3 Essential Phases of the Spiritual Growth Journey for Complete Beginners!
The notion of Starting a Spiritual Journey for Beginners can be daunting. Learn about 3 ESSENTIAL phases to doubtlessly welcome and enjoy the journey.
When it was time for me to embark on a Spiritual Journey, the common questions were asked. What is a Spiritual Journey? How do I start my Spiritual Journey? And so forth.
Delving into the topic, I realized we ALL are on a Spiritual Journey and have been since we were born. Likewise, as unique individuals we have the divine right to determine our own Spiritual Journey meaning. For a more in-depth understanding, I found it best to break My Spiritual Journey into 3 essential phases. Characterizing the journey as:
- Learning to gracefully allow a HIGHER POWER to flow through me
- Discovering my TRUE SELF and HIGHER PURPOSE
- Fully aligning (or rather re-aligning) with SPIRIT
I truly believe that before we are HUMAN (the physical body), we are BEINGS. Free Spirits or Souls with infinite possibilities and pure instinct. In this phase, we are already enlightened and the general GOAL (or Mission) of a Spiritual Journey, is to find our way back to this BEING. A great example of this concept is – The Pixar Film – Soul (check it out).
THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY FOR BEGINNERS
1. Learning to Gracefully Flow with a Higher Power:
Personally, I find this phase of the journey to be rather glimpsed over. Some say, it’s a time when we are sleeping. Others may call it shallow living. Psychologically, it’s the conscious state.
I sometimes call it MUNDANE EXISTENCE.
Either way, this phase begins sometime after we are born with the gift of life. Now a physical human being, we begin to lose the natural connection to Spirit. The veil between the conscious realms becomes less transparent.
We also lose the connection to our AUTHENTIC SELVES, and therefore, our HIGHER PURPOSE. Why? I like to think it’s because of the psychological term – CONDITIONING.
Influenced heavily by society, culture, inherited mindsets (etc.). At a very early age, we are CONDITIONED to look outside ourselves and not within. How we see the world, how we react, what we think, how we deal with relationships, how we live – are all based on conditions.
Limiting CONDITIONS.
Moreover, we identify with these conditions and develop a FEAR-based sense of self as a foundation of security, stability and even success. Many may call this the EGO – an illusion of true self. Regardless, on the outside everything appears completely normal. Yet, something within just feels … OFF.
I believe the key to this phase is to not only become aware (or WOKE) of the conditions bestowed upon us. But to also begin to acknowledge internal feelings.
We must also appropriately navigate internal feelings by seeing the experiences we encounter as lessons. And, seeing obstacles as something to overcome in order to grow.
Learn to Gracefully Allow a Higher Power to Flow Through Us!
A rite of passage, this phase of the Spiritual Journey is the hardest. The experiences we face are not always recognizable as lessons and the obstacles we encounter are sometimes painful (Think – Dark Night of the Soul).
Furthermore, these experiences and obstacles are not always voluntary. The UNIVERSE has a pushy way of getting our attention when we are not listening (tuned in). A sign of this is usually a sudden tragedy (or a traumatic shift).
Yet, despite the chaos, it’s an evolution in the right direction. Guiding us to the next essential phase of the Spiritual Journey. This particular phase of the Journey is often depicted in literature and Films – PAY ATTENTION. Activities that can spark the next phase of the Spiritual Journey for beginners can include (but not limited to):
- Simply connecting with Nature
- Ask and Seek Guidance from a HIGHER POWER
- Try something NEW (something you’ve always wanted to do)!
- De-Clutter or PURGE – by clearing your space, you are clearing your MIND …
What You Resist, Persists!
The Spiritual Journey is not Linear. If we are unable to learn from the experiences we encounter, we often repeat the lesson. In hindsight, if we are unable to unravel the CONDITIONED mind. It is bound to strengthen and hold us back (stay ASLEEP).
When we experience discomfort, often times it’s about taking a step back and asking, what can I learn from this? What is the UNIVERSE trying to tell me?
Therefore, the time it may take an individual to transition from one phase of the journey to the next, varies. As humans, we can live then simply die. Yet, be judged a success without ever going beyond the first phase of the Spiritual Journey.
This scenario is in fact true for many people. They stay asleep, OK with surface level success, security and stability.
