My mission is to teach people how to harmonize your body, mind and soul with a spiritual approach that combines Physical and Mental Health with Spirituality. Awakening is painful and takes a toll on your well-being. By combining these three attributes I am hoping to make the process less taxing and more enjoyable.
Nourishing your body
Everyone knows how important it is to eat right and exercise regularly. But exercise doesn't have to be a chore. You could find a fun way to incorporate exercise into your life. Do this by dancing while you clean the kitchen or playing outside with your children. You could start walking to the store up the street instead of driving. The best way to nurture your physical health is to start off with a good morning routine. Starting with a set wake up time a few hours before work. You should wake up and immediately workout. Go for a jog or stay in and follow a workout video. Prior to this you should drink your daily caffeine. I like to use a pre-workout powder with caffeine, but anything will do. After that you should shower and do skincare as well as oral hygiene. Let's be real, eating healthy is more expensive and with the economy a trip to the grocery store could leave your bank account looking quite bare. My suggestion is to do something a lot of people consider taboo. Shop non name brands and hit up your local discount grocery store. I do and save up between sixty to eighty cents per item. That adds up to a couple hundred dollars a month. Treating your body right also includes substances. Now I know how hard it is to give up a vice, so maybe instead of quitting altogether try cutting back. Another important factor to physical well-being is sleep. Sleeping regularly and long enough is something few people get right. Sure you can function on four hours of sleep with enough caffeine, but your body doesn't get the rest it needs to recover from the labors of yesterday. Therefore I recommend you start small and try giving yourself an extra hour or two of sleep a day. To make sure you actually get to sleep I also recommend laying down without screen time for thirty or more minutes. If you have a hard time sleeping like me then you should try melatonin or sleepy time tea. I drink mine with milk and honey. The best way to take care of yourself and to implement these suggestions is to create a before bed routine. One of the things on your bedtime routine should be sleep music or guided sleep meditation. Another is some kind of skin care routine. Lastly you should have a set bedtime. During this time you should lay in bed distraction free. At first it will feel uncomfortable and strange, but after a few weeks it will feel natural and your body will be craving rest as soon as you're ready for bed. Little changes to your life can have a big impact.
Rejuvenating Your Mind
Our minds are just as important as the body. It's the center of balance that connects us to our soul, so I have decided to dive deep into mental self care. We tend to criticize ourselves for every mistake we make, so I'm starting with self compassion. The best way to implement self compassion is to talk to yourself the way you would a friend and to transform your self talk. Try replacing the negative thoughts and judgements with positive statements about yourself. Instead of “I'm not attractive and I'm worthless.” try “I'm attractive to the people I'm meant for” and “My self worth isn't defined by society's standards. As well as “I am important just the way I am.” Another way to make your mind a serene place and minimize suffering is to accept things the way they are. This doesn't mean you agree with the circumstances. It simply means you understand what has or is happening and accept it so that you may move forward. It can include people. You have to accept who people are when they show you. Stop seeing them for their potential and start accepting the truth of who they are and how they act. Unfortunately doing this can be difficult, but it allows you to make better, more effective choices and minimizes disappointment in the long run. Next I'd like to add in something called Mindfulness. First off Mindfulness isn't just being aware of things and it isn't meditation. People often get confused over this. Mindfulness is being fully aware in the present moment without judgements, while being effective, and with your whole mind. This means not living in the past or the future, it is using only the facts and not positive or negative judgements. It's a skill and with practice and discipline it can allow you to feel the beauty of each and every day and make the most of your daily life because tomorrow is not promised and today is a gift. The best way to be more positive mentally is to change your environment. I don't mean moving miles away on a whim and cutting contact with everyone. But the shows you watch, the music you listen to, and what you watch and who you follow on social media. Surrounding yourself with upbeat and positive vibes will make you feel so much better. So take the time to discover different tastes in music and television. Go through your social media and find more positive post and unfollow those toxic people.
