What is spiritual growth and what spiritual path is best for me?

By Samantha Redgrave-Hogg,
updated on Jul 24, 2023

Person looking up to a sky full of stars

Are you wondering how to take your spiritual journey to the next level? Or do you feel spiritually curious, but are overwhelmed about which practices to take up?

There is no single road to spiritual growth, but if the whole thing looks a bit like a spaghetti junction, let’s tease out some of the ways you can feel more in flow with life.

To me, all spirituality means is a state of awareness. And that awareness can look like many things: fulfilment, contentment, things coming easily, truth, insight, and so on. That doesn’t mean to say I don’t continually get wrapped in the hamster wheel of continual thinking, it just means I make the intention to bring myself back to my truth. And even though we can’t ‘think’ our way to spiritual growth, spiritual practices and rituals can be useful tools to access this deeper awareness.

What are 7 signs you’re spiritually growing?

If you’re feeling the call to spirituality, you may notice changes in the way you think, feel, and behave, such as:

feeling in the groove of life
understanding the cyclical nature of things
wanting or feeling a deeper sense of purpose
asking more profound questions
noticing more self-compassion
slowing down or observing your surroundings more
connecting with a deeper sense of empathy

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What are the differences between spirituality and religion?

There are some similarities between spirituality and religion, but they are not one and the same. Religion is often practised within a community, whereas spirituality can be practised individually. Some people see spirituality as a way to restore harmony to their inner and outer worlds, feeling a sense of connection or togetherness.

You don’t need to be involved in religion to benefit from spirituality but, for some, spirituality may include religious practices focused on the belief of a higher being or power. For others, spirituality may be more of a holistic belief in the power of oneness.

What are some ways to practise spiritual growth?

Meditation and yoga

The world of spirituality might feel a bit ‘unavailable’ if you’re starting a journey of spiritual growth, so let’s keep things simple to start with. And sometimes simple is all we need! Taking yourself away from the ongoing mental chitchat into a space of heightened self-awareness is a powerful way to connect with the stillness of life. We can so easily get in our way, letting our thoughts of the past and the future interfere with our deepest truth. Well, I can anyway!

Taking to my mat or simply focusing on my breath for a few minutes at a time gives me a chance to dodge the traps of overstimulation and overthinking for just a while. Breathwork or yoga poses are ways to focus on the moment. And when we’re rooted in the present, we might get some glimpses of our true selves.

What do I mean by this? To me, it’s simply the unconditional love and connection you have for yourself. Easier said than done (or felt), I know! But bringing yourself back to the pure and simple moment (where quite often there is a sense of contentment and gratitude to uncover) can help you feel in flow with life.

Developing your intuition

Your intuition will be a guiding light in your spiritual journey. In her article Ways to be more spiritual, life coach Joana Calado talks about listening to your intuition to be more spiritually in tune. She says how our inner critic coupled with too much overthinking can get in the way of developing a sixth sense, and talks about the concept of your ‘higher self’.

By recognising that you have this inner critic and also a higher self, you can call in for help and give yourself the patience, kindness and love that your inner critic needs.

One way of turning down the volume of our inner critic is to pull away from comparing or competing with others. We all have our own unique truths and ways of going about life, and by tapping into these deeper knowings, we can start to let go of self-limiting beliefs and align our actions with the highest good.

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If you would like to know more about how to tune into your intuition, Happiful content creator Kat shares her top tips, including journaling prompts, tarot cards, and meditation in her article 5 ways to tune into your intuition.

Juliet Bunting (MBACP) explores how counselling, spirituality, and holistic approaches can work to help you to overcome life's difficulties and find spiritual meaning.

Past life regression

At the risk of taking things up a notch, let’s delve into the realm of past life regression. It’s a practice that has been integrated into the spiritual sphere as a way of understanding our soul’s journey. Past life regression is a therapeutic technique that practitioners use to access someone’s past lives. Based on the idea that the way we respond to situations and the way we form relationships can be due to past life experiences, people sometimes venture into the world of past life regression to understand themselves on a spiritual level.

In her article, QHHT: The gold standard of past life regression Hypnotherapy Directory member Niki Cassar talks about a form of past life regression called the quantum healing hypnosis technique. She explains the process and how it is the participant's higher self who is “in charge of selecting the experience that is most relevant to the questions they want answers to”. She explains the process as a way of joining the dots or finding that missing piece of the puzzle.

The process of uncovering all this previously withheld information allows the subconscious mind to share it with the conscious mind, thereby bringing it up to the surface and enabling integration. With integration comes wisdom, and as the saying goes: ‘Once you have wisdom you can never lose it.’

Crystal healing

Crystal healing is more than a TikTok-friendly way of connecting to your spirituality, it’s an energy-based system that aims to release blocked emotions, supporting the body to heal in a holistic way. It works by placing crystals on the areas of your body that carry imbalances. It’s less ‘waving a magic wand’ and more moving healing energy into the body to bring about a sense of harmony. Some crystal healing practitioners believe that they are a way to connect to the energy of the universe, helping us to deepen our spiritual journey.

If you have any questions or would like to explore the healing power of crystals further, you may find it helpful to contact a professional crystal healer who can help you understand more about which crystals you will need to feel more aligned.

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One thing to be aware of when embarking on a spiritual path is the concept of spiritual bypassing; a tendency to manipulate spirituality as a way to avoid or dismiss concerns, conflicts, or reality. An example would be saying something like “good vibes only” if you or someone has genuine worries.

Shamanism

Shamanism is an ancient tradition within indigenous cultures to connect with nature, and shamanic practices can aid self-discovery on a mind, body, and soul level. A shamanic journey can be a way to heal the patterns of the past, helping people look more deeply at the events and memories that are causing pain and distress.

Until we know our wounds, we keep replaying the past. We think we are making conscious choices, but our wounded and unhealed parts are recreating drama and pain to be seen, felt, and released.

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Some anthropologists have researched the existence of shamanic practices across many human cultures, with some more widespread than others. Taking a shamanic practice from another culture is cultural appropriation, so it’s worth learning about your heritage before embarking on shamanic rituals. Shamanism or any other spiritual practice should never be used instead of medical advice, and please only contact qualified professionals.

If you are still wondering where to start, feel free to visit our Life Coach Directory to find an experienced spiritual coach who can help facilitate spiritual growth by providing guidance and accountability when you feel stuck, overwhelmed or disconnected.