Written by Erica Rodriguez
This pandemic has caused high levels of stress and anxiety in many of us. Many of us are also experiencing prolonged feelings of grief and despair, which may be leading us to think more intentionally about our own purpose on this Earth, and what we should be doing with our short and fragile lives.
If this is you, starting a spiritual journey may help you to achieve a sense of belonging, and understanding of who you are, where you come from, and where you would like to go. A spiritual journey is like re-reading the story of your life with deeper understanding and loving awareness. It’s a journey toward healing the wounds of your past, to allow yourself to mindfully live in the moment, while looking forward to the next chapter. So, where should you start on the journey to your true self?
If you have a journal that you write your goals and aspirations in, have a consistent yoga or meditation practice, or are reading this with an open heart and an open mind, then you have already started your journey. It isn’t easy to look within and be honest with yourself about who you want to be, because often we see ourselves doing things that are “impossible” to achieve and judge ourselves for staying stagnant in our plans to make our dreams come true.
Meditation 1: You Are Perfect Just the Way You Are
It starts with self-compassion. You don’t even have to start by being in love with yourself, just start with being kind. No one is perfect under the conditions that society has put us under; however, we are perfect in that we are part of nature. What we experience, whether good or bad, needs not be subjected to a shortsighted dichotomy, but rather witnessed as a part of the natural process of the world.
Meditation 2: Gratitude for All the Challenges
Brene Brown said it best, when she said “We are not made to do it all alone, we were never meant to.” Unfortunately, we live in a dog-eat-dog world. Everyone is in competition with each other. We blindly feed into the notion of scarcity as if there weren’t enough customers, enough money, or enough food, or love, in the world, for everyone. By slowing down and practicing gratitude we are gifted with the vision that we have everything that we need to be our complete authentic selves.
This mini gratitude meditation series may help to amplify your gratitude practice.
Meditation 3: Healing Your Ancestral Lineage
My own spiritual journey led me to uncover deep ancestral and spiritual wounds, move through them with grace and understanding, to lead me to my life’s purpose. I was born in Elizabeth, NJ; a city full of poor, underserved communities where my parents found a safe haven when they crossed the Gulf of Mexico to be free of persecution. My family is from El Salvador, a country who saw great tragedy, and is still fighting poverty and despair.
Acknowledging your ancestral history is a vital step in realizing your own spiritual journey. You would not exist if your mother wasn’t born, and her mother’s mother wasn’t born, and so on. Their lives and what they experienced is as much part of your journey as the sky is blue. Any work that you do with your spirit will live on for eternity, so if you are ready to do so, your soul will thank you.
Lastly, next time you drive through or take a walk at the park, notice how different and grandiosely beautiful every tree is. Us humans are much like trees. Our roots may differ, but we are all connected underneath. Trees grow unapologetically, shed their leaves every season, and provide us with the oxygen that keeps us alive. Each of our journeys, spiritual or not, will be different. However we, too, can grow unapologetically, and shed all and anything that holds us back from our growth, because in doing so, we give back to the universe what we have to offer so that together we can overcome suffering, and evolve.
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