Rating My Favorite Spiritual Tools Part 1
William Farlow @frozen_warmth via UnSplash
Anyone familiar with the healing journey knows that it comes with a ton of tools that are supposed to bring you further along your path and help you to heal your trauma as well as get to know yourself better. I started my healing journey about 13 years ago. I mark that occasion by my first encounter with a psychiatrist. It was my first time thinking “I’m not okay, and I’m going to do something about it.” I think that’s where most people start feeling the urge to use some kind of healing tool. You gain the self-awareness to realize that what you’ve been doing up to this point hasn’t been working and seek help. This help can come in the form of a gorgeous crystal or a crisp new notebook. In this post, I’ll rate my favorite and least favorite spiritual tools.
1) Meditation (10/10) - I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. meditation is that girl when it comes to spiritual practice. To start with, it’s one of the trickiest practices to get into. That’s why many people end up dismissing it. Let’s face it, it’s not easy to be still in the silence with yourself. We’re always being called to some distraction. But when you start feeling the benefits of meditation and when you gain the discipline to do it with some consistency and for longer periods of time, you’ll never want to stop. I believe meditation is the best way to listen to your intuition, aka the voice of God speaking to you, but only if you can be patient enough to receive the message.
2) Prayer (10/10) - One thing you’ll learn on your spiritual journey is that words are everything! As a writer, I already felt this truth deep in my bones, but my healing journey has only solidified it. Speak it. Know that you are the essence of God. We are part of a universe that is interconnected like yin and yang. You speak to God and God listens. I grew up with a Christian background, but prayer is not limited to religion. You don’t have to belong to any particular background to speak to God. God is you. God is your divine spark. Unburden your heart. Your human form was not meant to carry as much as you expect of yourself. The beautiful thing about prayer is that it’s about surrender. Surrender is not weak, it’s wise. So yes, Prayer gets a 10 in my book!
3) Journaling (10/10) - Okay, I promise I’m not going to give everything a 10, but as I said, words are so powerful and they become supercharged when you write them down. Therefore, journaling will always be a power move. Through journaling, you can better understand your feelings, you can make plans, you can explore your thoughts, you can manifest, you can affirm. There’s so much you can do in a journal! I draw in my journals. I write poetry and song lyrics. I write letters that I’ll never send. I set intentions in my journal. Your journal can be your best friend if you let it. It doesn’t always have to be profound when you journal. Let yourself be silly, it’s your safe space.
4) Therapy (7/10) - Okay, so this is coming from someone who has been to A LOT of therapy over the past decade. There are times when therapy works for me and times when I feel like I’m better off without it. There were times, especially early on in my healing journey, when I would feel so lost in my own mind and emotions that I felt I needed extra support and guidance. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. I encourage anyone who feels that they need therapy to seek it out. Talking through your issues with an impartial party can do wonders, especially when the therapist shares helpful healing tools with you and gives “homework” after sessions! My issue with therapists is that they are people. They have biases. They can disappoint you. They can be unprofessional. They can do damage if they are not on their A-game. And don’t get me started on issues around access and affordability. I’ve had instances where dealing with insurance for therapy basically reversed any of the healing that took place in session. So therapy is great, but it’s not a one-stop healing shop. Definitely don’t treat it that way.
My last time in therapy, I was having the first session with a new practitioner and I had this weird out-of-body experience where it was like I was watching myself talking to the therapist via zoom in my bedroom. I was listening to myself and I thought, “You’re just crafting a story, but it feels good to tell someone else the story and be believed. What if you just validated yourself?” And that was my first and last time with that practitioner. I haven’t been back to therapy since. I’ve found that journaling can serve the same purpose in my life and for free!
5) Crystals (6/10) - Crystals are beautiful! I collect crystals and I believe they are a natural marvel with natural energies that can influence your energy field. I remember my first two crystals. One was a Smokey Quartz, a small, uneven oval shaped crystal that I felt immediately drawn to, the other was a Citrine which I have since lost. I remember meditating with the Smokey Quartz in my hand and feeling this intimacy (with a rock… I know!) but this feeling like I was supported, comforted, and not alone. I think that’s what I really needed to feel at that time. That’s what I believe crystals are best for, supporting your intentions. They each have special properties that support different moods and transitions in life. If you know where you need support, buying a crystal to wear or meditate with can increase your energy in that direction.
This post has gone on for longer than I expected! Come back for part 2, because I have more spiritual tools to get into like tarot cards, astrology, herbs, sound healing, and books!
