Are You in a Spiritual Slump?
I want to talk about “spiritual slumps” for a minute. What do you do when you are unmotivated to do things like meditate or get out into nature, even though you know they’ll help?
When we begin our spiritual journey, a lot happens. Changes take place and we grow at exponential rates-these things can be challenging and sometimes we find ourselves spiritually drained or in a slump.
What do I mean by “spiritual slump?”
-We find ourselves unmotivated to practice our spiritual “stuff,” i.e. meditation.
-We compare ourselves to other “spiritual” people.
-We feel things are foggy and unclear.
-The theme of our lives seems to be “I don’t know.”
-We start to question our faith.
-We feel alone and abandoned by our spirit guides.
-We may even become bitter about it all-angry at the universe for not showing up.
During my own very recent “spiritual slump”, I spoke to a friend of mine who reminded me that I wasn’t alone, that he too had recently felt the same way-this was comforting and quite honestly the best thing I’d heard in a while. Sometimes all we need, is to know that we aren’t alone. Because this was so comforting for me, I wanted to tell you the same-you are not alone.
As we awaken, we become beams of light and once we have tasted bliss, it can be tough to come back down. There can be this sort of pressure to be “high” all the time; however we must remember that we are human beings who are going to have human emotions. Not only are we going to have emotions, we are going to feel them ten times deeper because we are learning to feel, love, be and see in an entirely different way, a truthful way. Chances are, we are distracting ourselves less and less via TV, media, work, etc., which means, we are going to feel more and more. Feeling deeply can bring on feelings of love and bliss as well as feelings of depression and anxiety. The good news is, feeling bad isn’t all bad, after all, we do grow through the tough times…and they won’t last forever.
If you’re in a slump at the moment, my advice to you is, don’t panic. Often times, when we enter this state, we are in a hurry to get out of it. We spend our time trying to figure out why we feel so bad, then we feel bad about trying to figure that out instead of just being-it all becomes a vicious cycle. But what if we’re already doing this and we can’t stop? The truth is, you and I both know it will require some sort of action besides pacing back and forth “trying to get out of it.”
First, I want to remind you that it is perfectly OK to feel down or sad or depressed or angry or whatever “negative” emotion you’re feeling (there are no “bad” emotions). It’s my belief that it’s best to ride them out and remember that they will pass. During the ride, do the best you can to nurture yourself. Visualize the child version of yourself and cater to him or her. For example, during my slump, I made myself tea, popped popcorn, listened to tunes, and slept as long as I needed to (sleep can do wonders during this so don’t feel bad about sleeping too much!) Put yourself back into the present moment and if you can’t find it, close your eyes and do a body scan. Find what works for you. What works for me could be very different than what works for you. If you don’t feel like doing anything at all, that’s OK too (really it is, if you want to sleep all day, than sleep all day), but just remember that we get to choose how we experience our current situation.
I chose to experience depression in the best way possible. Do the best you can and trust that it’s enough. You could be digging up truths that are necessary to move forward and the slump you’re in could be a requirement to unveil them. Trust.
Towards the end of my slump, I watched Matt Kahn’s “Reclaim Your Power,” which was a slap in the face and incredibly helpful-it helped me, maybe it will help you.
He mentions four obstacles that keep up us from reclaiming our power. Here is a very short recap, I highly recommend that you watch his video to receive the full message-it’s long but completely worth it.
- Spiritual Righteousness- The idea that you are always right and that if someone doesn’t agree with your beliefs, they’re wrong. You always have the need to respond with why your way is better. You have gathered up many teachings without spending enough time integrating them into your life.”That’s a great point, but here’s why my point is better.”
- Spiritual Entitlement- The belief that you have already done all the spiritual work you need to do and now it’s time you reap the benefits. The idea that you are already “spiritual” enough. You’ve reached a certain point of clarity and you shouldn’t have to do the things that inconvenience your ego. “Why is this happening to me? I’m vibrating higher. This shouldn’t be happening.”
- Spiritual Neediness- The sense that things are never enough and that when good things happen, they’re never for long enough. You focus on the things you don’t have and are impatient about receiving the things you desire. “Nobody is listening to me.”
- Spiritual Victimhood- You believe something or everything is against you. “I have a right to lower the standard of my conduct.”
If you feel that any of these are obstacles for you, I feel you and I urge you to listen to Matt Kahn’s teaching below.
You are not alone and this too shall pass. Reach out, communicate, and trust in the moment you are in.
I want to talk about “spiritual slumps” for a minute. What do you do when you are unmotivated to do things like meditate or get out into nature, even though you know they’ll help? When we begin our spiritual journey, a lot happens. Changes take place and we grow at exponential rates-these things can be challenging and…