For the first time in my life, I feared death.
My life came to a screeching halt when I was diagnosed with COVID-19. I was alone, quarantined, terrified, calculating the odds of my survival. Suddenly, everything I considered precious seemed so trivial.
I understood that money or the Gucci bags hanging in my wardrobe didn’t give me the happiness I longed for. My search was something primordial, soul-touching.
When we come back from the precipice of death, our perspectives change. We start asking, Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Where am I going? Why am I here?
The pandemic indeed opened a new awareness, pushing us to search for deeper meaning in our existence. Our psychological and emotional psyches rewired, divulging that logical reasoning no longer serves our inner well-being.
We realize that the world is shifting from a process-driven mindset to a reflective, spiritually- invested construct of life. It’s the only way to experience happiness within.
You may find it useful: How Can Spiritual Leadership Give You The Edge In The Post COVID-19 Era?
Spirituality is not about religion. Neither is it about gods or rituals. Spirituality is a righteous way of life. It doesn’t mean giving up our lifestyle entirely. It means adopting a few changes that support our spiritual growth.
It’s about prioritizing and nurturing our needs to fulfill our purpose – taking one step at a time to connect with our higher self.
Living spiritually is about creating joy, peace, happiness, abundance, and success, simultaneously leading a morally conscious life. There’s no destination to our spiritual journey. It is ongoing, taking us through self-transformation and embracing our true self.
We all intend to build a life around spirituality. Let’s take it at our own pace, with the right set of intentions and minds. Here are a few steps that will help us start our spiritual journey
1. Create a spiritual altar.
A recommended read: Spirituality and Religion: Which Path Is For You?
The first step in our spiritual journey is creating a sacred spiritual altar.
It’s a space that’s private and peaceful. A spiritual altar can be of our choice- a bedroom, a
small space in the living room, or a garden area- where we feel spiritually energized, present,
and comfortable.
Our spiritual altar should include powerful objects like
● a bowl of water,
● salt,
● incense,
● flowers,
● plants,
● a mirror,
● amulets,
● photographs of our ancestors/idols,
● and a spiritual planner
● Start with a prayer. It can be a mantra or a simple phrase that resonates with our core being.
● Light some candles, burn incense sticks and smudge herbs, and perform mild music, preferably the “OM” chanting.
● Meditate for 10-15 minutes twice a day. Practice deep belly breathing and focus on a specific goal/purpose.
● Take time to introspect. Take notes of the thoughts flowing around.
● Use affirmations like, ‘I am grateful for today’ or something along those lines.
● Practice grounding by ringing bells, crystal gazing, or talking to the Spirit Guides.
● End the ritual by saying a prayer of gratitude.
2. Mantra chanting.
A must read: Hindu Mantras: Embrace Peace and Happiness
A common mantra for Hindus is AUM/OM. Christians repeat Jesus, while Catholics say the Hail Mary prayer or Ave Maria. Jews repeat Barukh atah Adonai (“Blessed art thou, oh Lord”), and Muslims recite the name Allah like a mantra.
The theory behind mantra chanting is Sound Healing. Scientific studies have proven that 10 minutes of mantra chanting inhibits the release of stress hormones, thus providing a calming effect for nearly 48 hours.
The hymns are designed to affect specific body chakras. Each word resonates profoundly with our body chakras, stirring them awake, regulating the energy flow, and taking us to a dimension of acute awareness.
The most commonly recited mantra is AUM/OM. It is the primordial sound of creation, the true vibration of the universe. It is the ethereal sound of all other mantras. Repeating it 108 times daily increases our alertness and sensitivity to psychic senses.
You can refer to our blog, https://manmitkumarr.com/mantras-for-success-2024/, to learn more about spiritually powerful mantras that bring extraordinary bounties to your life.
3. Light Body Activation
How to create a Light Body?
To create a light body, we need to raise our physical, emotional, and spiritual vibrations so that our physical body prepares itself to receive the influx of higher dimensional energies. The activated light body transforms into a resonating field of light that helps us adapt to the new changes in our psyche and perceptions.
a. Spiritual Diet
Mindful eating brings us one step closer to the Divine Revelation.
As a Lightworker, organic, non-processed vegetarian, or vegan foods are preferable as they balance our spiritual experience and the physical elements. It’s always safe to avoid red meat
and fluorides, as they’re low vibrational foods that can reduce our energy frequencies. Following a tailored spiritual diet maintains our energy flow and keeps us grounded in our spirit.
