How to grow spiritually? 9 Practices and Tips

Dear Happy Investor, Who are you when you are alone? What If no one cared about your name, career, diplomas, class, money, family, job position, philosophies, or religious beliefs? What would you say If someone asked you: "who are you"?

To grow spiritually means getting in contact with your Higher Self, your true essence, your highest reality. The more you get in touch with that force, the more you grow spiritually. Spiritual growth improves every aspect of your life by allowing you to find inner peace, bliss and raise your consciousness. 

If you want to learn how to grow spiritually, here you will find some ideas on how to do it.

Note: This article was written by guest blogger Eleana. She lives in Peru where she volunteers to help people towards spiritual growth. Of course she also needs money to live, and so she writes articles on a part-time basis for (among others) the Happy Investors. It is nice that in this way we can also contribute to a better life in less developed countries.

1. Learn how to channel your energy wisely

We use energy for everything in our lives. We project it on everything we do. However, sometimes we don't know how to channel our energy. For example, when we feel rage, anxiety, or fear. We can feel all over the place.

Not channeling your energy wisely affects you physically and emotionally. Channeling your energy wisely gives you bliss and inner peace.

This is a good exercise for spiritual growth. A daily exercise for this is to find a creative hobby. Creative outlets are amazing ways to channel your energy. Think about art, music, cooking, dance, gardening, et cetera. Also, physical exercise is another way to channel your energy effectively. 

Try this exercise: Sit in a comfortable position. Inhale deeply. While you are inhaling, imagine a light that ascends from your coccyx to your head. Then, exhale and imagine that the light descends to your heart.

2. Acknowledge your mistakes and strive to become a better person

Growing spiritually means becoming a better person. It means acknowledging that you are not perfect and that you can improve. If you feel like you are already perfect the way you are, there is no possibility for growth.

So, allow yourself to say sorry, acknowledge your mistakes, and work hard to become better each day. If you do that, you will be happier each day.

Try this exercise to grow spiritually: Each day, before bedtime, sit still and recreate your whole day in your mind, from finish to start. Remember each detail and pay attention to anything you said, felt, or did. End up with the memory of the moment you opened your eyes in the morning.

You may feel angry, sad, or overexcited because of some memories. Don't worry, let it go. Try to be as objective as possible and understand why you acted the way you did.

When you finish this exercise, you will identify some specific moments where you could have behaved differently. Learn from those mistakes as they will allow you to grow.

Read more inspiration about how to practice growth Mindset.

3. Help others

Helping others gives you a special feeling. It's like magic. It gives you profound bliss and a deep connection with your true essence. Service allows you to raise your consciousness and dissolve the ego and makes you aware of the needs of others. 

You can help others in many ways. For example, do charity, volunteer, or listen to someone that needs it. Whatever you choose, it is such a gratifying experience, and it is necessary to achieve spiritual growth.

4. Practice mindfulness

It’s so important to learn to live in the present. Suffering comes from thinking about anything else. We spend a significant amount of the day worrying about the future or being attached to the past. That makes us (sometimes) anxious, depressed and overwhelmed. 

When you start to live in the present, problems disappear. You start to see every situation as an opportunity to learn and grow. If your mind is always thinking about the future or the past, you can’t enjoy the present. 

Practicing mindfulness helps with this and therefore contributes to spiritual growth. The best thing about mindfulness practices is that you can do them all the time: when you are working, eating, walking, and so on. 

You could practices mindfulness by doing the following: Become conscious of your body. Be aware of your position, muscles, and any sensation that comes to you. Pay attention to your heartbeat and your breathing. Then, be aware of your surroundings. Don't think about it, just feel. 

Ask yourself: “who am I? What am I doing? Where am I?”. Do it as frequently as you can, especially when your mind starts to wander.

Mindfulness is crucial to developing a thriving Mindset. Learn more about what Mindset means and why it is so important to your life.

