11 Effective Ways to Receive Spiritual Guidance

                                           11 effective ways to receive spiritual guidance

The concept of spiritual guidance has often been a buzz phrase lately. With an influx of individuals seeking greater purpose, it’s not difficult to wonder why this is the case. 

But what is spiritual guidance? And how can it help you deal with your inner struggles? 

In this blog, you will discover the following: 

1. What Spiritual Guidance is
2. Opening yourself to the Divine
3. 11 Most effective ways to receive Spiritual Guidance

But how should I comprehend the weight of my own choices? 

For the most part, we perceive life from the standpoint of a free and rational being. When we make choices, we believe that they are ultimately ours. Seeing these decisions as manifestations of one’s consciousness, we have that sense of control. 

But while we may not know it, certain forms of influence are acting behind the scenes. 

For instance, we can see how search engines can become goldmines of personal information and preferences. With data-gathering apparatuses, big techs are notorious for forwarding these preferences to advertisers. Thus, if you’ve been searching for a good homemade recipe for burgers, expect to see MacDonald’s on your facebook newsfeed. 

Now, you might think that purchasing from MacDonald’s is a manifestation of freedom. But is it, really? Or were you subtly led by the underlying advertisements in your social media platforms? 

Ultimately, this boils down to the tension between determination and free will. While individual action is a result of one’s pure freedoms, they are inevitably influenced by the factors and forces around us. 

In fact, this push-and-pull dynamic has long existed before the internet. 

If you think of it, a lot of your actions are heavily influenced by the factors around you. But here’s the big question: How can spirituality help shape your choices? 

 What is Spiritual Guidance?     

Answering this question can be quite tricky. To begin with, here are some problematic questions that shroud this general inquiry: 

• What does spiritual guidance mean? 
• How can we know that the guidance is ‘spiritual’? 
• Can I engage in spiritual guidance out of my own will? 
• How can spiritual guidance lead me to positivity? 
• Am I ready for spiritual guidance? 

To answer the above-mentioned questions, we need a working definition for spiritual guidance. Simply put, spiritual guidance refers to the experience of allowing a higher power to direct you. And just to clarity that statement the higher power is YOU, it’s your future you.

Now, that may sound too plain, but really, that’s what it is. Spiritual guidance is all about having a divine force that directs your course of action. Yet, if you’ll re-read the same phrase, you’ll realise that spiritual guidance is all about surrender. 

Opening Yourself to the Divine

Beginning your spiritual guidance journey requires opening yourself to divinity itself.  Just as you would allow websites to collect your data as you consume their content, a certain degree of openness is necessary. This is the only way if you want to allow spiritual guidance to take place. 

The question is: which force will direct you? 

This is where spiritual guidance comes into the picture. Instead of internal forces influencing your decision-making process, try seeking out the divine. 

For instance, you can do this by reading more about the spirituality of your choice. By exposing yourself to spiritual traditions and practices, tip-bits of information can become a coherent whole. Like puzzle pieces, you’ll find your path in bringing them all together. 

It is important to note that it doesn’t matter much which spiritual tradition you are coming from. Often, people debate about religion thinking that one is always better than the other. This stems from the conviction that one’s own spiritual and religious truths tower over others. If you patronise such, clashes happen even before you can open yourself to the divine. 

That’s why in this blog, I strongly stress out that the focus should not be on whose truth is absolute. Instead, it is the process of opening oneself that should be taken into strict consideration. By learning how to accept divine guidance, you can move forward without getting caught up in the details. 

11 effective ways to receive spiritual guidance

1.  Learning how to receive spiritual guidance takes a leap of faith. Getting frustrated if it doesn’t happen the first time you try, will only make the process longer. It may take longer than you want to hear your Guides.

But, like when you were learning how to walk as a baby, you fell over a few times, but you tried and tried, again and again, until you mastered it, so beating yourself up over failures will only slow you down. So, enjoy the journey!’

Get excited when you hear something, get a clear message, feel your Guide’s presence, or see light showing an answer to you. This means you’re improving. Try not to question if you have heard something or say to yourself that is just me talking. Have faith.

