How to start your spiritual journey:5 tips!

Here Are 5 Simple Tips to Begin Your Spiritual Journey

Welcome Lovelies! So, you want to start your spiritual journey? But you are wondering “How do I start”? You have so many questions, I know this for sure because that was me in the beginning of my spiritual journey. Look no further, I am here to assist you on your spiritual path. I applaud you for investing in your inner-healing. I invite you to take a deep breathe in, exhale and relax.

Peace, Love and Light. I'm Brittany; The Lotus Ascension, welcome to my blog. I am the mom of an angel named Saije. I use my platform to inspire moms primarily child-loss moms to trust in the higher source and to persevere through difficult seasons. I understand how challenging life can be and I want to inspire at least one soul to keep going no matter what. I represent the lotus flower; and Saije represents the ascension.

Remember you are the lotus:

" trust in the light,

grow through the dirt,

believe in new beginning "

Look at me as your “Soul-sister”. I know what you are thinking, one, that's super corny, and two, “I do not know this girl; we are not family.” Yes, all of this is true, we do not know each other personally but yet our souls have similar missions here on planet mother-earth. Our mission is to awaken our souls in order to deepen our perception about life. Is that you? I am sure that is why you clicked on this blog post. And I'm so glad you decided to read my first blog post. I honor you for investing in your healing, I'll say this as many times as I have to. SO PROUD OF YOU!

In this blog post, I will share 5 tips that will help you start your spiritual journey. Be sure to grab a pen and a piece of paper!

WHY START YOUR SPIRTUAL JOURNEY?

There are many benefits that come along with starting your spiritual journey. Take a look at some below.

• Gain a deeper connection with the Most High (GOD)

• Understand and find your true purpose

• Heal old trauma

• Mental freedom

• Strengthen your faith

• Be able to manifest your deepest desires

• Connect with your ancestors

• Break generational curses

• Relieve mental illness/ physical illness

• Deepen your connection with thyself (your higher-self)

• Allows you to be a grounded individual

• Remove blockages from your heart

The list goes on and on. The following presents you 5 major tips you need to understand before embarking on your spiritual journey.

1.Unlearn/ Deprogram

By a show of virtual hands, raise your hand high if you were taught that meditation, astrology, smudging, and/or tarot was a sin. Don’t be ashamed, I too, can relate to all of this foolishness. Unlearning all that you were taught is the first step in order to begin your spiritual journey.

Inspirational Quotes on Unlearning

• “You must unlearn what you have been programmed to believe since birth. That software no longer serves you, if you want to live in a world where all thing are possible.” Jacqueline E. Purcell

• “The illiterate of the future are not those who can’t read or write but those who cannot unlearn.” Alvin Toffer

• “Learning is an external act; unlearning is an internal act.” Jack Uldrich

Benefits of deprogramming

• Improved emotional state

• Heightened state of self-awareness and consciousness

• Break the cycle of unhealthy habits in your life

• Create more balance in your life

• Gain a deeper understanding about life and your life's purpose

Growing up in a colorist society, I was told that my dark-skin was ugly. You too? I was also told that my big lips weren’t attractive. I was told that my natural hair was “nappy”. Therefore, I spent years getting perms and adding an excessive amount of heat to my hair. Let’s just face it; we were programmed to believe that us African Americans were not smart, attractive or worthy enough.

We are constantly being programmed through television, music, and social media. Turn off the news!

This is a prime example of what you will want to unlearn as you embark on your spiritual journey. We were taught that spiritual practices such as, yoga, meditation, and tarot were evil. I could go on and on but listen, someday your soul gets tired. One day I said “forget this! This is some B.S.” Hey you! yes, the one who is reading this right now. One word: UNLEARN. Question everything that you have knowledge of. You have to unlearn all the B.S. you were taught in order to evolve. Learning to unlearn is the highest form of learning. This process takes time and it cannot be rushed. Be patient with yourself as you unlearn and relearn. I dare you to unlearn at least one thing you have been taught, know thy truth.

2. RESEARCH, STUDY, EDUCATE, RELEARN

Now that you have unlearned all that nonsense, next step is relearning obviously. The first tip I would suggest is to begin studying yourself; mind, body, and soul. Knowing yourself is more important than being known by a thousand people. We are not just our physical bodies, we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Many people do not understand this reality. Read that as many times as you need to.

