If you are new to the spiritual community, welcome. I have been there, and I know how it feels. It is exciting yet scary, as it is with everything new in life. But… it’s worth it.

I have written this article for you, the beginner, and know it doesn’t come from a place of “you should do this, or that to be spiritual”. My intention is for you to get inspired by some of my insights I gathered along my course of inner growth in order for you to let go of the “paralysis by analysis” as you ruminate over and over about where to begin and just start.

If you are new to the spiritual community, welcome.

So, what follows is an intro to the ideas I will explore with you on how to approach spirituality in a grounded, yet intuitive way, and then share with you these ideas.

So, whenever you are ready, let’s begin.

What This Guide Will Help You Understand

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of spirituality, let me give you an idea of what this short guide is about.

This guide is not about dogma or rigid rules you need to follow, but a way to get informed on some basic practices that will help you forge your own spiritual path.

At its heart spirituality is all about going deep within, and connecting with your inner wisdom, that lied dormant before you were awakened to the reality of a spiritual life, and from there join the flow of the universe so that you’ll be able to open to all gifts that this road has in store for you, that is beyond dogma.

7 Core Pillars to Begin Your Spiritual Path

Now that I’ve introduced you to what approach the following ideas are based on, let’s continue with the fun part of you getting to know them. Even though one’s spiritual development is unique and individualistic, it is not a bad idea to lay some groundwork before exposing yourself to the millions of directions this path can lead you.

What follows are 7 key ideas that can help you approach spirituality from a grounded framework, that will help you weed out the fluff, and also simplify things for you, so that you understand that you don’t need to read tons of books, or have a grand collection of Newagey items in order to start.

1. Understanding the Foundations of Modern Spirituality

Modern spirituality is a mixed bag of practices coming from different cultures, personal ideas, insights, intuitive downloads from higher sources of light, making it a very diverse landscape.

In my case, I started my spiritual quest after I was exposed to the paranormal (you know, ghosts, UFOs, astral projection, that stuff) through magazines and books. This gave me the push to feel confident because I sensed all along that there is more than what we perceive with our physical senses.

After this exposure, I started reading books on crystals, tarot, healing and found myself amongst my tribe of people who shared my thirst for higher knowledge, each one of them coming from a slightly different place than me, empowering me in my journey.

2. Approaching Cultural Traditions with Respect and Conscious Choice

Modern spirituality also is a discipline that was influenced by many traditions. This sort of “borrowing” isn’t something new and is a common place in the history of spirituality and even world religions.

But we have come to a place where we must realize that a lot of those practices that are part of our metaphysical engagement come from traditions held by people that were subjected to colonization and were suppressed in practicing their faith.

There have been many discussions on what is acceptable and not acceptable when working with spiritual tools coming from those traditions, and I came to realize that some appropriation is inevitable.

Modern spirituality also is a discipline that was influenced by many traditions.

What matters to me is to approach the sources of my practices coming from traditions that were subject to so much suffering from the Western world, from a place of respect. It is also important to have at least some academic understanding of the practices coming from these civilizations, to honor them properly and not just add them as another item to your collection of spiritual tools you use on a surface level.

3. Starting with Inner Awareness Before External Tools

Another important thing that I would like to talk about here is the use of spiritual tools, and how they can distract you from actually doing the work.

When I initially got into my a spiritual work, I experimented with a lot of them be it crystals, essential oils, tarot cards, pendulums and what have you, to finally realize that even though they can be really useful to my work, they are not the source of your ability to turn inwards or do energy work, I am.

Have that in mind before the next “shiny thing” draws your attention and ask yourself, “Do I really need this tool? Or I just like how cool it would be to have it?” If you want to acquire it based on the latter, there is no judgement here, but be aware, a tool is just a tool that is there to assist you and not the source of your own spiritual capabilities.

4. Meditation and Journaling as Essential Grounding Practices

Meditation is the basis of any type of spiritual work you are engaged in.

