In my work as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, I support women with creating healthier lifestyle habits. Doing so reaches far beyond nutrition into every aspect of life from career, education, home life and even spirituality. Spirituality as a self-care practice is one of the areas where my clients commonly feel lacking yet wish to create a deeper spiritual practice. I find that a lot of what holds clients back from creating a deeper spiritual practice is either a misunderstanding of what spirituality is or simply not knowing how to do so in a simple way.
The concept of spirituality seems a little “woo woo” which can intimidate or turn someone off to spirituality from the outset. But really, spirituality is anything that deepens your connection to a Higher Power and thus your Higher Self – the real you. A Higher Power is anything you believe in that is greater than you – God, The Universe, nature. So creating a deeper spiritual practice can be as simple as small daily actions that you keep you connected to that power. Here are a few simple spiritual practices to consider.
One //Meditate Daily. Meditation can seem intimidating if you’re not practiced in it. When I suggest meditating to many of my clients they retort that either they don’t like it or they’ve tried it and it doesn’t work. Meditation isn’t an all or nothing practice and it doesn’t fall into place overnight. If you want to develop a daily meditation practice, read Meditation Made Easy and My Daily Meditation Practice.
Two // Practice Gratitude. Each morning, before you check your email or social media, slow down to note three things you’re grateful for. Research shows that a gratitude practice can create more overall happiness, stronger relationships and positive emotions.
Three // Look for Signs. I believe that if we stay open to it, we’re constantly receiving guidance from a Higher Power revealed through signs. Those signs could be synchronicity like seeing someone you were just thinking about or being at the right place at the right time. A sign could be a number or animal that has meaning to you and shows up repeatedly or your intuition speaking to you. The key is to be quiet and inward enough to receive the signs all around you.
Four // Be Present. It’s common to get so caught up in dwelling on the past or hoping for the future that we forget to be present in the now. A meditation, deep breathing practice or even a mantra can bring you back to the present to keep you open to signs and guidance.
Five // Create a Sacred Space. This one’s my favorite because there’s nothing better than to have a dedicated spiritual space. Evoking a sense of calm and connectedness can set the mood for all of the above practices. Your sacred space can be as big or small as you’d like it to be. Consider adorning your space with anything that speaks to you for example:
- An altar
- Candles
- Incense
- Books and quotes
- Meditation cushion
- Palo Santo
- Crystals
- Sage
If creating a deeper spiritual practice is one of your desires, pick one or two ideas from this list and give it a try. Or, tell me in the comments how you use these tactics in your own spiritual practice.
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