What is a ‘Spiritual Awakening’?

I work with a lot of people who have experienced one, or many, spiritual awakenings. Each person’s journey is unique and individual to them, but there do tend to be themes that consistently show up in peoples journey. The Spiritual Awakening process tends to look a little like this:

Survival mode. We are operating primarily from ego and we believe we are separate from Source. Here the root chakra needs to be attended to to move from the state of energetic contraction to expansion. This is where we work on regulating the nervous system and where inner child issues come up to be resolved.

Emotional overwhelm and emotional repression. This is often when the 'Dark Night of the Soul' occurs as we start to tap into the energy of the sacral chakra. We can over-identify with our emotions and/or we can repress emotions that we believe are 'bad' or 'low vibrational.' Embodied practices and somatic work are great here.

We start to realise that we are not a victim of life-that we are an active participant. We start to access the solar plexus chakra and start to understand that we can move into expansion. This level can be tricky as it is empowering to believe that 'you create your own reality.' When in fact you are a co-creator. Overidentification with the Law of Attraction and manifestation can keep you stuck here.

As we move from the belief system of creator to co creator, we realise the importance of surrender. Of connecting to the flow of life, our soul and our intuition to help us feel into the direction that we are expanding into. Letting go of what no longer serves us. This is the level of the heart chakra and where we start to connect to and operate from a place of unconditional love for all (including Self).

We reach a level of oneness here. With others, with Source. We only take actions if they are aligned, if they resonate. We see each difficulty that arises as an opportunity to learn and grow. We understand that our triggers are there to alert us into what needs alchemising within us. This process takes time and it cannot be rushed or forced. You will need to revisit the root chakra over and over again to ensure that your foundations will support your expansion.

You will need to revisit the emotions that arise in the sacral chakra over and over again and let go of fear, guilt and shame more than once. You will need to observe when you are trying to control everything and when you forget you are a co creator.

But to start operating from the wisdom of the higher chakras, it is essential that you are ready to receive it. That your foundations are strong and that there is nothing creating resistance to receive.

So be kind to yourself on this journey. It takes time and it takes work. You can try and bypass but your expansion will stagnate. And remember the heart chakra. Think of it as the mid point in the figure of 8. It acts as the meeting point and integration point between the higher and lower chakras. And it is the chakra that most people who are awakening are working to operate from at this time.