As you embark on your spiritual journey you will understand that this is an intimate journey back to self. Doing your research is vital. OK so, where do I start, you may ask. There are so many spiritual books about self. If you prefer videos, there are tons of videos on YouTube. Search for videos about connecting with your inner-self and begin learning.

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Start Here: Self Help Books

“Become What You Are” by Alan Watts

“Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill

“The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne

“The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Berstein

There are many books that is available to you. You just have to do your research.

You ever heard someone say “that’s just how I am”? And they are totally fine with the way they are even if their behavior is toxic. Yeah, that isn’t going to work on your spiritual journey. Just as you have to unlearn what you were once taught, you also have to let go of negative habits/traits. Everything must go! And it starts with the old version of yourself.

3. Practice Gratitude : Get a Journal ASAP

THIS IS MAJOR! When you are done writing this tip in your notebook, please, highlight it. Practicing daily gratitude is key. Okay, so what is gratitude? The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word “gratia” which means grace, graciousness, and gratefulness. Gratitude is showing daily appreciation for everything you are blessed with. Such as, that heart beating inside of your chest.

Be honest, do you wake up and say “thank you so much for my healthy heart”? If you do, great! If not, that is okay, that is why I created this blog. It is important to be honest with yourself on your spiritual journey. In most cases once we have received something we previously prayed/wished for, we then get comfortable and stop acknowledging the full blessing. So, you are wondering, “How can I begin practicing daily gratitude?” What are the benefits of practicing gratitude? From experience, practicing daily gratitude has made a tremendous change over my mental and physical health. Let’s dive in to all of the details below.

WAYS TO PRACTICE GRATITUDE

• Keep a gratitude journal: Every morning list 5-10 things that you are grateful for. For example, you could write in your journal “I am grateful for my healthy organs.” “I am grateful for my kids; I am grateful for the roof over top of my head.” You can write this out using simple bullet points, it does not have to be a detailed paragraph. Just remember to be consistent.

TIP: Put energy behind what you are writing. Do not rush this process. Make sure there are little to no distractions. Feel the appreciation as you write. Focus on how you are feeling as you write. The more you write in your journal, the more abundant you will begin to feel.

• Listen to Guided Meditations: YouTube is your best friend, if you don’t know now you know. Search “Guided Meditation – Gratitude" on YouTube and different videos will show up, click the video that resonates with your soul. Listen to these recordings every morning. Again, little to no distractions. FOCUS. FOCUS. FOCUS.

My favorite channel on YouTube is “Live the Life You Love”. There are tons of guided meditations for beginners like yourself.

• Count Your Blessing; Not Your Problems: Do I really have to elaborate on this? I could write a book about this particular statement but I’m going to keep it nice and short. If you want to practice daily gratitude you must focus on the good things. I know this is not always easy to do. But as you practice this technique, your faith muscle will grow; and once you do that nothing will be able to shake you! You ready? Stop focusing on what could go wrong and ask yourself "what could go right?" and see how that makes you feel instead.

BENEFITS OF PRACTICING DAILY GRATITUDE

• Increase happiness/positive mood

• Improve mental and physical health

• Overcome your life’s obstacles with ease and grace

• Lowers levels of cellular inflammation

• Encourages the development of patience

Keep in mind that everything you will encounter on this spiritual journey of yours will require your patience. The day you plant the seed is not the day you will eat the fruit. Carl Rogers said “The good life is a process not a state of being, it is a direction not a destination.”

4. DISCONNECT to RECONNECT

LET IT ALL GO!

• That toxic relationship you are in

• That toxic job you are working for

• Take a break from social media

• Spend less time watching tv

• Turn off your radio

• Toxic family and friends

Disconnect from the world and reconnect with yourself.

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOURSELF

• Spend time in nature

• Exercise

• Yoga and meditation

• Read a new book

• Write yourself a love letter

• Buy yourself flowers or something you enjoy

• Dance

• Eat healthy foods

• Drink your water and mind your business – abby jasmine

• Learn a new skill or subject

• Journal

• Play/learn a new instrument

This is an extremely important tip. Get rid of any person, place or thing that does not ignite a fire in your soul. This journey is about you, so do not feel bad for cutting anyone/anything out of your life during this time.