5. Be grateful for what you have

Be grateful for the food you eat, for the roof over your head, for your family and your friends. Be grateful for everything. When you are grateful, you align yourself with love, peace, and happiness. You become conscious of how everything in life is a miracle. This will make you smile. This will make you happy. And if your happy, it is easy to think positive and to be positive. Everyone likes positive people. 

Read more about how to develop positive mindset.

6. Visit (and feel) nature

Nature teaches us the simplicity of life. It has the power to harmonize us physically, emotionally, and mentally. Nature helps us to connect to our true essence. If you sit quietly in nature and remove all distractions, you can find wisdom.

You can practice spiritual growth just by visiting nature as much as you can. Go to the beach, the forest, the river, the mountain, or even the park. You can also incorporate a garden in your house or get indoor plants. They harmonize any space. And taking care of your plants is also a very relaxing activity. And, while doing so, be grateful for this experience. 

7. Get in contact with the divine

Spiritual growth is a personal process. It's the connection or relationship we have with a higher force. Some like to call it God, Allah, Brahma, or the Universe. Spiritual growth involves recognizing that there is more to this world than what the physical eyes can see. It means understanding that there are greater forces that sustain the universe.

There are many ways to get in contact with the divine. Pray, meditate, visit nature, do what works for you!

A personal note from Happy Investors: only do something you really believe in. I believe in seeking peace and listening to myself. To be grateful and enjoy small moments. But I do not believe in a "Higher Self" or a "universal force". This does not fit within my rational knowledge regarding the workings of the universe, physics, evolution, in short, science. But that is precisely the point of spiritual perspective: belief in something you cannot see. I don't do that, because it doesn't fit me. But maybe it does suit you, and then that's fine. After all, millions if not billions of people believe in God, and I've never seen one either.

8. Find balance and be accountable for your actions

Spiritual growth means organizing every aspect of your life. Ask yourself, how is my relationship with my parents? How is my relationship with my coworkers? How is my relationship with money? How is my relationship with myself? Remember, everything in your life is a reflection of your inner world. If something in your life needs order, start working from the inside out.

For a Happy Investor, money plays an important role. We make money work for us so that we achieve financial freedom and independence. Just because we can. This intention goes hand in hand with mindfulness. The more satisfied we are with what we have now, the less risk we need to take with our investments. But we do need to take responsibility for the outcome. This means: doing lots of research and believing that financial freedom is for us. (Because why not?) 

9. Meditate for spiritual growth

Daily meditation is an essential part of spiritual growth. It makes you connect with your true essence. When you quiet your mind, you can receive the answers you may need. They are all within you. Meditation helps you connect with that inner wisdom. That’s why it is essential if you want to grow spiritually. Moreover, it improves every aspect of your life because it allows you to see things from another perspective.

So, sit still and find a comfortable position. Try to relax your body as much as possible. Stretch, do yoga, or do anything you need to feel relaxed. You can't relax your mind If you don't relax your body. Then, pay attention to your breath. Inhale deeply, hold your breath and relax. Repeat until your mind is quiet. When you achieve a quiet state of mind, you can start to focus on something like a mantra, your heartbeat, or your eyebrow. That’s it! You are meditating.

Meditation is a process. You can't expect significant results overnight. Instead, you will see the benefits of persistence.

One popular movement is to combine meditation with the law of attraction. In doing so, you use the power of thought to attract more success. Read about the law of attraction here with an explanation of how it works.

Conclusion on how to grow spiritually

Spiritual growth is more than traveling to India and sitting in the lotus flower position. It is about everything you do: the way you treat others, the way you see life, and your relationship with yourself. As you grow spiritually, you can see a change in every aspect of your life. Happiness comes from within, and when you find it within, you will find it everywhere.

This is relevant in today's society. We are driven people. We want to get ahead. Personal development, career advancement, making more money, more luxury, et cetera. This is good. Progress offers perspective and the chance for a better life. But it must not get the upper hand. Spiritual growth can help us do this. To live more in the now, with the intention of achieving goals in the future. Should we not achieve them, that's okay because we already have it good. It will not determine our happiness because we are already