In my case, what catapulted my ability to get in tune with the sacred side of life in terms of meditation, was guided journeys. They helped me become sensitive to the energies around me and connect with my guides.

You can choose from a wide range of meditations that includes breathwork, guided journeys, stillness-cultivation ones, and each one of them can add a small pebble to your arsenal of sacred work as you are walking down the path of healing and inner discovery.

Meditation is the basis of any type of spiritual work you are engaged in.

In addition to the above, journaling is also very important.

When I started my journey, I would write down everything I experienced during any type of spiritual work, and that helped me build confidence in my practice, and add clarity to it.

Lately, I started journaling for my mental health, which was a wild discovery of how much it helped me sort out my feelings and thoughts, a bonus state that helped me advance further in my overall development.

5. Exploring Spiritual Identity and the Realities of Awakening

Let me be real here for a second; when the honeymoon phase of flirting with your spiritual practice ends, actual work begins, which also may have consequences on your lifestyle and your relationships.

When I was deep on my unfolding inner path, I thought little about how others might react as I openly shared my experiences.

I was naïve, and I had to experience firsthand the fear that people have of the unknown, and the religious bigotry that exists where I live. Things have gotten much better now, but I am still careful about how I share this part of my life with others.

It got to a point back then that the negative programming from religious dogma got to me, and I abandoned the path in fear that I would get myself in trouble.

Let me be real here for a second; when the honeymoon phase of flirting with your spiritual practice ends, actual work begins, which also may have consequences on your lifestyle and your relationships.

It took me a long time to deconstruct these beliefs and pick up my practice this time being also aware that all religions have an esoteric side, and if you compare the esoteric side of many organized religions, you will realize that they have more things in common than what separates them.

6. Learning About Spirit Guides, and Ancestral Connection

Connecting with your guides, ancestors, or spirits (like fairies) can be a valuable experience.

When I discovered channeling, I heavily relied in what I was receiving from my guides, even for mundane things. I cherish this part of my life with love and appreciation because it helped me open to the realm of spirit in a very profound way and helped me heal.

Nowadays though, I rely less on connecting with a higher intelligence and lean more on energy work and meditation.

Connecting with your guides, ancestors, or spirits (like fairies) can be a valuable experience.

So, my advice would be that even if you are drawn to connect, be aware that this is just a part of your spiritual journey, and to take your time to develop this skill, exploring it from a place of inner knowingness rather than urgency.

7. Building Daily Rituals That Support Energetic Well-Being and Spiritual Growth

When starting out on your personal inner work, establishing routines and small rituals is vital for you to learn the skills involved, to maintain a sense of energetic well-being, and to maintain your connection to your inner wisdom and the world of spirit.

In my case, I like to give myself a one-hour session of Reiki (the one that was first brought to the West by Grand Master Hawayo Takata) to align my energy and center myself.

I also like to use the Ho’ponopono prayer when coming across challenges to clear the emotional energy within me so that I can deal with the challenge coming from a place of action and not reaction.

Another simple practice I do is to take conscious walks, bringing my attention to the earth I walk on that helps me bring my energy from my head to my center of gravity, and reduce stress.

When starting out on your personal inner work, establishing routines and small rituals is vital for you to learn the skills involved, to maintain a sense of energetic well-being, and to maintain your connection to your inner wisdom and the world of spirit.

I have also incorporated more practices into my daily routine, but I try to space them out throughout the week to not to overwhelm me.

Try to choose the easiest practice you are drawn to at first, and do it everyday till you build a habit, and you will be amazed how simplicity can bring so much positivity into your life.

Conclusion

Being a newbie on your journey of engaging with the sacred can be intimidating, and I hope the above points on how to approach the process helped you have a clear picture of which direction you want to take your training.

You just need to be patient and have fun. I will always remember how excited I was when I discovered a new technique, meditation, meaningful book, and sometimes I get nostalgic about it. But I have matured enough to realize that what matters is to cultivate your awareness of your intuition, take your time by meditating, and keep track of your progress, something that will build your confidence and bring validation that you are on the right track.

Till next time, take care.