Disconnect from the world in order to reconnect with your true self; your soul -- higher self. This is called the isolation period, in the beginning you may feel lonely. I remember back in 2018, I lost all my friends, my job, and my car all in one year. Looking back, I have no regrets, I needed to disconnect from those things in order to evolve. You will not always feel ready to disconnect but you must.

As you continue your journey back to your soul, you will soon understand that we are never alone. I’ve learned that being alone was better than being around people who made me feel alone while I was in their presence. This journey is not for those who cannot be alone. Because the spiritual journey is an journey back to your soul. It starts with you and it will end with you. Love yourself a little more during this season.

5. MEDITATE

Let me start off by saying this, loud and clear; Meditation is not a satanic practice. You will not be punished by God because you decided to meditate. I remember starting my spiritual journey back in 2017, when spirituality was not trending and a few people I knew where saying to me that meditation was evil.

Meditation is a practice, read that one more time please. If you are new to meditation, you must understand that it takes times to master the art of meditation. Similar, to trying a new sport, in order to get better you must practice daily. Therefore, be patient with yourself as you practice meditation as a beginner.

A little back story about my first year of meditation. In the beginning it was mentally challenging for me because I was under the impression that when a person meditated that they would not think about anything. So, whenever a thought crossed my mind during my practice, I felt like I was failing at meditation. Therefore, I was being very hard on myself in my early practices.

What I failed to understand back then was, there are many different ways one can practice meditation. You must find out which method works best for you. To prevent you from making my same mistakes, I present to you 4 simple ways you can practice meditation.

4 Different Ways You can practice meditation

1. Mindful Meditation:

• Origin: Buddhism

• Most Popular in the West

HOW TO PRACTICE MINDFUL MEDITATION

• Pay attention to your thoughts as they pass through your mind.

• Do not judge these thoughts (like I did) accept them, allow them to pass, observe your thoughts.

• What's on your mind?

• Listen.

• Tune In. Your thoughts are welcomed. This practice is beginner friendly.

2.Visualization Meditation:

• Enhances feelings of calm.

• Imagine positive scenes/imagery in your mind

• Use all of your senses; what does this image smell like? Imagine the smell

• Reduces anxiety and stress levels

• Mood booster

• Improves focus and concentration

• This meditation technique is for anyone who likes their thoughts to wander freely. Beginner friendly.

3. Movement Meditation

One of the most common myths about meditation is that you must be still. Movement meditation is great for anyone who enjoys being active/physical.

• Allow your mind to wander

• Use all of your senses and be present in the moment; connect with the body.

Try These Activities:

• Taking a long nature walk

• Dancing

• Yoga

• Exercising

• Driving

• Swimming

• Gardening

• Cleaning

• Singing

This meditation technique is easily achievable. Give it a try and let me know your experience.

4. Mantra Meditation

• Derives from Hindu and/or Buddhist traditions

• Repetition of words, phrases, or sound

• Popular sound: “Om” which is said to be the original sound of the universe. I love to chant Om during meditation.

• May be spoken out loud or in your head

• This technique is perfect for those who enjoy sound

Now that you are aware of some of the many forms of meditation, what are you waiting for? Meditation does not need to be hard, with practice you will only get better. For beginners, schedule a day out of the week to meditate. Do this consistently for at least a month, then schedule two days of out of the week to meditate and repeat.

As you become more consistent, eventually meditating will feel like second nature. It will become like breathing; you’ll understand that we have been meditating all along. Everything can be a meditative experience when you connect the mind, body, and soul.

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CONCLUSION

Welcome change, learn to love the uncertainty of life and allow yourself to be divinely guided during your spiritual journey. Trust your intuition and go with the flow of life. Remember to have patience and be present in each moment of your journey. I really hope these tips were helpful. Again, I am so proud of you for loving yourself enough to educate yourself on ways to improve yourself. You are making this world a better place. I am deeply grateful for your presence. Remember,

"You are the lotus"

Until we meet again,

The Lotus Ascension