If you find yourself feeling “stuck,” like you’re overextended, overwhelmed, uneasy, and not as connected as you’d like to be with life’s deeper meaning, you’re not alone. In fact, this kind of state is actually quite common and part of the human experience.
For example, when Emily Spurling, who’s now a holistic health coach and DailyOM course creator, started out on her journey as a spiritual entrepreneur, hosting yoga and wellness retreats and working one-on-one with others, she found herself trapped in a state of overdoing and trying to make things happen in her business.
“Even though I was in the wellness space that I absolutely loved, there was a sense of unease in my body and in my mind,” she recalls. “It was as if my actions were coming from a place of fear and lack.”
It wasn’t until she really embraced the concept of letting go and letting spirit lead the way that things changed for her. The key, Spurling says, was a commitment to spiritual practices — former and new. “I developed an unwavering faith that when you show up with your spiritual practices, and really drop in and connect, then everything will work out exactly as it’s meant to.”
Whether you’re a spiritual enthusiast like Spurling, or struggling with anxiety, dissatisfaction, or the need to control aspects of your life, leaning into spiritual practices may help you find more ease and joy in everything you do.
Interested in learning more? Check out Let Go and Let Spirit Take the Lead.
Meet Your Teacher: Emily Spurling
Raised in a Catholic family, it didn’t take Emily Spurling long to realize that sitting in church weekend after weekend didn’t resonate with her. In high school, she was exposed to other religions, which opened her eyes and allowed her to see a common thread: the belief in something greater. After letting go of religion altogether, she was led on a more Buddhist path by a friend and became a yoga teacher. Shortly thereafter, she underwent a massive spiritual awakening and began her work as a holistic health coach and teacher, empowering others as they coped with anxiety and suffering.
“When things get tough in my life, I have a little cry or do what I need to do,” Spurling says. “And then I go, okay, well, what next? Why is this happening for me, not to me? And how can I learn and grow and evolve as a person, as a soul, because of this lesson? That’s what I try to teach others as well.”
What Is a Spiritual Practice?
A spiritual practice is simply a way of connecting with the deeper parts of yourself and something greater. “It’s a two-part practice of letting go of the stuff we don’t need in our lives — anxiety, overwhelm, anger, shame, guilt, unworthiness, et cetera — and then connecting to the spirit within and all around us,” Spurling explains.
Spiritual practices have been around forever (quite literally, as long as humans have existed). “When people have a crack at spiritual practices and continue to do them consistently, there’s an undeniable link to feeling better,” she reasons. “So these practices are just going to keep being handed down.” And thankfully, many various practices are available today as tools to foster deeper connection and purpose in life.
Another reason they’ve stood the test of time: There are no set rules or regulations when it comes to engaging in spiritual modalities. It’s up to you to decide what resonates with you — and that might include meditation, yoga, breathwork, tarot cards, journaling, sound bathing, outdoor exercise, or anything else that helps you go inward.
More Key Things to Know About Spiritual Practices
- They help you to grow and evolve on your journey. “Spiritual practices allow us to move away from the ego and the personality, what we do for work, and all those outer layers, and connect to the soul and the spirit, the essence of our being,” Spurling says.
- They can be the catalyst for transformative experiences. When we intentionally focus our attention inward, we naturally enter a flow state, where our life feels synchronistic and deeply in alignment, Spurling notes. In other words, we begin a journey of co-creating our dreams with the Universe, feeling divine support all around us.
- They’re meant to be highly individual. There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to establish a spiritual practice. What works for your friend might not work for you, Spurling says.
- When it comes to choosing a practice, let your intuition be your guide. Spurling suggests asking for guidance during meditation and staying open to signs that you might encounter in everyday life. Or you could simply turn to Google for ideas on what might resonate with you. “Then trust your gut instinct. Look for an intuitive ‘ding,’ a yes, a feeling that you just know it’s right,” she says.
- Consistency is needed to reap the benefits. “If you set up a consistent routine, you start operating from that place of connectedness all the time in your everyday life,” Spurling says. For example, once you’re in a regular practice flow, things that might’ve knocked you off center for days might only affect you for 20 minutes — or might even dissolve altogether.
- Don’t forget to mix things up. If you’ve been skipping yoga or not wanting to sit in meditation, that could be a sign that you’re ready to move on to a new spiritual practice, Spurling shares. “Variety keeps things fresh and exciting for me, and keeps me feeling really present,” she adds. If things start to feel stale, remember: It’s always okay to try new practices — especially as you grow and your needs and preferences evolve.
Why Are Spiritual Practices So Powerful?
Regularly engaging in a spiritual practice or routine of your choice can have a profound effect on your well-being and how you navigate your life.
