Summer vacations and breaks offer a chance to relax, explore, and provide a change of pace. For me, they’re not just about unwinding, but also about the joy of not having to work, sleeping in a little longer, and savoring precious time with my kids during those two short months. It’s a welcome change from the daily grind that can wear anyone down over time. While I thrive on routines, I know how important it is to take a break, recharge, embrace a little laziness, and maybe even indulge more than usual (or is that just me?). So, whether your summer was filled with travel, beach days, or simply stepping away from your routine, getting back into your spiritual routine can feel challenging. It’s like reconnecting with an old best friend—you want to catch up, but you know it’s going to be a long conversation, so you keep putting it off. But then you remember how nourishing that connection is, and you finally make the call. Did that analogy work? I hope I didn’t lose you. With a mindful approach, though, you can ease back into your spiritual practice and realign yourself. Here are some suggestions to help you return to your journey of self-love, harmony, clarity, and divine purpose (and so much more). You can do these all in one day, one each day, or do them at your pace. The beauty is that there’s no right or wrong way, it’s just your way. Let’s dive in…
1. Reflect on Your Summer Experience
The first step in realigning yourself spiritually is to reflect on your summer experiences. Consider what you did, the places you visited, the people you met, and the feelings you experienced. Reflecting on these moments allows you to integrate them into your spiritual journey. Journaling is a great way to self-reflect, heal, be present, grow, find insight, find gratitude, reduce stress, set intentions, manifest, and deepen your connection with yourself. Journaling is something I strive to do more of.
Journaling Exercise:
In what ways did this summer vacation nourish my soul? What are you grateful for?
Identify some moments of joy, peace, joy, or connection over the summer.
What challenges or disruptions did you face and what lessons did you learn from them?
As I return to my daily routine, are there any practices or experiences from your summer that you want to carry forward to maintain my spiritual balance?
Did I experience any moments of clarity or insight?
Consider how these experiences have impacted your spiritual perspective.
OR Create your own questions or free write.
This reflection can help you appreciate your journey and recognize how it contributes to your overall spiritual growth.
2. Set Clear Intentions
Setting intentions is a powerful way to guide your spiritual practice. Intentions act as a compass, providing direction and focus. Intention setting is beneficial because it brings clarity and focus, empowerment, manifesting, mindfulness, positive energy/vibration, resilience, and spiritual growth and transformation. After a hiatus, it’s essential to clarify what you want to achieve spiritually in the coming months.
How to Set Intentions:
Create a sacred space: Find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed (if possible). Maybe light a candle, use crystals, burn incense, or sage your space.
Ground yourself: Take several deep breaths to help center yourself and become present.
Meditate: take 5 to 10 minutes and silence your mind in meditation.
Reflect on your desires, what you truly want in life - emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally. Focus on how that desire makes you feel. (e.g. instead of saying I want a new job, focus on feeling passionate about your work).
Write down your intentions: phrase them in positive, present-tense statements (e.g., "I am cultivating inner peace" or "I am open to spiritual growth" rather than “I want to find love.”)
Visualize them, feel them, speak them aloud, write them down, believe in your ability to create your desires, and then let go of how they will manifest.
Place your written intentions somewhere you can see them daily. This will serve as a constant reminder of your spiritual goals.
3. Reestablish Your Routine
Consistency is key in any spiritual practice. The benefits to creating a routine for your spiritual practice include: enhanced mindfulness, emotional stability, connection with the divine, improved focus, gratitude, empowerment, high vibration, and balanced energy, well-being. After a break, it’s crucial to reestablish a routine that supports your spiritual growth. This doesn’t mean rigidly sticking to a schedule but rather creating a rhythm that nurtures your soul.
Tips for Creating a Spiritual Routine:
Start with small, manageable practices such as daily meditation, prayer, or reading spiritual texts. My routine includes physical exercise (weight training) and breathwork that has a meditation at the end of the practice. Or I will meditate for 5 minutes.
Gradually incorporate more activities like yoga, mindfulness walks, journaling, breathwork, sound baths, Reiki, spiritual reading, grounding practices, gratitude, affirmations, etc.
Designate specific times for these practices, making them a non-negotiable part of your day. During the week, I try to aim for a total of 40 to 50 minutes (including my exercises) to your routine, but you may only need as much as 5 to start with.
Having a routine helps ground you and provides a sense of stability and continuity in your spiritual journey.
4. Meditate Regularly
Meditation is a cornerstone of spiritual practice. It helps center the mind, deepen self-awareness, and connect with the present moment. There are a plethora of benefits of meditation, some important ones included stress reduction, enhanced emotional well-being, self-awareness, focus/concentration, better physical health, improved sleep, greater compassion/empathy, happiness, creativity, spiritual growth and more. If you’ve fallen out of the habit, start small and gradually increase the duration of your sessions.