If you try to talk to your Guides once or twice, and don’t hear anything back, then declare yourself a failure and decide that you can’t do it, that’s like standing up to your new-born child and being disappointed when they don’t walk across the room on the first try. It’s just silly.

If you’re not hearing your guides yet, it just means you’re only partway along that journey, patience is your companion on this journey.

2.  Be open to receiving spiritual guidance in any form- Your Spirit Guides are very clever, and they know you better than you know yourself.

Even if you can’t hear them, like having a different voice, they will find a way to get through to you, if you let them.

It might be a “thought,” a dream, or an inspired answer coming through your friend.

Your attention might be drawn to words on a sign or to a specific article or book. You might overhear a conversation and get your answer. Maybe you’ll see light around someone who can help you.

If something seems a little funny – like there’s a glitch in the Matrix – pay attention. You are likely right next to your answer, and all you need to do is think about your question to find your answer.

3. Validate your successes

Think back to the times in your life when you already made remarkably good choices, where you succeeded in unlikely circumstances.

In these times, you were following your guidance superbly.

Maybe you thought it was your excellent brain that resulted in your success, but did you ever wonder where your brain got all those great insights and answers?

4. Relax and have fun!

Don’t expect to get it perfect right away. You are learning, and you going to make mistakes. Sometimes, you will make up your answers or just hear what you want to hear. That’s ok.

Only with practice can you learn the difference.

Even when you are getting clear guidance, there are times when you will be surprised or disappointed by the initial results.

Occasionally, I would think… “I heard my guidance clearly, and I followed it. So, why did I end up in this difficult situation?!”

What I learned is that I am sometimes guided into difficult situations – perhaps to expose and heal an old wound, or to learn something valuable.

Some guidance can only be understood later – sometimes much later – when you have the perspective to see how the situation was perfect for you.

With experience, you will learn to trust your guidance and be grateful for any experience it brings.

      5: Explore the realm of Dreams

Throughout history, dreams are seen as gateways to deeper spirituality. With images and experiences flashing before us during sleep, it is only natural to arrive at that consensus. As such, dreams are seen as alternative realms, becoming areas where we can access our subconscious and spiritual self. 

Dreams can also carry symbols. As a common misconception, spiritual guidance doesn’t necessarily involve a living entity or being. Sometimes, the guidance appears in forms of signs and symbols which bears its own existential weight. 

Thus, there may be instances where you can dream of guidance in the form of a tree, a hawk, or even the ocean itself. With an open mind, you can pay attention to these and interpret them accordingly. 

Quick Tips: 

1. Remember to use a dream journal. Logging in those mental experiences allows you to pin down recurring symbols of guidance. Furthermore, this will also make it easier for you to track your progress. 

1. Try out lucid dreaming. By retaining your consciousness in dream space, you can further utilize the power of dream space. 
2. Research on dream symbols. While they may vary depending on different cultures, having a general idea certainly helps. 

        6: Immerse yourself in Spiritual Material

Your desire to attain higher guidance requires an equivalent amount of effort. True, some may naturally manifest strong spiritual guidance. But for most, we need to work our way through without guarantee or reassurance.

Consequently, this means that most of us need to build our own bridges towards our higher selves. To do so, you have to begin with the most obvious yet rigorous way – immersing yourself in spiritual material. 

Generally, we have the major world religions as a source of spiritual guidance. This involves Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Paganism, and more.  Developed alongside time and history, these imminent traditions have rooted themselves in almost every part of the globe. 

Apart from the abovementioned religions, we also have New Age spirituality as an emerging tradition. Using an eclectic approach, this seemingly pop-culture-based spirituality focuses on openness and decentralisation. 

Unlike major world religions, truth is not exclusive and packaged in New Age spirituality. Instead, New Age practices seek to integrate the various beliefs and disciplines to create and sustain new ones. 

This is why when you go for New Age spirituality, the law of attraction and chakra healing doesn’t have to go against each other. For them, there is no monopoly of truth, and almost all practices can be intermixed with each other.  

