Written by: Susanne Venaas, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Spirituality seems to have appeared everywhere and taken over western society in the last decade or so. Is it just a trend, or is this a resurrection of ancient and New Ages practices that help us stay connected?
We have celebrity magazines featuring Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly, with Fox’s claims that they are Twin Flames. Twin flames are considered a spiritual concept similar to soul mates where the two individuals are thought to be split from the same energy source to grow and expand in love. These pairs may share experiences like telepathy, and have a very intense connection to awaken to consciousness and unconditional love.
We also have sports celebrities such as Tom Brady, who after his 2019 Superbowl win with the Patriots over the Rams attribute his success to the ‘healing stones, drops, mantras and practices’ wife and supermodel Gisele Bundchen told him years prior to that he needed to start incorporating for manifestation.
Large corporations such as Apple, Google, Yahoo, Nike and HBO, to name a few incorporate meditation rooms, times and spaces for their employees. They use data such as improved work culture and relationships, stress management, increased innovation and creativity, as well as increased focus to justify the benefits of meditation.
Why then is spirituality on the rise at this moment in time and seen as so widespread? My belief is that unlike religions of the past which focused on a dogmatic practice, spirituality provides an open space and curiosity to tailor it and make meaning to each and every individual. We currently live in a fast-paced society. If we want something we need only to search online and it can be on our doorstep within 24 hours without us ever having to leave the house to achieve it. We have the ability to text, email, instant message on every social media platform and expect to connect with others immediately. Yet many of us still feel disconnected.
Perhaps we did everything off of the societal checklist. Successful career. Check. Amazing spouse. Check. Brand new vehicle. Check. Dream home. Check. Children. Check. Vacations. Check. Expensive toys. Check. Vacation properties. Check. This list continues on and on and on with all of the external accomplishments we’ve been told we ‘should’ have to be successful and happy, and yet still so many of us go through our adulthood achieving all of these external markers of worth and still feel unworthy of love, joy, happiness, lowe self-worth. We feel disconnected from our passions and purpose. Disconnected from our loved ones, and most significantly disconnected from ourselves. Alone and lonely
The problem therein lies in never working through childhood trauma, limiting beliefs, and fully developing internal self-worth. This is where spirituality comes into play. As a Spiritual and Intuitive Life Coach, I believe that digging into Spirituality allows for the healing necessary to connect authentically to who we are so that we can show up fully, vibrantly, and with ease in life. Being spiritual therefore empowers us with tools tailored to our unique journey to help us live the best version of ourselves while we are here on earth.
If you are unsure of where to start, I always say to start small. These are some simple ways in which you can incorporate spirituality in your daily life.
1. Breathwork. Most of us are poor breathers and only breathe to the top of our sternums. A simple exercise to connect to your breath more fully which helps regulate the nervous system and many body systems is to put a hand on your lower belly and breathe fully in through your nose until your belly expands into your hand, and then exhale slowly out of the mouth until the belly softens. Repeat for 2-5 minutes.
2. Quiet/Solitude/Nature. Most of us are constantly doing and accessible. The more we can unplug, the better. Some ways in which to do this are by finding solitude and perhaps connecting with nature. Bonus if you can do both.
3. Meditation Practice. Most people stop because their thoughts take over and they think they are doing it ‘wrong’. There is no such thing. Observe the thoughts and then let them go. That is the meditation practice. Download an app such as Calm if you think it will help.
4. Be Present. We love to distract ourselves. On public transportation or standing in line at a grocery store? Pick up your phone and scroll an app. Take time throughout each day to really be present to the situation you are in. Sometimes anchoring the experience through our 5 senses of what we are seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling and even knowing help us to stay more focused and present.
5. Trust Your Gut. Otherwise known as your intuition. This is the hunch, or thought or feeling to do something, take a different route or pick up the phone and call someone. We all have our intuition and the way it speaks to us. It is up to us to listen and trust it.
6. Love More. Love and accept yourself more. Shoe and express love and kindness to others. The world is a challenging enough place, and love truly begins to bring in how we are all more similar than different.
Susanne Venaas, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Susanne Venaas is an International Spiritual Coach based out of St. Albert, Alberta Canada. Susanne works both in-person and virtually connecting with her clients in their transformation and growth. She also supports learning via her online school, and her Rebel Soul Podcast to help them connect to their most authentic selves. Wellness to her is an integrative approach to body mind and spirit. Susanne has been featured in Yahoo News + Finance as one of the top 10 Spiritual Coaches to watch in 2021, as well as featured in CEO Medium as an expert in her field, and her Rebel Soul Podcast made Top 10 Spiritual Podcasts in Canada after it's first 6 weeks of going live in May 2021. Her passion is working with others to cultivate a deeply meaningful and connected life.
