Shara Grove Holistics

I know…even hearing the word might bring an eye roll to your face, an image in your head or perhaps it brings a warmth to your body or makes you see stars. I know some who love the word because of what it encompasses and how that has uplifted their souls. For me…I love all that it encompasses but I find it hard to use the word now.

Spirituality…what does it mean?

It’s a broad concept that covers the human need for a purpose in life, for connection, understanding and meaning. So, it’s actually a beautiful word. Think of all the positives around this. The word spirituality means:

Love
Fulfillment
Happiness
Joy
Excitement
Connection
Courage
Identity
Freedom
Respect
Rooted

The list could on. But in all, spirituality holds a lot of positivity.

But isn’t it all just about the woo woo crap?

Aha, I see where you’re coming from, and I totally get it. Yes, spirituality has been portrayed as being all about the chakras, spirits, the universe, crystals and performing cleansings of our homes, and it’s not not those things, but there’s also waaaay more to it.

In order to be spiritual, you have to be open minded, grounded, come from a place of love or acceptance and be willing to put the work in for your soul to grow. By becoming spiritual, you are doing what it is you’re meant to do on this planet, that being either:

Working from the heart
Being kind to others
(both to their faces and behind their backs…)
Offering help when it is needed
Spending time working on your human connection
(this could be connection through nature, animals or other humans)
Expanding the knowledge of yourself and/or others
Offering change in perspectives, thoughts, communities or the collective

So, why don’t you like the word?

Because it’s become trendy. It’s become an aesthetic, a style, an identity and a form of ego. With all that there has been backlash on spirituality and what it means. There are people out there that see spirituality for what it is being portrayed as and dislike it, which fair enough I don’t necessarily disagree them, however because of this, they are completely against or put off learning/knowing what true spirituality is. That annoys me.

But earlier you mentioned how spirituality means identity, and now you’re saying it isn’t?

I see but incorrect. When you tap into and walk along the spiritual path, you shed the layers of generational trauma and generational conditioning which both prevent you from being true to yourself. They prevent you from knowing who you truly are and behaving that way.

When you’re using spirituality to form an identity i.e. through dressing a certain way, acting a certain way, doing things for show rather than the actual effect (we all have an image in our heads right now I know) or forcing people to believe what you believe in, that is not true spirituality. That is a lost soul who has clung onto something that they find comfort in. They use what they can of the word but completely avoid or bypass the work and effort it takes to become spiritual.

Why do they do that?

Honestly…because it’s f*cking hard. True spirituality makes you look at yourself in the mirror and see what needs to be shed, that in itself can be daunting or scary for some depending on what they’ve been through.

True spirituality asks you to open yourself up to different perspectives. It asks you to be okay with being wrong. It asks you to be kind. It asks for your commitment to yourself. Some people find that hard, and it’s no surprise, because it is.

The true path to spirituality involves a lot of commitment, dedication and it asks you to allow yourself to shape shift and to ebb and flow. Pretty tricky stuff for a world that is run on routine, schedules, time watching and energy syphoning.

So how can people start to make a spiritual shift?

The first step is simple…ditch the current belief you may have around spirituality and by that, I mean notice if the belief has come from others influence, conditioning, stubbornness or lack of education. If you can’t back up your reasoning against spirituality with mature, factual opinions, then you need to take a look at that. Because to me that would suggest your opinion on spirituality comes from a conditioned place not from your true essence.

Once you question your reasoning for being against spirituality, you are beginning to allow room in your head for new topics, questions, perspectives and opinions, which basically means you are allowing yourself to grow as a human and trust me, that is worth it.

Awesome…then what?

Expand your knowledge. Ask questions, get curious. Be open to new perspectives and theories. The world of spirituality is massive and it’s very easy to get lost or start with complicated topics. Ask yourself what you’re currently into and see if there is a spiritual avenue you can explore. For example:

Say you’re into fashion, you could explore colour vibrations.
If you’re a home body or love creating a home, you could look into Feng Shui.
If you enjoy exercise you could try Qigong.

My other recommendations for starting points would be:

Journalling or at least writing your thoughts
Candle magic
Explore the elements (fire, air, water and earth)
Read into the origins of astrology
Keep up to date with the full moons (and perhaps the new moons too)
Explore folklores, myths and tales
Read up on the history of Nordic runes, ley lines or mysterious rock formations
Read into other cultures like Native Americans, Aboriginals or Aztecs.

The key here is to counteract why you’re against spirituality with knowledge. You don’t have to believe it straight away, you’re just planting the seed for exploration, knowledge and excitement.

Happy exploration!