Another way to keep your mind healthy is journaling on a regular basis. Getting out your emotions in a healthy way can be so difficult. Especially if you're a very private person or if what you have to say is delicate or a secret. I suggest for these kinds of entries you write them in your phone or you write them out and burn them. For your daily journal I suggest ending each day with a list of three things you are grateful for. This will cause your brain to start focusing on the positive aspects of day to day life. My next tip is to take some time each week to look up mental health skills and exercises on YouTube. I highly recommend DBT and some mental health podcasts for daily skillful thinking. Everyone needs to break out of their shell and try new things to keep life interesting. Try going out and socializing. Making new friends can be exciting and heavily boost morale. Take a cooking class, try baking, play trivia, bingo, try dancing, go bowling, or try making new friends on an app even. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media try reading blogs, articles, or books. Try to learn something new everyday. YouTube is a fantastic resource and so is Kindle. I strongly encourage the use of both. Set aside an hour or two a week to work on a hobby of yours. It's important to do things you enjoy and are passionate about. Don't take on all of these habits at once. Slowly integrate them into your life. Set small realistic goals and build on them slowly. This way you feel more accomplished and be able to make sustainable changes in your life. Reward yourself not only when you reach your goals, but each and every day when you complete that task you didn't want to do. Rewards can be as small as watching a new episode of your favorite show or playing an hour of video games. Lastly, I want to talk to you about communication and healing your mind. It's important to communicate your feelings in a constructive and effective manner. Whether it be your spouse, friends, family, or just in general. Try writing out what you're going to say before you say it. Use I statements and stick to the facts at first. Then go into your feelings and needs. The best way to nurture your mind is to heal your trauma and the most effective way to do that is through therapy. Now I know the average person can't afford therapy so I suggest a workbook. One at a time. They're fairly inexpensive and you can do them at your own pace. Also workbooks are a bit more private than talking with an actual therapist.
Transcending your soul
Spirituality is not religion. In fact you don't have to be religious to enhance your spiritual side. Spirituality is your connection to the world, the universe and your life's purpose. Whether you believe in aliens, the universal energy, traditional god, many gods, or nothing at all, we all have a higher self. Your higher self is the best version of you for you and the people you choose to be around. Not every person deserves the best of you. However, you deserve to be the best of you whenever possible. Obviously we all have days were we just cannot be our best, but trying to be your most whole self is the goal. It's important because each of us is here for some kind of purpose even if that is just to spread love and positivity. This purpose doesn't have to be defined by a god of some kind. You can decide for yourself what your purpose is. I believe (it's okay if you don't) that we have been out here by something or someone. Now let me explain why. You walk into the woods and find a pocket watch on a tree stump. You admire its intricate design. It has all these beautiful gears that work together to make it function. Now does that just appear one day from nowhere or did someone design it and put it there. If you're still with me then I'm glad. Now that is just my personal belief. If you'd like to disregard that you can. Back to our higher selves. The beauty of this concept is you now have a divine source to look up to. You may ask yourself what would the best version of me do in this situation?
Another way to get in touch with the divine is to meditate. Meditation has been a tactic of multiple belief systems for many years. From the Buddhists to Native Americans, meditation is a way to connect with things beyond our understanding. I recommend you meditate everyday, but to start trying a few guided meditations. There are many ways to meditate and they don't include sitting and chanting the word ummm in silence. There are active meditations that you may do while doing regular tasks such as washing the dishes and meditations for self love and compassion. There are even meditations for healing trauma and nourishing your inner child. Let's dive into what I think should be a daily routine. Focus on your breath and now breathe in and say divine will. As you inhale, feel the will of whatever your higher power or higher self wants for you enter your body and make you full. Make sure you are breathing deep into your chest and stomach. Exhale fully and completely saying my will. Allowing the will of your current self to leave your body. Do this several times and then sit in silence as your divine purpose comes to mind. If it doesn't right away don't be alarmed. It will come to you in time. Keep practicing. This next part is going to sound weird. Just try to have an open mind. You should study religious material whether you are religious or not. If you are religious then you should take time to devote yourself to your religion and to learning the texts of said religion. If you're not overly religious or at all then you should study the religions of the world. Find the different pieces you enjoy or connect with and make them your own values. I, myself, have done this. Even though I am mostly wiccan. I do hold some beliefs of other religions and I take my faith very seriously. Your values and purpose should align. This will allow your spiritual connection to thrive and make you feel complete.
In closing I hope you enjoyed this post. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
If you are dedicated or curious about becoming your higher self check out my seven steps to becoming your higher self blog post
Sincerely, Raven PhoenixFeather