Regardless of which spiritual tradition you wish to subscribe to, taking that first step is crucial in moving forward. If you want to attain spiritual guidance, you’ll need to hit the right buttons. To do so, throwing yourself into the water certainly won’t hurt! 

          7: Go back to Nature!

As a common misconception, spiritual guidance is never limited to religions and traditions. In fact, examining some of these traditions will point us back to where we all stand – mother nature itself. 

Consider, for instance, the first dwellers. Prehistoric man has shown a great spiritual connection with nature. With man praising the magnificence of the fire, air, earth, and water, it comes to no wonder why these elements became spiritual guides. 

Similarly, the first philosophers of ancient Greece also revered the power of the natural elements. In his cosmological thesis, Thales of Miletus attributed the ultimate source of life to water itself. Seeing how nothing survives in the absence of water, this element symbolizes life energy. 

Given these references, it is safe to say that mankind has a certain degree of reverence towards nature. Thus, a “going back” is necessary to fully immerse oneself in all forms of spirituality. 

By going back to nature, you can allow its natural powers to serve as your guidance. 

Call-to-Action: Go out and explore Nature itself.

In turn, allowing yourself to take a break can open various opportunities for spiritual guidance. By immersing yourself to the lush green forests or the vast open seas, you can rebuild your lost connection with mother nature itself. 

           8: Identify your Spirit Animal

Apart from mother nature itself, animals are known to appear in dreams as spirit guides. Guarding us from negative energy, these spiritual beings can lead us to the transcendental growth that we’re yearning for.

Did spirit animals appear in your dreams? Check out their meaning below! 

• Antelope: Grace and Beauty
• Bear: Paternal Love and Presence
• Beaver: Resourcefulness and Manoeuvrability
• Bull: Maturity and Self-Mastery
• Cat: Capriciousness and Polarity
• Chameleon: Adaptability
• Dog: Trust and Companionship
• Fox: Betrayal and Distrust
• Goat: Masculinity and Power
• Lion: Dominance and Courage
• Monkey: Playfulness and Yearnings
• Ox: Patience and Sacrifice
• Rabbit: Fertility and Birth

The abovementioned list is only a part of the bigger picture. To know more, there are plenty of resources on the internet.

            9: Unblock your Chakra Points

To fully unlock your higher self, unblocking your chakra points is ultimately necessary. Since universal energy flows through these points, clogged energy pipes will prevent spiritual guidance. 

Your body is comprised of 7 main chakra points, namely: 

1. Root Chakra – Basic necessities and Life Energy
2. Sacral Chakra – Procreative and Creative Energy
3. Solar Plexus Chakra – Willpower and Courage
4. Heart Chakra – Feelings and Emotions
5. Throat Chakra – Communication and Expression of Thoughts
6. Crown Chakra –  Consciousness and Sub-consciousness
7. Crown Chakra – Spirituality and Higher Self

When one of these chakra points is blocked, your body will compensate by overworking other chakra points. Thus, the failure to address an issue on one pipe will lead to clogging  over the other. In turn, this will make it more difficult for you to receive spiritual guidance. 

           10: Improve your Mindfulness meditation

In order to access your higher spiritual self, mindfulness meditation is crucial. During the state of meditation, you are conditioning your mind to become a vessel of growth and positivity. To do so, you have to take away all those negative thoughts to make room for positive ones. 

Add to that, mindfulness meditation takes this act a step further as it improves your conscious state. By bringing more clarity and vision, this will lead you towards spiritual guidance. 

             11: Just be Yourself

While concrete efforts will certainly land you a better chance at reconnecting with the divine, nothing beats being yourself.

When you focus on something too much, you may be obsessing on it way more than you should. Think about courting a person – sometimes being overly zealous about it can shoo the person away. 

Similarly, those who are too obsessed in receiving spiritual guidance may end up losing their chance. Remember, the keyword here is ‘receiving’, and you’re the one getting it!

Final Word

Receiving spiritual guidance is still a daunting task. After all, it is up to the divine energies to reach out to you. But by the time they reach out, are you ready for it? 

If you’re looking to become prepared, which among these steps are you most eager to try out?