How to Find Your Spiritual Regimen
Photo: Black Madonna by Javier Pinon
If you haven’t put your resolutions out into the universe, you’re probably thinking the same thing as me when it comes to making useless resolutions the first of January: that you’ll probably forget by February. Each new year we all have “ to be a better person” on our list of things to improve with marking another (bumpy) ride around the sun. It’s not that we’re cynical about making resolutions that don’t really mean anything. And is it just me or is social media promoting resolution propaganda? “...2019 will be the year I mind my own business, drink tea and meditate.” This is easier said than done. I know this because the culture has been collectively seeking spiritual guidance, spiritual healing through crystals, therapists, astrologist and so on. The market for this type of stuff has also profited from people’s need to block out the BS in the Trump era. According to Fast Company, it is a multi-billion dollar business that attracts executives, CEOs, and the like to make decisions based on their energy and the findings of their spiritual teachers.
But this supernatural technique isn’t the only way to gain your newfound spiritual regimen in 2019. There are much cheaper routes to take like going to church, meditating or reading your astrology charts online. Of course, it is time-consuming but emotional well being is increasingly becoming important in the era of screentime overload - when you find out how much time you devote on your phone and its associated apps.
Over the years, friends and colleagues have asked me how to go about finding a life coach or something of the like because they think they need an intervention of some sort. But what I have found in my own quest to finding allies who are on your side to help interpret your life, is that the whole process in itself is supernatural. It’s not like finding a doctor or your next insurance broker. Your spiritual regimen should come out of self-reflection - what do you truly want to work on about yourself? It’s about owning up to your faults and then trial and era the remedy.
Here are a few ways you can go about it from personal experiences from my world travels.
The church home is key to healing your soul. If you’re religious and grew up exposed to organized religion, then you know this is where to go to get your mind right. Of course, with all the drama aside, this is a place where you can find inner peace. As a Christian, I’ve always loved going to church during times of depression and being lost in life after a major breakup or career shakeup. I know the people who run the church aren’t perfect, and I’m not either, but I find it comforting that other people know me and my goals and will pray for my success. It makes me happy that my pastor knows me by name and calls me a “writer” even during the times when I didn’t believe in myself. Find a church or religious institution that makes you comfortable and is not too judgemental by asking friends to refer you to a good place. I also love how social media can either make a church either more welcoming or expose them. So also read the Yelp reviews.
Get your aura read. If you’re feeling blah and stuck in a rut going into 2019, going to a licensed aura reader may inspire you. Aura reading is a new practice that was founded in the 1980s in Berkeley, California. This past December, I was invited to a beauty industry event where they hired Clara Kumiko Ueki, a licensed medical massage therapist who also studied Cytology, to read the moods of their guests. According to her website,” an Aura is vibrational energy of the presence of any living thing. An Aura Reading provides one's information of this moment in time by showing images and interpretations of the vibrational energy.” I happily sat down across from Kumi in a hotel room for about 20 minutes while she told me about what she felt from my aura. Although, the Japanese born aura reader told me qualities about myself I already knew and even told me facets of my personality I was still working on connecting. Aura reading is good to know for people who are emotional. Kumi’s aura reading is unique in that she equates roses to individual energy. Mine rose she said is bright red and in full bloom!
Much like chakras, if you’re into plant psychology, you should definitely look into getting your aura read to find clarity in your mood. https://www.aurareadingnyc.com/
Hire a longterm life coach if you’re new to entrepreneurship or trying to take your career to the next level. These people are all over Instagram. They are the ones that promote “getting your life together in a few quick and easy steps.” It can seem a bit cheesy but these types of people are highly motivated by people who lack ambition. Their job is to make you successful in whatever life goals and resolutions you establish. I strongly advise you do your research when hiring a life coach. They can change as much as $10,000 a month if they know you will make you grow financially. Although I can’ t accurately provide a price quote for your specific needs, a life coach can help you lose weight or even be a better parent. My life coach was also a Yoga Instructor and a Christian so her methods included meditation, astrology, bible verses about God's children and also lots of smiles. We met on a resort in Jamaica and through our long conversations on the beach, I knew I wanted her energy around me. For our first sessions, we talked a lot about setting intentions and also manifesting the life I want. Yes, these are all teachings that you can probably google, however, a life coach holds you accountable. Tony Robbins is the most recognized life coach. There’s also Tai Lopez who sells online marketing courses, and also gives mentorship opportunities to his best students. Moreover, you can use social media to keep up with people who spread inspiring messages on social media, which that itself can be a cheaper way of gaining access to a life coach.
