7 Ways to Tend to Your Spiritual Health

By

Sober Recovery Expert Author

Though not to be confused with religion, spirituality is a vital part of the holistic self. Just as we have physical, emotional and psychological aspects of ourselves, we have spiritual ones. Therefore, when we enter recovery, our spiritual self is in need of healing, growth and (often) discovery or reconnection.

Of course, it is first necessary to access that part of the self, especially if spirituality seems like a foreign or possibly even repulsive concept. The latter is typically the result of religious abuse, so be mindful of the fact that (again) spirituality is not the same as religion, as one is an external and man-made force and the other is an internal, innate aspect of you.

When we enter recovery, our spiritual self is in need of healing and growth.

If religious abuse is a factor, the spiritual self will also require reconnection and healing. Of course, healing is a necessity regardless due to the fact that active addiction and all it encompasses is a sign of spiritual disconnection, from oneself and any Higher Self or Higher Power.

Whether spirituality has never been a practice for you or is simply something that was lost to active addiction, there are steps to take to rediscover, reconnect and heal that aspect of the self for the purposes of ensuring successful recovery.

1. Find a Facilitator

Unless you have been keeping a practice of spirituality throughout active addiction (which is unlikely), you will need to find a professional to assist you in reconnecting to this aspect of yourself.

Anything from guided meditation, yoga classes (preferably ones that incorporate spirituality and not merely fitness-oriented) and energy work (Reiki) to spiritual life coaching and crystal healing apply here.

2. Remember Your Purpose

In active addiction, you clearly lost sight of your purpose; the reason you are here. It is no one’s dream to be an active addict. As such, that was not your passion or your soul mission.

When you enter recovery, it is necessary to remember what it was or is you are passionate about. What are your dreams? What lights up your soul? That is your purpose.

3. Reconnect

Active addiction is a symptom of disconnection. It is the result of being completely disconnected from yourself, from nature, from your Higher Power or Higher Self.

Reconnecting is required for successful recovery. It prevents relapse. When you are truly connected to yourself, to nature, to a Higher Power or your Higher Self, you do not wish to disconnect again. You are aware of the emptiness and loneliness in disconnection and do not wish to return to it.

In order to reconnect, you will need to work through any emotional, psychological and spiritual blocks, returning to your authentic self. Again, this will likely require a facilitator, so be sure to employ that first step, first.

4. Rediscover Your Gifts

Additionally, with the aid of a facilitator, you need to rediscover your spiritual and creative gifts.

Creativity is a direct connection to self and spirituality. And, of course, it makes a great coping tool; a healthy outlet that easily and safely replaces substances.

Moreover, you possess spiritual gifts. Whether you are an empath, clairvoyant, clairaudient, clairsentient, claircognizant, or simply have prophetic dreams or the gift of telepathy, you are a superbeing. And, yes. You have superpowers.

Facilitators who offer guided meditation, creativity coaching or gift strengthening are great options for the purpose of discovering your specific superpowers, awakening and enhancing them, along with your creative gifts.

5. Begin a Daily Practice

Regardless of which spiritual practice you choose, whether it be meditation, yoga, prayer, smudging, communing with nature, gratitude or other spiritual ceremonies, you do need to incorporate it into your daily routine. If possible, it needs to be the start and end of your day. At the very least, it should be one or the other.

The point is to make spirituality something you check in with and honor within yourself daily, to the point that it becomes a transformative habit or ritual that replaces those destructive or stagnating ones you left behind in active addiction.

6. Return to Nature

Though active addiction doesn’t always prevent us from being in nature, it certainly disconnects us from it.

The natural world and all its elements are not separate from us. We are a part of it, and it is a part of us. However, when we are in active addiction, we don’t feel much a part of anything, except our addiction.

Returning to nature is about not merely being in nature, but reconnecting to it. Feeling the energy of the water around us, the vibration of the earth beneath our feet, listening to the sounds of the animals and the whispers and messages carried on the wind, standing with our bare feet firmly planted in the ground and soaking in the healing and cleansing light of the sun or the moon; this is returning the self to its natural origin.

7. Raise Your Vibration

In active addiction, our energetic vibration is extremely low. We are typically surrounded by low-energy or negative-energy individuals and exist in a state that resembles the walking dead. We are not connected to ourselves or a Higher Power or Higher Self.

When we enter recovery, we must begin to raise our vibration. We need to clear our energetic field of low, stagnant or negative energy and replace what is removed with high, flowing and positive energy.

We can do this with the help of professionals who specialize in energy work or crystal healing, by clearing our Sacred Space – internal and external – via smudging with sage, gridding with crystals or simply stating intentions and reclaiming the space as our own and by cleaning the energetic air around us.

In other words, we clean our spiritual filter of all the gunk. Then, we make sure we are no longer exposing ourselves to energetic or spiritual pollutants – i.e., movies, music or any form of media that carries a negative message or low energy, individuals who resonate with negative or toxic energy, etc. And, of course, we begin replacing all that negative with positive – i.e., watching uplifting movies, reading inspirational books, viewing enlightening videos, listening to upbeat music with a positive message, etc.

Of course, there are other steps to be added to each individual’s unique spiritual path in recovery. However, these seven steps are certainly necessary to access, awaken and amplify the spiritual side of you. More importantly, they help ensure successful recovery; preventing relapse and promoting your personal evolution.

If you or someone you know is seeking help from addiction, please visit our directory of treatment centers or call 800-772-8219 to speak to a treatment specialist.

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