“As a yoga teacher and a PSYCH-K facilitator, I see a lot of people who are mentally not in a good frame of mind. They’re either anxious, overwhelmed, or harboring emotions like anger and shame,” Spurling shares. “Spiritual practices can help us shift the stuff that we don’t need and peel back the onion so that we can understand who we really are and connect to that part of ourselves that is connected to everyone and everything.”
When we take the time to go inward on a daily basis, we begin to focus our energy on the deeper parts of ourselves that are naturally aligned with abundance and ease — and remove our focus on needing to achieve or control the way in which our lives unfold.
“It will prevent the majority of that anxiety before it even hits you — and send out the right vibration to attract those people and opportunities that are truly meant for you,” Spurling adds.
How Spiritual Practices Can Help You Align, Flow, and Grow
Establishing a new spiritual practice, or revamping your current practice, can help you stay connected in your highest self so you can flow through life with more ease, clarity, and abundance.
Here, Spurling shares how spiritual practices can transform every area of your life for the better.
1. They help you to let go of control — and release perfectionism and overthinking
When we’re trying to control our life, we usually “grasp” or operate out of a sense of fear. We’re not trusting our intuition or that we’re being supported by the divine.
By committing to a spiritual practice, we begin to trust ourselves and the Universe at large, Spurling notes. “We’re developing a knowing that everything is as it should be, even when things are tough,” she says. “This helps us learn to control what we can and let go of what we can’t — thereby releasing habits of perfectionism or overthinking.”
And this can be highly beneficial to mental and emotional health. According to one study, self-compassion — which is an essential part of spiritual practices like meditation — decreases the link between perfectionist tendencies and depression.
2. They deepen your self-awareness and accelerate personal growth
“When we do things like journaling, meditation, or breathwork, this creates an opportunity for introspection,” Spurling says. “We can observe our thoughts and emotions, without judging them as good or bad.”
She adds that over time, this self-reflection can help us bring subconscious habits and beliefs into our conscious mind, which can ultimately lead to healing and transforming those limiting patterns.
In fact, researchers have linked mindfulness practices to greater self-knowledge, which allows for more informed decision-making.
3. They strengthen your intuition and self-trust, allowing you to make more aligned life choices
Especially in today’s demanding, busy world, spiritual practices can help you slow down, go inward, and tune down the dial on external noise. “Modalities like meditation, mindfulness, energy work, yoga, or simply asking for guidance allows a space for that inner voice to be heard and become clearer,” Spurling explains.
In doing so, “it helps guide your decisions and choices that are more aligned with your true desires, fostering a great sense of clarity and trust in your path,” Spurling adds. “With regular practice, you learn to rely on your gut feelings rather than external validation.”
4. They ground you during challenging times and lessen your reactivity instincts
According to Spurling, spiritual routines provide grounding and stability during tough times — and they also help prevent us from spiraling in the face of said challenges.
“Things like yoga, breathwork, and rituals like sitting with crystals in a sacred space, fire ceremonies, et cetera, can help you release emotion and regain balance,” she tells us. “You cultivate a sense of inner peace and connection to something greater, which allows you to bounce back from difficult times more gracefully.”
5. They connect you with purpose and meaning in life
Spiritual practices encourage you to reconnect with your values and life’s deeper meaning, Spurling notes. “I believe that our soul has a purpose here in this lifetime, that we’re meant to leave some sort of an impact on the world,” she says. “Sometimes, as humans, things like appearance, status, or material possessions get in our way, and what I love about spiritual practices is that they connect you back into who you really are, and that’s so important to enhance your fulfillment.”
6. They improve emotional regulation
Spirituality helps you process and release stuck emotions, whether through breathwork, energy clearing, yoga, mindfulness, or other modalities. “These practices create emotional space and allow for a more balanced reaction to stress or anxiety,” Spurling explains. “Over time, you’ll notice an improved ability to stay calm and centered, even when faced with external chaos.”
According to a study, students who underwent mindfulness training reported increased empathy and communication skills, as well as an enhanced ability to navigate stress and manage their workload.
7. They help you cultivate more gratitude, joy, and abundance
“When we shift our focus from the external things in our life and take time to give thanks for what we have and what’s abundant in our life — whether it be family, friends, wealth, food, or whatever it is — it really helps to activate a more positive mindset,” Spurling shares.
This kind of consistent practice can lead to greater joy, contentment, and appreciation for the present moment. “It also opens up the portal for the Universe to give you more of those things that make you feel fantastic,” she adds.
The Bottom Line
Cultivating a regular spiritual practice, no matter how simple, can profoundly affect the quality of your life — and even help you manifest new opportunities and relationships.
The best part is that there is no “perfect” way to practice, and anything goes. The key is choosing a method you resonate with and committing to it … for now. Remember that there is no finish line when it comes to self-growth and transformation; you always have the freedom to switch things up and take things at your own pace.
The important thing is not forgetting that these kinds of tools are at your disposal, so you can lead the most meaningful, connected life possible to yourself and the world around you.
