Having a spiritual practice has completely changed my life. For the better.

I didn´t think something so simple could have such a big impact on my day-to-day life.

But a simple practice of reconnecting helps me feel happier and more peaceful.

And it is so simple!

All it takes is a few minutes to deliberately reconnect with myself, and I’m set for the day.

It blows my mind that, a few minutes per day, is all it takes to experience a significant change in how you feel.

So give me one good reason why not to have a spiritual practice?

What Is Spirituality Anyway?

Before we talk about how to start your own spiritual practice, let’s talk about the term ‘spirituality’. What does that even mean?

There are many ways to answer that. And the word has different meanings to different people.

At the core, spirituality is about pursuing a deeper understanding and connection with something greater ourselves, through deepening the connection with ourself (and therefore the world around us).

I see it as a personal journey of finding truth through your own experience. Because there is no other source but your inner knowing that can tell you what that truth is.

It is the esoteric path; truth to be found through the journey within. (The exact opposite from the exoteric, where a truth or dogma is imposed from the outside world)

At the core, spirituality is the deep inner knowing that you are your thoughts and emotions.

Spiritual awakening is about the awakening from day-to-day consciousness. To realize that, underneath it all, there is a deeper truth to life: that everything is energy, and that everything is connected through its energy. And that you are responsible for the energy that you generate and put out into the world.

Because once you realize that your outer world is a reflection of your inner world, everything changes.

Suddenly, life becomes a game of freeing yourself from negative thoughts, fears, and conditioning that get in the way of you living your dreams.

You now realize, that you have the power to change your experience, and are perfectly able to create more peace and freedom in your life.

Suddenly, life becomes a game of rising above the ego, and learning to live from a place of love.

A big idea. A big task. With a simple beginning: A daily spiritual practice.

A Spiritual Practice; A Personal Journey

There is not one right way to start a spiritual practice: There is only your way.

However, there are a few key things to keep in mind before you start:

• The more often you practice ‘getting out of your head’, the better you will feel
• If you want to feel more peaceful and connected, you’ll need to practice. Just like going to the gym, to feel connected requires practice, there is no magic pill.
• You need to feel it to understand it. By logically understanding it, you can understand the concept, but it will not transform you at the core. The only way to truly experience the benefits, is through practice.
• Be patient with yourself. The mind is naturally always busy, so it will take some time to get used to your new practice.
• By creating the space to allow your inner world to speak louder, you may be confronted with emotions or trauma that feel unwanted. Know that this is part of the practice: to allow whatever is to be there, to observe it. Eventually, this will help you process the pain and let go of it (instead of suppressing it).
• It is not about doing it perfectly. It is about allowing whatever is, and learning to gently let go and relax.

The Benefits Of Having A Spiritual Practice

These are some of the benefits of having a spiritual practice:

• Feel more peaceful
• Experience less stress
• Experience more freedom
• Feel less lonely
• Support your wellbeing in a natural way
• Less self-sabotage (because of increased self-awareness)
• More trust in life
• More clarity on your purpose and life path
• A better way to deal with anxiety
• A practice to help you get out of your comfort zone
• Feel more grateful
• Feel more excited about your life
• Discover the universe through your inner journey
• Connect with, and develop your intuition
• Open your third eye and connect with your sixth sense
• Finding answers from your subconscious for situations in daily life

How To Get Started With Your Spiritual Practice?

In the beginning, keep it simple.

All you need is 15-20 minutes per day. And if that feels like too much, start with 5 minutes a day, and build up to 15-20 minutes over time.

A good time to do this, is right after you wake up, so you set the tone for the day. But if that doesn’t work for you, pick another moment that does work.

The Purpose Of Your Practice

The purpose of your spiritual practice is all about taking a moment to check in with yourself, without distractions.

Turn off your phone, devices, etc. This time is all about you.

At this moment, you are looking to create more awareness about your current state, and to let go of whatever is on your mind.

What To Do?

Pick one of the exercises below. Pick a time each day for your practice. It can be in the morning after you wake up, or right before you go to bed. Whatever works for you.

• Meditation
  • Start with a 5-minute guided meditation. Pick any meditation you like. Over time you can build up to 15-20 minutes. Whatever works for you. Allow yourself to try it out and experiment.
  • Sit or lie down comfortably. Listen to what your body needs.
  • Try this daily for at least one month.
  • Be kind & patient with yourself.
  • When your mind is busy, know that the practice is about observing and accepting what is. It is normal that it takes time to get used to.
  • Notice your thoughts and feelings. Accept them and try to gently let them go. There is no wrong or right way to do it. It is all about creating awareness about what happens in this moment.
  • Need some guidance to get started? I suggest you read this Guide to Meditation, which contains tips and several meditations you can try, or watch this video I created: Meditation for Beginners.
• Gratitude & Self-love practice
  • Take a deep breath
  • Close your eyes
  • Think of 3 things you are grateful for in your life
  • Visualize each of them seperately & feel the gratitude
  • Think of 3 things you love about yourself
• Journal
  • Try an automatic writing exercise
  • Sit down at a desk or table with a pen and a piece of paper
  • Write down a question such as ‘What is on my mind right now?’, ‘What do I need the most right now?’, or ‘How am I really feeling?’
  • Write this question at the top of the paper
  • Set a timer to 5 minutes
  • Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths to your stomach, and try to relax and clear your mind.
  • When you open your eyes, start the timer and start writing.
  • Keep writing & write whatever comes to mind. If you don’t know what to write, write that.
  • It doesn’t matter what you write and there is no right way to do it.
  • The more often you do this, the more you’ll be surprised about what you’ll find out about yourself through this exercise.
• Time in nature
  • If possible, get out into nature and find yourself a sit spot.
  • Try to observe your surroundings.
  • What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell?
  • Do you see any animals? What are they doing, and how do they respond to your presence?
  • How does it feel for you to be there? Is it comfortable, or do you feel rushed/stressed in any way?
  • Sitting in nature is also great if you struggle to get into meditation.
  • You can read more about the sit spot here: https://thesoulconnection.blog/a-sit-spot-in-nature/

What’s Next?

See how simple it can be to start a spiritual practice? All that matters is that you take a moment to consciously connect with your inner state.

The more you’ll practice this, the more you’ll feel the effects & how great it will make you feel.

Of course, there are many more things you can add to your practice, but I suggest starting with one of the practices I described earlier.

Want more? Check out my other articles about spirituality and personal development.