Meditation Tips:
Find a quiet and comfortable space where you won’t be disturbed.
Focus on your breath, a mantra, or a guided meditation.
If your mind wanders, gently bring your focus back without judgment.
Figure out what works best for you. Do you feel more focused when you have a guided meditation? Do that then. Maybe try to do a quiet meditation one day a week for 5 minutes. This is your routine, your journey, make it your own.
Regular meditation can help you reconnect with your inner self and foster a sense of inner peace and clarity. My only strong recommendation would be to push through any perceived blocks you may have with meditation. I’ve heard people say countless times that they don’t meditate because their mind is too busy or it’s too hard. Well, it’s hard for everyone, myself included. I didn’t give up, though, and my focus is just to be present and to reduce the thoughts. Everything improves with practice and regularity, but that’s saying that there’s a correct way to meditate and there really isn’t.
5. Connect with Nature
Nature has an inherent ability to heal and realign our spirits. Spending time outdoors can ground you and enhance your sense of interconnectedness with the world around you. Putting your feet to the earth grounds you, making you more present, calm, releasing negativity, enhancing your connection to nature, bringing you into spiritual alignment, and bringing you to a higher vibrational state.
Ways to Connect with Nature:
Take a mindful walk in the park, focusing on the sights, sounds, and smells.
Practice grounding by walking barefoot on grass or sand.
Spend time near water, whether it’s a beach, river, or lake, and meditate by its soothing sounds.
Garden, water your plants, or sit next to a tree.
Engaging with nature can restore your energy and provide a profound sense of peace and balance.
6. Engage in Creative Activities
Creativity is a powerful tool for spiritual expression and alignment. Engaging in creative activities allows you to connect with your inner self and express your spirituality in unique ways.
Creative Practices:
Try art journaling or painting to express your thoughts and emotions.
Write poetry or stories that reflect your spiritual journey.
Play music or dance to connect with your body and soul.
My new creative joy is making jewelry including crystal bracelets and malas.
Creativity can be a form of meditation, offering a different pathway to spiritual alignment and self-discovery.
7. Cultivate Gratitude
Gratitude shifts your focus from what’s lacking to what’s abundant in your life. It opens your heart and enhances your spiritual awareness. Make gratitude a daily practice to maintain a positive and spiritually aligned mindset.
Gratitude Practices:
Keep a gratitude journal and write down three things you’re grateful for each day.
Express gratitude in your daily prayers or meditations.
Share your gratitude with others, spreading positive energy.
My gratitude routine starts in the morning when I’m getting ready for my day. Instead of allowing my thoughts to be flooded with everything I need to do that day, I try to stay present and review all the many things I’m grateful for. It helps to set the tone of your day.
Gratitude helps you appreciate the present moment and recognize the blessings in your life, fostering a deeper spiritual connection.
8. Reconnect with Your Community
Spirituality is often enriched through community. Reconnecting with like-minded individuals can provide support, inspiration, and a sense of belonging. Some people feel really lonely in their spiritual circle, which shouldn’t be a thing. There are spiritual communities far and wide just waiting to connect with other high vibrational people. Setting an intention to find your community is also a great way to do intention setting.
Ways to Reconnect:
Attend spiritual gatherings, workshops, or retreats. My girlfriend and I host amazing yoga retreats several times a year. She runs the retreat and I do the Reiki. We both get immense joy and healing from sharing space with others who are healing. Check out nicolebyars.com for upcoming retreats!!
Join online forums or social media groups focused on spirituality.
Share your experiences and insights with friends or family members who support your spiritual journey.
Engaging with a community can amplify your spiritual practice and provide valuable connections and insights.
9. Practice Self-Compassion
Returning to your spiritual practice after a break can bring up feelings of guilt or frustration. It’s important to practice self-compassion and be gentle with yourself during this transition. There’s no room for guilt and shame as those are low vibrational emotions that are counterintuitive to our spiritual journeys. Give yourself the grace you give others. We strive, we fall, we achieve, we flourish, we grow, and so on and so forth. This is a GREAT way to work on our self-love.
Self-Compassion Tips:
Acknowledge that breaks are a natural part of life and can offer valuable lessons.
Be kind to yourself and recognize your efforts to realign spiritually.
Celebrate small victories and progress, no matter how minor they may seem.
Self-compassion nurtures your soul and encourages a loving and patient approach to your spiritual journey.
Final Thoughts…
Realigning yourself spiritually after a summer vacation or hiatus is a journey of reflection, intention, and mindful practice. By taking these steps, you can smoothly transition back into your spiritual path and continue your growth with renewed energy and clarity. Remember to be patient and compassionate with yourself as you navigate this process, and embrace the insights and experiences gained during your summer break. Your spiritual journey is a continuous and evolving path, enriched by every experience along the way.
NAMASTE!
Nicole
Comments