A shaman can clear away bad spirits in your life. In recent years, Shamans have increasingly grown in popularity. I don’t know if Yoga is considered vintage and people are looking for a new thrill, but Shamans are customary to Latin America and that’s where I experienced my own spiritual awakening. I was traveling in Ecuador, cruising around the Galapagos islands without cell service, and I had no choice to get in touch with the other side. After seeing blue for days and healing from yet another horrible relationship with an idiot, I was going crazy with my thoughts. Somewhere between prayer and meditation, in the middle of the Atlantic ocean,” I came to the thought, “Everything that’s beautiful is not always good for you. “ Once I disembarked from the boat that sailed through the ancient civilization and hoped on a plane that would take me to Quito, Ecuador. From the window seat of the plane, it was beautiful to see vast greenery after being sucked up in the deep blue sea. I was on my way to the Choco rainforest to spend a few nights in a hotel above the clouds. To make a long story short, I met a guy at the hotel bar in Quito, on my way to the rainforest, who told me he was going to see his shaman in Amazon. We talked for hours about shamans, guayusa and the meaning of life. After 3 bottles of wine and vaping at the hotel bar until 5 am, this dutch guys gave me some parting chocolate, a vial of guayusa and another vial of something that was supposed to make me sleepy, and left by cab to see his Shaman. He traveled thousands of miles to see his Shaman. I couldn't believe his trek and he still had 8 hours to the deep depths of the Amazon to go. What I got from this rated R experience is that people are devoted to mending a broken soul and will do anything to find healing. Years later and Shamans just keep popping up indirectly into my life. If you’re seeking shaman to do ayahuasca or something of that nature, definitely do your research. Shamanism is an actual college degree at select universities so at the very least if your future shaman has a degree from an accredited university, you’re halfway there. I would also get testimonies from actual people who have good experiences shamans. A shaman can be expensive, but if you’re into spiritual meditation, then it will be worth it to you.
Subscribe to a Astrologer’s Readings on Youtube. Modern Astrologers have taken their magic to youtube to reach audiences who may not feel like reading their horoscopes on a website or in a newspaper. Ever since a friend told me about Amber Khan and her brand The Quietest Revolution, I became devoted to reading about my sign ( LEO) every first of the month. Her readings are always very detailed and require full concentration when watching her hour long videos. Amber gives very real breakdowns of what her Tarot Cards mean by zodiac sign and it’s good to follow because she will touch on previous months readings for clarity. Aside from Amber, there are TONS of Youtube Astrologers so you can explore people’s vibes.
Get into Essential Oils, Smudging and Incense Burning. If you like burning candles and incense, there’s power in cleansing and maintaining your energy with scent. This type of practice goes into the natural healing category. Tons of companies are popping up with their own version of essential oils that aim to spiritually guide its customers to positive vibes. Wild Spritz, is a beauty company based in Texas that sells au natural products like Energy Clearing Aromatherapy Spray. Founder Lauren Arevalos started her company after turning her obsession with smudging into a business. Essentials oils have also become mainstream in curing anxiety and have been deemed the new antibiotic. In article entitled “How Essential Oils Became the Cure for Our Age of Anxiety” in the New Yorker, essentials oils are not just a white woman spending habit. In a excerpt from the article, “Oils’ rising popularity is part of the contemporary appetite for wellness, an embrace of holistic healthy-living practices ranging from the low key (meditation) to the wacky (Brain Dust, a forty-dollar jar of adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms that promises to “align you with the cosmic flow for great achievement.” Oils can be used to sure just about anything but at a high price. If you’re a beginner at essential oils and smudging, I recommend starting with palo santo and sage sticks to smudge your living space and use it with your burgeoning meditation practice. You can buy on Amazon for under $20 here.