Avoid dairy as it clogs our third eye, which is vital for Spiritual Awakening. Milk is one inhibitory food in our spiritual journey. Despite the dairy industry trying to portray that milk is a crucial ingredient in our diet, we do not need it expressly. People have ascended higher realms for centuries without consuming milk or its by-products.
Eat as much raw, unprocessed, and organic food as possible, as they are rich in nutrients that speed up our ascension.
b. Spiritual Breathwork
Focused spiritual breathwork activates our chakras, putting our mind and body at ease.
Deep pranayama for 15 minutes twice a day, morning and evening, works wonders for your spiritual self.
● Sit down comfortably on a flat surface, folding your legs.
● Place your right hand on your chest and the left hand on your stomach.
● Close your eyes for better concentration.
● Inhale deeply through your nostrils, letting the air fill your lungs and flatten your stomach.
● Hold your breath for five seconds, and exhale slowly
● Continue this practice for 21 days; you’ll feel the energy pulsing through your pelvic floor
to the crown of your head.
Holotropic breathwork is a newly evolving practice that centers around rapid breathing coupled with specific music and bodywork.
The process alternates between fast and even breathing to induce an altered and expanded
consciousness. It releases physical stress, heightens our inner awareness, and brings intense
emotional healing. Spiritual breathwork is a meditative practice that results in a heightened
connection with our inner self.
c. Dream Journaling
Dream journaling is one way to track our spiritual progress. It’s also a powerful tool to practice lucid dreaming. Our dreams are the echoes of our subconscious mind.
Remembering and noting the tiniest details of our dreams can become a source of immense knowledge and wisdom connecting us to our higher consciousness. As a result, we can increase our intuitive abilities and learn to decipher the meaning behind our dreams.
4. Working with Sun
The sun is the king of all planets and the ultimate source of all life. It is the manifestation of divine creation and higher consciousness.
Sunrise and sunset are rhythmic movements in themselves, aligning our spiritual powers with those of the universe. According to Hindu traditions, early morning hours, especially between 4.00 am and 6.00 am (the Brahma Muhurta), are ideal for getting spiritually recharged, meditating, and performing spiritual breathwork.
Waking up early at the first light can raise our sattvic vibrations, heightening our mental clarity and vitality.
a. Sun gazing
Sun gazing is an ancient meditative practice that involves looking directly into the light during sunrise and sunset. Sun gazing is safe in the first 30-45 minutes of the sunrise or sunset. Consequently, the sun’s energy powers our brain, stimulating our infinite consciousness and raising our vibrations.
The light rays entering through our eyes activate the third eye chakra and prepare our body to accept a large influx of radiation. Repeated practice activates our crown chakra, flooding us with positive vibrations and energizing both body and spirit.
b. Activating your inner spiritual sun
Like the sun in outer space, everyone has an inner spiritual sun waiting to radiate from within and decode their Soul Plan. The spiritual sun is an element of fire associated with Manipura chakra.
Reciting the Adithya Hriduya stothram, a sun salutation, activates this chakra, bridging your physical and cosmic consciousness. Arghyam is a Vedic practice that involves filling water in a copper vessel and pouring it outside clockwise as an offering to the Sun.
In doing so, we become the source of our light, just like the Sun. We eradicate our negative emotions, fill ourselves with love from the inside, and transform into an embodiment of love.
5. Spiritual Journalling
Recording our thoughts can be a powerful way to connect with the Divine. Automatic Writing is one way to maintain a spiritual journal and seek guidance from our Spiritual Masters. It purges negative emotions and clarifies the next step in our spiritual growth.
Spiritual journaling is an effective method to track our spiritual goals. Noting down our spiritual highs and lows is particularly useful for recognizing patterns in our spiritual development.
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Maintaining a spiritual diary is similar to maintaining a spiritual altar. It’s an unbiased space where we write our thoughts, explore new insights, and re-evaluate our beliefs.
Spiritual practices are a visceral part of our living. The first 21 days form the crux of setting our spiritual journey. The following 40 days determine our consistency, enriching our spiritual wellness.
We can always seek the wisdom of our Spiritual Healers by taking guided sessions from them. These tips are practical and easy to use yet are the most rewarding and powerful.
Dr. Manmeet Kumar is a Spiritual Coach who founded Soul Miracles in 2016. She uses her gifts of being a psychic and a medium to enable others to transform their inner core.