and shifting your mind to a happy, healthy place once you begin to view things in your life in a good light. You'll discover that you're more comfortable when you eliminate negativity and re-frame how you think about specific things and situations.

7. Set aside some time to meditate. While managing your time and everyday tasks can be difficult, it is critical to make time for yourself. Take five to ten minutes each day to meditate, whether it's first thing in the morning, during your lunch break, or right before bedtime. By incorporating meditation and relaxation into your daily routine, you will be able to clear your mind and strengthen your connection to your spiritual well-being.

Source: http://student-affairs.illinoisstate.edu/health-promotion-and-wellness/7-ways-improve-spiritual-wellness/

How do you get a spiritual awakening?

Anything, from the absolutely banal to the completely life-altering, can cause a spiritual awakening.

Life-changing events (i.e., losing your job, moving away from home, a vehicle accident, etc.) and persons who open a spiritual “door” for you are two common causes, according to spiritual author Shannon Kaiser (like a twin flame or soul mate).

“Spiritual awakenings can happen on their own,” she says, “but most are brought on by major life changes or traumas like life-threatening illnesses, car accidents, divorces, war, pandemics, quarter-life or midlife crises, mental health crises like clinical depression or anxiety, or even a near-death experience.”

Tanya Carroll Richardson, a professional intuitive and author of Angel Intuition, notes that anything that inspires (or requires) you to “look at your life from a more spiritual viewpoint” might lead to awakening.

What is the spiritual awakening process?

Spiritual awakening, contrary to popular belief, does not entail a literal transformation “Awakening.”

You don't wake up one day feeling like you have a powerful energy within of you beckoning for change.

Spiritual awakening is a long process in which a person realizes that their existence extends beyond the physical realm “I” refers to the ego.

Eastern spiritualists refer to the ego, or everyday self, as the acquired mind in Taoist philosophy.

Our current selves — our likes, actions, preferences, and convictions — are the result of years of socialization.

These particular features we pick up, however unusual they may be, do not yet make up a whole self.

Humans are a self-preserving species as a result of evolution; it's in our DNA to resist change.

Humans are innately egoistic beings, therefore we can't help but form a bubble around ourselves and do everything we can to keep it safe.

While a firm belief in who you are and what you believe in may appear to be the very definition of the full “self,” philosophers such as Carl Jung argue that separating the “I” from the rest of the world is harmful because we inevitably begin to limit what counts as good and righteous to those qualities unique to us.

Consider this: your Spirit lives alongside your ego. The ego acquires things you enjoy and don't like, as well as convictions that distinguish what's good from what's evil, during the years of learning and interacting.

As the ego takes control, your Spirit becomes confined and inert, rather than moving beyond it.

What are the 3 elements of spirituality?

In their eternal wisdom, all shamans, healers, sages, and wisdom keepers of all centuries, continents, and peoples claim that human spirituality is made up of three aspects: connections, values, and life purpose. These three components are so strongly linked that it may be difficult to tell them apart. Take a minute to ponder on each facet of human spirituality to determine the state of your spiritual well-being if this is possible. This will be a three-part monthly series, starting with relationships.

Internal (your domestic policy)—how you deal with yourself, how you nurture the relationship with yourself and your higher self—and external (your foreign policy)—how you relate, support, and interact with those people (and all living entities) in your environment—are the two categories of relationships.

What criteria would you use to assess your internal relationship, and what steps could you take to improve it?

How would you assess your external relationships, shifting from the perspective of domestic policy to international policy?