Obstacles Are Detours in the RIGHT Direction!
Taking 1 step forward, then two steps back. In the beginning of my Spiritual Journey, I was resistant to change. Prevalent in my life, I suddenly recognized the concept of transformation as a major THEME I needed to overcome for progression.
It took me time to see, understand and accept the experiences and obstacles I encountered (over 30 years). For the longest, I allowed limiting CONDITIONS to reject the spiritual path in me. I repeated cycles over and over again until I eventually, I had enough of hitting rock bottom (3rd times a charm).
2. Discovering the Authentic Self and a Higher Purpose:
Considered the SUBCONSCIOUS (or under the surface). This phase is the most common and what many speak on. Symbolically speaking, it’s seeing and feeling (somewhat) the liberation of light at the end of a dark tunnel.
The CONDITIONS we experienced in phase 1 are unraveling and we see the world in a different light. Like a clearing of a 6th sense, we are intuitively more open at this point and seek a deeper wisdom; a more profound way of living. As we transform, we need to have PATIENCE with ourselves and find ways to create PEACE within.
Not only are we healing SPIRITUALLY, we are also looking to heal EMOTIONALLY and PHYSICALLY.
Like an onion, we start to unfold, peeling back layers to find our AUTHENTIC SELF. This is where SHADOW WORK and/or INNER CHILD work is encouraged. The illusions of EGO, defensiveness and rigid habitual patterns of the past are no longer a solid, stable foundation.
The Spiritual Awakening
The key to this phase is to embrace change (even if painful) and to stay … WOKE. To not revert back to the limiting CONDITIONS. We must be open to the lessons learned and the obstacles we had to endure to get to this PRESENT moment.
Wholeheartedly accepting of our TRUE SELVES, we begin to discover our HIGHER PURPOSE.
DEATH of the EGO! We are withdrawing into the self to seek knowledge and to prepare for the REBIRTH or the next phase of the Spiritual Journey.
A common, powerful book about Spiritual Awakening is The Power of the NOW by Eckhart Tolle. But WAIT, you are being forewarn, this book took me for EVER to read – it’s that deep. I had to pause repeatedly to digest the content before moving on.
Film wise – The Matrix (of course). It is the symbolic film of a sword cutting through the illusion to the fundamental truth. Activities for this phase of the Spiritual Journey (for Beginners) include (but not limited to):
- Try Surrendering to a HIGHER POWER
- Start building a SPIRITUAL PRACTICE with RITUALS
- Find ways to Strengthen INTUITION (i.e. Meditate or Self-Hypnosis)
- Be Mindful – Live in the PRESENT Moment (avoid thinking about the past and worrying about the future)
3. Fully Aligning or Rather Re-Aligning with Spirit:
Last but not least. Spiritual Enlightenment is ALL about connecting with the ONE TRUE SOURCE and totally allowing this HIGHER POWER to flow through us. In this phase, we are fully exposed to our SPIRITUAL nature.
We have been guided to our HIGHER PURPOSE and take inspired action. Yes, another shift has occurred, but we adapt with LOVE and not FEAR. Recognizing our gifts and blessing we are urged to serve and bring knowledge neglected in surface level education (i.e. LIGHT WORKER, MIRACLE WORKER, etc.)
Going beyond the CONSCIOUS and SUBCONSCIOUS realms. We are now accessing the mystical SUPER-CONSCIOUS state. We have reached the light at the end of the dark tunnel. Surrounded by radiant warmth.
Life is Not About the Destination, But the Journey!
What’s more, there is a spotlight on elevated emotions – COMPASSION, PEACE, KINDNESS. Buddhist say it’s an end to suffering. With FAITH and trust we surrender entirely and genuinely to a HIGHER POWER.
An obvious example of Spiritual Enlightenment is the DALI LAMA. To be Spiritually Enlightened is to be a SPIRITUAL PIONEER. High VIBRATION frequency at its finest.
Coming full circle, the thin veil between the CONSCIOUS REALMS is transparent once again.
In general, a classic literature piece about the Spiritual Journey (especially for beginners) is The Alchemist by Paul Coelho. This book is highly recommended by a lot of SPIRITUAL teachers. Additionally, when I manifested My Spiritual Journey, it was the first read.
