Among all practices and habits we can acquire on our self-improvement journey, spiritual practices hold a very special power for our transformation.
Spiritual practices are now well-researched and proven by many scientists to significantly impact mental and physical health. Besides making us healthier and happier, they can completely evolve our perspective on life.
Many spiritual practices can improve our inner world, but the following are the most powerful spiritual practices that we should strive to practice daily.
1. Meditation
You probably hear about meditation left and right, and there’s a reason why. From all the powerful spiritual practices that can deeply transform your life, mediation is the most significant.
This ancient practice dates back to 5000 BC and has been practiced across various cultures and religions. However, at it’s core, it is a deeply personal experience that doesn’t need to include anything besides ourselves.
Meditation challenges us to sit in peace with ourselves while we try to detach from the thoughts in our mind and simply observe them from a distance.
On a practical level, it allows us to experience deep peace, stillness, and focus, which then follows us into our day.
On a deeper level, meditation takes us into our inner world, beyond your thoughts, where we get to experience our true self—our soul.
Our soul is in a constant state of peace and knows no thoughts, which is why meditation is such a calming experience.
It’s a very unique experience to be aware of yourself and your energy without any thought or feelings happening in your body. It shows you that there is You beyond your feelings and thoughts, and with effort and practice, slowly wakes up your true essence—your soul.
Stillness and a quiet mind are especially important in our world. It can seem unimaginable not to think constantly, but one of the main spiritual objectives is to take control of our mind.
If we are unable to sit in meditation every day for at least 10 minutes, we should know that we don’t have control over our mind or ourselves. Instead, we respond to everything that happens to us instead of influencing it.
“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day. Unless you’re too busy, then you should sit for an hour.”
– Zen proverb
If you’re just starting, it’s important to try different approaches and see what feels best for you. The best way to start is guided meditations, available on platforms like YouTube and Spotify. One of my personal favourite guides are the Honest Guys:
2. Gratitude Practice
Our world, unfortunately egotistical and materialistic, systematically teaches us and points into what we don’t have. Simply put, gratitude practice teaches you to shift your focus into the abundance of things you already have.
Maybe being grateful for another day, a comfortable bed, or a meal seems extreme or silly, but that’s only because you have been thought to not be grateful about those things.
Gratitude isn’t just about thinking of those less fortunate; it’s about appreciating our lives and being positive about what we do have. Gratitude shifts our focus from taking life for granted to being in awe of it. Life is never perfect, and there will always be things we don’t have. But as long as we’re alive, there will always be things to be grateful for.
3. Journaling and Self-reflection
In our daily lives, we can become preoccupied with thinking and feeling, which can create mental load and make us feel more anxious and stressed.
Journaling isn’t just about writing down daily thoughts; it’s a way to reflect on our emotions and gain self-awareness. Similarly to therapy, when we speak out our thoughts out loud, when we put our thoughts on paper, we can observe them from a more objective perspective.
People usually realize that their emotions made the problem seem much worse than it is. In addition, they come up with solutions more easily, having a clear mind and the problem in front of them instead of inside of their minds.
A more deep, therapeutic form of self-reflection is shadow work, or inner child work.
Try writing down your thoughts and feelings when you feel stressed or preoccupied. Putting things on paper will give you a clear perspective and definitely lessen your burden.
Get access to my original journal prompts on my Pinterest profile.
4. Affirmations
Many people struggle with self-love, confidence, or similar issues. It is a cruel impact of our world on our brain that is very easy to convince and manipulate. If we think, feel, or hear something enough times, we start to believe it.
Affirmations are an antidote to all the negative beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and opinions we heard over the years.
Our beliefs are especially hard to rewire because we identify with them.
I am not good enough. I am not attractive enough. I can’t do it.
These are the thoughts every one of us had at some point in our lives.
One of the main teachings of spirituality and it’s practices is that you are not your thoughts. The issue is that we identify with these thoughts and start feeling them, which then creates a real experience and we soon live a life that’s a reflection of our inner beliefs.
With affirmations, we create new thoughts, new emotions, and new beliefs.
The key thing you have to remember is to feel your affirmation when you say it out loud. Your body doesn’t know the difference between what you think and what is real; it just responds by creating inner feelings.
When you say “I am more than enough” and really feel it like it’s true, your body will respond with a positive state.
Try doing affirmations for a few days in the morning and see how different you feel during the day. You can do affirmations by reading them or by listening to guided affirmation audio.
5. Manifestation
Manifestation is gaining popularity over the past few years, and many people are seeing incredible results.
The point of manifestation is not only to get the material things we want but to create a better reality for ourselves. All the practices listed above also support manifestation because they shift your mindset towards positivity, gratitude, and self-love. This internal transformation brings about the transformation of your external world as well.
Manifestation asks us to focus on our goals with clarity and visualize their reality. With this, we shift our mindset, elevate our energy, and make choices that bring us closer to those dreams.
Based on quantum physics, we exist in the reality of our vibration. If you live on the frequency of doubt, fear, and lack, you will experience more of the same. But if you vibrate on the frequency of peace and gratitude, you will attract more experiences of the same vibration.
It is not necessary to believe in anything to be able to manifest. You can simply work on your energy and focus using these powerful spiritual practices and witness the results.
At its core, manifestation is about understanding that while we may not control everything, we can influence our reality by believing in ourselves, cultivating a positive mindset, and working towards our goals.
You have the power
Each of these powerful spiritual practices holds immense potential, but their power is awakened only through genuine effort and intention.
Those who have experienced lasting change through these practices share one thing in common: they committed to the process.
However, the universe has a beautiful way of guiding us along the way. It offers us subtle signs—moments of unexpected peace, glimpses of clarity, and waves of compassion—reminding us that we are on the right path.
So, stay open. Stay committed. Know that every step you take, no matter how small, is a step toward your deepest transformation. The universe is always with you, cheering you on, ready to reveal the magic of the life you’re creating. Keep going and watch as your inner and outer worlds begin to shift in ways you never imagined possible.
