spiritual routine
Cleansing Rituals Are A Vital Spiritual Practice
Energy cleansing should be a key component in our regular spiritual practice. To achieve and maintain a state of higher consciousness and enhanced spiritual awareness, we must constantly aim to purify and rebalance ourselves mind, body and soul.
Purification rituals are traditionally practiced in many world religions and various spiritual traditions embrace tangible cleansing rituals as a way of communing with and manifesting the Divine energy. Water-based rituals of purification are practiced, for example, in the Baháʼí faith, Christianity, Hinduism, Indigenous American religion, traditional African spirituality, Islam, Judaism, Mandaeism, Neopaganism, Shinto, Western esotericism, and Wicca.
It is no accident that animals also clean themselves regularly by grooming their fur or feathers. Nature instinctively understands that ‘cleanliness is next to godliness.’ Mother Nature also cleanses herself throughout the year with changes in the weather and the succession of the seasons.
I’ve never been much or a ritual or ceremony person myself, but I have come to embrace the need for a regular energy cleansing routine as I have grown in my own spiritual and psychic awareness.
For many years now, one of my go-to rituals is a simple spiritual cleansing bath with Epsom salt. I find it is a wonderful practice to realign my energy flow and restore inner peace and harmony. Nothing beats a proper ‘soul detox’ every few days.
Another practice I’ve adopted of late is chakra candle work. I often use these scented candles to jumpstart a client’s cleansing process, or cleanse and rebalance my own energy. The candle for each chakra is infused with its own combination of essential oils. The heart chakra candle is my personal favorite. It’s laced with sandalwood, jasmine, and rose essential oils and really packs a punch!
Intuitive Breathwork For Inner Guidance
Our angels and spirit guides never want to see us feeling down or suffering, whether it is emotionally, physically, mentally, or spiritually. They are always there to celebrate the good times with us, but they are also there to support and guide in our worst times. Spirit simply loves us unconditionally, no matter what is going on.
I strongly recommend taking a few minutes tevery day to shut out the noise of the world, as well as your own negative self-talk, to be still and open yourself to inner guidance from spirit. Go within to listen to spirit. Shift your awareness out of your heart and mind and into your gut to find your inner spiritual truth.
I speak to my guides daily as part of my spiritual practice. I usually ask them what they recommend I accomplish today, or what direction would be most beneficial for my highest good. I always receive an answer.
Mostly it comes through as a clear inner knowing or gut feeling. At times I receive it as a vivid thought, or an inspired idea, or a clairvoyant glimpse of something or someone significant that will cross my path.
I find get the best results with the answers I get from spirit after a few minutes of my tried and trusted breathwork exercise. I do the same preparation when reading for others and I also use it at times to clear energy blockages from my chakras.
It only takes about five minutes and is something that anyone can do daily to increase spiritual awareness and decrease inner noise and mental clutter. I have seen many of my clients thrive once they included this technique in their daily practice.
The Happiness Trinity
When a new year arrives, it is common for us to look back and wish we had done better in the previous year. To make matters worse, the past three years have been exceptionally difficult for all of us. All the more reason for us to now make a determined decision to strive for greater happiness in the coming year. But how does one achieve happiness?
The true nature of happiness has been a topic of debate since the beginning of time. Does anyone really know what true happiness is? There are many opinions, views and theories on the matter, but I believe in the end one’s personal happiness is something only you can truly define or measure for yourself.
With that said, no matter what our personal idea of true happiness might be, it will always require the foundation of three key elements: wellness of body, mind and soul. Without an optimal trinity of physical, mental, and spiritual health, one cannot truly live your best life.
A happy life begins first and foremost with physical health and self-care. Our lifestyle habits define the quality of our life. Constantly indulging in the short-term pleasures of unhealthy lifestyle choices will not ensure a happy life in the long-term. Happy people eat nutritious food, get enough exercise, sleep well, manage their stress levels, and aim to maintain a sensible work-life balance.
A sense of being happy itself is one of the countless emotions we experience in life, and while it’s not possible to always feel happy, we can still choose how we respond to life’s challenges. Choosing to see a difficult situation as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, and choosing faith over fear, are common traits among many accomplished people.
Be The Star Of Your Inspirational Story This Year!
As we enter a brand new year, it is essential that we optimistically turn a page in our book of life today to embrace an entirely new chapter! The past three years have been challenging for all of us in many different ways – all the more reason to dream bigger and reach higher in 2023.
Some of us are very determined to make up for lost time and have already made clear resolutions and set bold intentions for the coming year, while others may not yet know for sure what should be next to unfold in their life journey. Staring at the blank first page of a supposedly ‘new chapter in your life’ can be daunting, especially when true inspiration seems untenable.
