All About Spirituality: Questions for Curiosity

(...you guessed it! The monthly topic for December is spirituality!)

As a birth worker, as a person who runs multiple businesses, I think often about the ways my spirituality informs and supports the ways I show up. I have always resonated with the idea of having multiple different, significant parts of myself– my physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual selves. The ways I have allowed my spiritual self to be more visible has fluctuated over the years. 

In my most recent work through this newsletter, I have created a container that allows me to more freely express and explore my spirituality. To me, spirituality is tapping into the pulse of humanity; it means recognizing that I am one, small but mighty and important part, of the ecosystem. Additionally, it means trusting in a higher power. I call it being myself, because that’s what it is - me going through life as I experience it. My spirituality is something that I tend to, and it’s something that acts as an anchor for me.

Questions for Exploring Spirituality

As I have engaged in my own exploration of spirituality, there are questions I have asked myself and returned to. I also want to note that I know that many people have had painful, complicated relationships with spirituality due to oppressive religious practices. For me, a lot of exploring spirituality has been unpacking and unlearning beliefs that didn’t serve me, and really getting clear on what I align with. Below is a list of questions that may be helpful for exploring spirituality and getting to know this part of yourself–for the first time or once again.

• What does spirituality mean to me?

• Which rituals/practices bring me comfort? Which rituals/practices help me feel like the best version of myself? Which rituals/practices support me in cultivating a sense of trust?

• How can I be with myself in the quiet? What does it mean to be still?

• How can I be with myself in the chaos?

• What does trust/intuition mean to me?

• How do I put my spirituality into action/practice? 

• Who/what support me in feeling fulfilled? Whole? Centered? Grounded?

I’d love to have more inspiration for curiosity. Please share any questions that you sit with or questions that emerge as you are reading this in the comments below! 

Checking in With Yourself

As I mentioned above, I know that there is a long history of complicated ways religious institutions and other spiritual organizations have been oppressive. People have been manipulated, disempowered, and harmed under the guise of “God” or “goodness.” 

Thus, I want to encourage folks to focus on building and maintaining self-trust. Below are a few questions that may be helpful in navigating spirituality and checking in which what feels right and true to you.

• How does this information/practice/doctrine/etc. make me feel in my body? Mind? Heart?

• Do I feel confused by the messages I am receiving? Or am I clear?

• Is there room for me to be curious, play, and explore how this resonates with me (or not)?

Showing Up as a Healer

My own spiritual practices give me a strong fountain from which I can support others. I believe that I am always becoming, always knowing myself more deeply, always expanding my capacity. In other words, I am whole, and there is always room to grow, stretch, and transform. It’s through my own humanness that I am able to show up and be with others. 

For all the birth workers and space holders who are in my community, I see you! 

Some of My Favorite Spiritual Practices

Beyond spending time reflecting and being curious about my spiritual landscape, there are other practices that support my spiritual life. As usual, I love learning from others and offering a range of options to readers, so please share your own practices in the comments. 

• Nature. But like, really being in nature. Really witnessing, absorbing, and being with nature. This can be a park bench, the view out my window, the beach, and so on.

• Journaling. Just letting whatever needs to come out, come out.

• Learning. I like to explore modalities like somatics, mindfulness, and reiki.

• Guided meditations. From walking meditations, to recordings on Insight Timer or YouTube, to attending classes, to creating meditations for y’all, I really love meditations. 

• Affirmation practices. If you’ve been here, you already know! I share affirmations monthly!

• Community. I love facilitating and/or attending community circles and ritual spaces.

• Breaks. Taking breaks during the day to just breathe and be has been so invaluable to me.

• Gratitude journaling. Sometimes I do this verbally, other times in writing. This pausing to reflect on what I appreciate really contributes to my sense of satisfaction with my life. 

• Reading. Whether a book is explicitly a spiritual text or not, I enjoying reading things  that broaden my perspective and get me thinking about the questions I shared above. 

Here with You

I’m here to support you and the families you work with in feeling a sense of trust, empowerment, and connectedness. This is part of my spiritual practice– showing up in this space with you all. Thank you for being here!