Spirituality is a beautiful thing.
It’s also a word that gets thrown around a lot, and I’m a big believer that it can have a different meaning for everyone.
What it means to me is feeling connected to my innermost self, to the world around me, and to a higher purpose.
By that definition, I’ve become more and more spiritual over the years and I can’t tell you how much joy and growth it’s brought into my life. That growth hasn’t always been easy – to be quite frank – it’s been an equally painful and beautiful journey.
Overall though, I’ve found that spirituality has had a multitude of benefits on my health, my relationships, my self-esteem, my business, the list goes on.
While the topic of spirituality may not be for everyone, the following 10 ways to connect to your spiritual side are amazing things to do. Whether you consider yourself a spiritual person or not, these tips can clear your head, get you focused, and facilitate breakthroughs in all areas of life.
Starting off with my personal favorite here. Meditation is the tool that’s helped me connect with my spiritual side more than anything else. What I love about meditation is that there are so many ways to do it.
I know several people who use golf as a form of meditation. For me, meditation looks more like the classic “sitting with my eyes closed in a deep trance” kind of thing. The key with meditation is to find a method that brings you into the present moment – whatever that looks like.
If you want to learn more about how to meditate and are looking for a good starting point, I always recommend Headspace as a great resource.
One of the aspects of spirituality that tends to get overlooked is the importance of feeling whatever emotions come up. Being spiritual doesn’t mean that you’re unphased by the challenges of being human – quite the opposite. When we acknowledge what we’re feeling, no matter how painful, that’s when the growth takes place.
To connect to your spiritual side, I invite you to tap into the things that are demanding your attention rather than running away from them. Feel them, acknowledge them, and then let them go.
A powerful way that I like to connect with myself and the world around me is to go out in nature and simply observe. Life gets so busy sometimes that we often forget to take in the beauty and just feel grateful to be alive. So, to become more connected to your spirituality, head outdoors (1).
If you want to take this a step further – go to a park, backyard, or wherever you can find some grass – remove your shoes and sit with your hands and feet planted firmly on the Earth. This practice is called grounding and I’ve found it to be a great tool to bring me into the present moment and feel connected to everything around me.
Below is an alternative position you can use to ground yourself. The key with grounding is to be comfortable and truly feel the Earth in whatever way works best for you.
Next up: gratitude. Gratitude is one of those things you can practice whenever and wherever you want and it can do wonders for your mental state. My favorite way to implement this practice into my life is through journaling. Each morning I write down three (or more) things that I’m grateful for. It doesn’t matter if they’re big things or small things.
You’ve probably heard it before – starting (or ending) your days with gratitude is one of the most powerful things you can do to begin tuning into your spirituality.
Nothing makes me happier than knowing I’m making a contribution to others in some way. Whenever I’m feeling down or want to tap into my purpose – I like to ask myself what I can do for other people.
Taking time for yourself to reflect, meditate, ground, etc. is amazing, and what’s also amazing is helping other people, and knowing that your presence is serving a higher good. This will do wonders for your self-esteem, and yes, even your spiritual side.
6. See the good in others
Similar to the last tip, seeing the good in others is an amazing practice to implement. Or in other words, having appreciation for them.
Let’s say you have an important meeting coming up with someone you’re not really a fan of. This could be a client, co-worker, or whoever. Rather than spending your day (or week) dreading that meeting and thinking about all of the things you don’t like about that person, shift your mindset and begin to focus on a couple of things that you appreciate about them (even if it feels challenging).
Not only will this make you feel lighter and more optimistic in general, it’ll also help with your gratitude practice and will give you a better result from your meeting – guaranteed.
This might be the most important one for all aspects of you – as in your overall health and your soul. When you take care of your body by fueling it with healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, exercising (you don’t need me to tell you all of the things that are great to do for your health), and listening to what it needs – you begin to start honoring your body. And in turn, become more grateful for it. After all, your body is an incredible vessel that allows you to experience everything this life has to offer – so honoring that vessel is one of the most spiritual acts you could do.
What’s better than being a spiritual person? Having someone (or a community) to share your spirituality with! (3) Thanks to the Internet, there are a multitude of ways to meet like-minded spiritual folks. This could be through social media (Facebook groups, YouTube channels, Instagram accounts, etc.) or even places within your community. You could go to spiritual shops in your city or look for different spiritual events. The opportunities are endless, and all of these things are great ways to connect with others over shared experiences and feel less alone.
If you’ve read The Power of Now or A New Earth (both by Eckhart Tolle), then you know what I’m getting at here. Learning to be at peace with the present moment is ultimately what spirituality is all about. So much of the time we’re focused on things out of our control, either in the past or future, and it takes us out of what’s happening right in front of us.
If you want to learn more about how to actually be more present, I’d highly recommend reading some of Eckhart’s work or listening to his podcast with Oprah that I’ve linked here. He has some amazing insights about presence, consciousness and so many other spiritual topics.
Last and not least, prioritize making time for things that light you up inside. Or in other words, the things that make you feel most alive and connected to yourself or the world around you. For me, this means spending time with my family, working on my yoga practice, and coaching my incredible clients and students. I’m fortunate that the work I get to do every day is what lights me up inside. If that isn’t the case for you quite yet – don’t worry about it. Make it a priority to weave those things into your life and your spiritual side will be nurtured.
By implementing some (or all) of these practices into your life, you’re well on your way to a more spiritual, more fulfilling life. And hey, even if you’re not big into spirituality, these suggestions can still do wonders for your happiness and health.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by any of these ideas or are looking for a way to fit some of these practices seamlessly into your life – you can visit this page to download your free practice clarifier based on the 201 Day Achievement Principle Method.
The 201 Day Achievement Principle is a system that I developed with my good friend Kim White (who is also an amazing spiritual resource) based on the idea that you don’t have to do something every day in order for it to add great value to your life.
The practice clarifier that you can get your hands on right now for free will help you identify your values so you can make time for what’s most important – including any spiritual practices you want to implement. Visit this link to learn more.
Get in touch, and I’ll get back to you as soon as we can. I look forward to hearing from you!