Yes, thinking more positively about our life goals and dreams can at times be very difficult, especially when things have been tough for a long time or you have been stuck in a rut.
Emotional challenges like anxiety, grief and depression can cloud our ability to envision a better life, and the notion of dreaming about a better life can feel like a frivolous luxury or a pointless waste of time. It becomes challenging to clearly identify your goals and explore new dreams when you can no longer remember the last time good fortune smiled at you, or when last your own needs took center stage in your life, before that of others.
Whatever the cause, the struggle to move beyond such an impasse will always become very real when our pause buttons eventually light up. As creative spiritual beings in physical form we will eventually always want to break free from whatever rut or comfort zone we may find ourselves in.
Using The Four Elements In Your Spiritual Practice
Our ancestors worked with the elements in their metaphysical and spiritual practices. The four classic elements are found in many wisdom traditions, while some also employ additional elements such as metal, wood, and spirit.
The four primary elements can be a meaningful resource in one’s personal practice. It is powerful in prayer, meditation, manifesting rituals, energy healing, divination, psychic protection, and self-care. For example, I use all four elements in my New Moon and Full Moon ceremonies. Depending on what I am working on, I also create specific rituals throughout the year focusing on one metaphysical attribute of a particular element and call upon that energy to assist me in my own life.
Air Energy
The element of air represents consciousness, intuition, understanding, and the mind. I call upon this element when I am attempting to figure out something complex or when I need to make a decision about something important.
To work with this element, I light an incense stick. Since the movement of air is not something visible, the smoke from an incense stick is a symbolic way to represent it. I then focus on the smoke and use an invocation to call upon the element of air.
I call upon the element of air to provide me clarity and understanding.
I invoke the element of air to elevate my consciousness above this fear
People often assume that intuition is the innate ability to know absolutely everything, especially about the future. However, authentic intuition is about knowing what we need to know regarding a specific situation. The element of air can awaken what we need to know without providing too many spoilers along the way.
Simple Energy Work To Balance The Elements
The ancients believed that the Universe is composed of five elements, namely Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit (Ether). These classical elements are an important theme in Ancient Greek, Indian and Japanese philosophy, Hermeticism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Medieval Alchemy and Western Astrology.
The elements are therefore also a key aspect of various ancient healing practices and metaphysical traditions. Traditional Chinese Medicine in particular stresses the important role of the elements in healing. Working with the elements is believed to create and maintain energetic harmony and balance which is essential to good health and holistic well-being.
The classical elements are also a key component in Neo-Pagan, Wiccan and Druid teachings and practices. When casting a protective circle in a ritual, for example, the practitioner traditionally calls the four cardinal directions or ‘the four corners’ (North, East, South and West), along with the corresponding elements for each.
The five elements are essentially energies. Energy can be experienced in different ways, however, when the elements are aligned within us, we tend to be able to better handle imbalance and adversity in the outer world.
The energetic harmony of the elements within us can easily get ‘out of whack’ and become imbalanced or blocked due to everyday life events and circumstances, but with increased self-awareness and a few simple self-care habits, you’d be surprised how easily your natural state of energy balance will come back into alignment.
Sometimes All You Need Is A Divine Love Adjustment
Sometimes all we need is a divine love adjustment or compassion ‘tune up.’ It is like going to the chiropractor to ‘get the kinks out’ of our physical body, so that we can move more smoothly without pain and greater mobility. In the same way we need to sometimes realign our light body and energy field with the unconditional universal love of God, Source, Spirit, the Divine.
I get my spiritual love adjustment through prayer. I can sense when it is time for me to open my heart chakra and bring in greater compassion or patience, or whatever I may need to be a part of the greater good and connected to Light and Love. When I pray, I ask for healing when I do the opening and closing of the chakras, and I meditate at a deep level to bring healing and a deeper connection to what brings us all together and connects us – love!
So, if you are currently feeling the lack of love, kindness, patience and compassion in your life, and notice a lack of caring for yourself and others, perhaps you also need a spiritual love adjustment. It’s cheaper than a visit to the chiropractor – it’s free! All you need to do is spend some quiet time alone to hear that inner voice directing you towards the greater good. it will also guide you to what you need to do in order to achieve this.
Sometimes all it takes is just ‘being.’ Just being. Enjoying the present and not feeling like you have to go and do, as that will often only bring more stress and chaos. We have a direct link to joy, happiness and unconditional love. To reconnect to it, just become quiet, be still, and pray or meditate. Before you know it, life will once again be bright and meaningful.