How to Choose the Right Spiritual Path for You
If there’s one thing that Freedom At The Mat promotes, it is the importance of self-care. In a world that is often more hectic than tranquil, it can be difficult to stay grounded. Choosing the right spiritual path that fits your lifestyle can help you find your center and the inner peace to help you live a balanced, fulfilling and productive life. Let’s talk more about spirituality, what it is and finding the spiritual path for you.
What is spirituality?
Each of us possesses a spirit. Spirituality is an integral part of human life and can be experienced in many different ways. It is a universal experience that is deeply personal and unique to each individual. It is often described as a sense of connection to something greater than oneself. Most would say that their spiritual path often involves a search for meaning and purpose in life.
People may describe a spiritual experience as sacred, transcendent, or simply a deep feeling of aliveness and interconnectedness. People may find spirituality through their association within a religious community whether it be in a church, temple, or mosque etc., as well as through prayer, a personal relationship with God or a higher power. Some would say their spiritual path is by connecting with nature or art.
Everyone’s definition of spirituality is unique and can change over time, depending on their life experiences and relationships. It is important to find an approach to spirituality that works for you and helps you feel connected to something bigger than yourself.
Spirituality and Religion
Spirituality is a broader concept than religion, with the two being distinct from one another. Spirituality focuses on where an individual can find meaning, connection and value, while religion focuses on what is true and right. Spirituality is a personal practice that may or may not incorporate elements of religion. It is up to the individual to decide how they wish to use spirituality to find a sense of purpose and connection.
Why Finding Your Spiritual Path is Important
Spirituality and emotional wellbeing are closely intertwined. While they are two distinct concepts, they are both important aspects for your overall wellbeing. When we make an effort to cultivate our spiritual wellbeing, we often find that our emotional wellbeing is improved as well. This is due to the fact that both involve seeking a connection with something larger than ourselves. By striving for spiritual wellbeing, we may find ourselves feeling more peaceful, content, and grateful, while making efforts to improve our emotional health can help us to gain a broader outlook and appreciate our connection with something greater. As we delve deeper into the practices that can cultivate both our spiritual and emotional wellbeing, we will see that many of the recommended approaches are actually quite similar. This is because these two aspects of our wellbeing are deeply intertwined and mutually reinforcing.
It is essential to combine psychological work with spiritual practice to avoid the potential of spiritual bypassing, which is using spirituality as a way to avoid dealing with mental and emotional issues. Spirituality without psychology can lack direction and be difficult to integrate into everyday life. To benefit from spirituality, it is wise to incorporate some form of psychological work into your practice like attending therapy sessions or reading self-help books. Doing this will enable us to effectively use spirituality to heal and grow, whilst being mindful of the issues that may be at the source of our struggles.
Andrew James Taggert, a practical philosopher who left their academic lifestyle to pursue an alternative, more spiritual lifestyle wrote an amazing, in-depth article about finding your spiritual pathway. If you’re interested to learn more, go ahead and read: https://andrewjtaggart.com/2014/10/18/choosing-the-right-spiritual-path
Choosing Your Spiritual Pathway is a Journey
Spirituality is an incredibly personal journey, and it’s important to recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to it. Everyone’s path is unique and different, and it’s important to find the right practices that resonate with you and your needs. So, first and foremost, ask yourself what you need and want out of a spiritual practice. Do some soul-searching and reflection to get to the heart of the matter. You may find that it’s different from what you initially expected. This will help you to understand what is truly meaningful and important to you. Once you have a clearer picture of your spiritual goals, you can start to explore the different spiritual paths available to you.
It’s important to remember that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing a spiritual practice. Instead, you should be guided by what feels right and true to you. Don’t be afraid to try something that might seem silly or whimsical to your mind. Let your intuition be your guide.
There are many different spiritual practices that you can explore. Some of the more common ones include meditation, active imagination or astral travel, dream work, journaling, art, inner child work, shadow work, self-love, divine feminine/divine masculine work, self-hypnosis, hypnotherapy, and trauma work. No matter which path you choose, remember that your spiritual journey is highly personal. Don’t feel pressured to live up to someone else’s ideal or definition of spirituality. Instead, focus on what feels right and true to you. Listen to your heart, and be open to exploring new things. By doing this, you will give yourself the best chance to grow, transform, and heal.
To learn more about journaling, check out our article about guided journaling: https://freedomatthemat.com/why-guided-journals-are-important/
Finding a spiritual path and incorporating it into your daily life can be a transformative experience. To get started, set aside a certain amount of time each day to dedicate to your practice. This can be as little as a few minutes or more, it all depends on your needs. Additionally, some people create a special space in their homes for their spiritual practice. This is often a corner of a room, an altar, or a quiet area to reflect and reconnect to the Divine. It’s essential to be consistent in your practice, so it’s helpful to choose a time of day that works best for you. Some people prefer first thing in the morning, while others may find evening to be a better fit. As you incorporate your spiritual practice into your day to day, you’ll find that it becomes a routine part of your life that brings joy and peace.
You may find it helpful to connect with people who share the same spiritual journey. It will help to enhance your experience. That’s what religions do, they bring together individuals in a unified quest for the sacred. Make friends who are on the same path, and you will be more successful.
It will take time to find the right formula of practices that if tailored to fit your lifestyle and values. So it is important to be patient and experimental, the rewards you reap later on when you’ve established your spirituality will be greatly impactful.
Mindful Meditation & Yoga
As previously mentioned, meditation can be a practice that many find useful to get in touch with their inner selves. Meditation is a technique of calming one’s mind and body by purposefully focusing thoughts and engaging in physical activities. It helps clear the mind and can be used to relax or gain insight. Freedom At The Mat is dedicated to helping people find their freedom through accessible yoga, meditation & mindfulness classes so we’re going to discuss mindfulness and meditation through yoga.
Meditating can help one become mindful of the eternal truths and forget about the past and future. It allows one to stay in the present and find peace. It is an inner urge to look beyond the chaotic external world and focus on the internal. Through spiritual meditation, one can focus on the here and now and find comfort in it.
One of the primary components of both yoga and meditation is breath control which is why people like to meditate while doing their yoga. Breathing techniques have been promoted by psychologists and spiritual leaders because it can reduce stress and keep your mind focused on what’s important, rather than reacting emotionally to stressors. Reducing stress is essential for our physical and mental wellbeing. Our world is full of high demands and high stress, so it is important to learn how to take time to relax our bodies and minds. Practicing mindfulness meditation while practicing yoga is a great way to reduce stress and help with common chronic mental health issues, particularly for those in addiction recovery, such as depression and anxiety. When practicing yoga, you are the only one on the mat. The yoga mat can be a place to find inner peace and be present in the moment. And being active in a yoga community may connect you with people who share the same spiritual journey.
Read more about the benefits yoga has on your total wellbeing: https://freedomatthemat.com/why-should-i-do-yoga-yoga-benefits/
Start your Spiritual Journey Today
As stated before, nobody’s spiritual path will be exactly the same. Everyone has different mental and physical needs. It takes time to find the unique balance of all practices that can lead you to becoming your most evolved self. And it can be really fun to test different practices out.
Experience freedom at the mat with our free online movement, meditation and conversation videos. We are here to support you on your journey to overall health and wellbeing. Check out our videos and start your journey today: www.freedomatthemat.com
