How to Start a Spiritual Journal: Benefits of Keeping One
We’re all spiritual beings, but sometimes we forget to take some time for ourselves. Spiritual journaling is a great way to get in touch with who you are and what you want out of life.
It’s also an opportunity for deep introspection and reflection. Spiritual journaling can be done in many different ways – it doesn’t have to be complicated!
In this blog post, I’ll show you three simple ways that will help jumpstart your spiritual practice.
What is Spiritual Journaling?
Spiritual journaling is a personal and spiritual practice of self-reflection. Spiritual journals allow people to explore their innermost thoughts, patterns, beliefs, spirituality, creativity, and more in an honest way.
The benefits of keeping a Spiritual Journal are numerous! Some include the following:
- It provides you with insight into your day-to-day life – It helps you identify your Spiritual Gifts and where they lie in the world.
- It is a way to record your Spiritual Journey.
- Spiritual journaling will help you discover who you are on a deeper soul level, which can be very uplifting!
How to Start a Spiritual Journal
The first step.
One way to start a spiritual journal is by writing down your thoughts as often as you can. There are many different ways of doing this, but it doesn’t have to be complicated!
The second step is to take time each night for your Spiritual Practice, meditation, or prayer.
Take 20 minutes at the end of every day and reflect on what you’re grateful for that happened during that day.
The third step is to write a Spiritual Affirmation.
For example, “I am grateful for my body and the way it allows me to live my life.” This can be written 100 times in each of your Spiritual Journals. Reviewing this daily will help you create healing on every level.
The fourth step is to read your Spiritual Journal.
This will help keep everything in check. Once a week, review your Spiritual Journals from the past few weeks so that you can see how far you’ve come on this journey.
What Do I Need To Start a Spiritual Journal?
The best way to start a spiritual journal is by getting the necessary tools to make it work. Have fun with these tools and it will make you want to be more consistent and creative. These include:
- Pen/pencils
- Book for Spiritual Journaling (any size)
- Spiritual Journaling Prompts
- Stickers and any other fun things you wish to use.
Some other items that may be helpful to have include:
- Crystal Points, Pendulums, Stones, etc. You can also use an object that has a special meaning to you and your Spiritual Practice.
- Incense or White Sage to Burn during Spiritual Workings
If you are a visual person, you may also like having:
- Colored Pencils and Pens in addition to Black Ink Pens for drawing (or other types of art) on the Spiritual Journal
- Spiritual Symbols and Images/pictures/drawings to add to the Spiritual Journal.
- Colored Paper to writing down insights, messages from spirit guides, affirmations, prayers, etc.
Spiritual Journaling Prompts
You may be wondering what are spiritual journaling prompts? Spiritual prompts are a way to ask your Spiritual Guides for answers.
They range from asking simple yes or no questions, writing out what you need help with, and then leaving the page blank so that Spirit can offer clarity on how to proceed next, or just simply stating what is in your heart and soul.
Here are some examples of spiritual journaling prompts for inspiration:
- What is my next step?
- What do I need to release in order to move forward with ease?
- How can I be more present and aware?
- What do I need to remember about myself, Spirituality, or anything else that’s important to me right now?
- What am I feeling?
- Who do I need support from?
Please note that Spiritual Journaling Prompts are not a set thing. They may change for different people and needs, so it is best to experiment with the prompts in order to find what works best for you.
If you’re looking for Spiritual Journaling Prompts there are plenty of sources out there!
The First Step
If this is your first time, you can begin with a blank book or a piece of paper. I encourage you to start with something that feels right for you because what works for me may not work as well for someone else.
Find a pen or pencil and then just put down whatever is on your mind about the day so far. If it’s hard to think at first, take time to still yourself by closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths.
Now that you’re in an introspective state, start to think about the things happening today. What are your thoughts? Did anything happen at home or work that made you happy?
How did it make you feel when something good happened today? Write down any of these feelings and sensations without worrying too much about grammar or spelling.
What If I am afraid of Journaling?
Spiritual journaling is a personal process. You might be afraid to start because you’re not sure how to do it or what to write about.
It’s important that you and only you are comfortable with the content in your spiritual journal, it is for you and you only. There is no one you are trying to impress, no judgment, just let it flow.
Start by setting an intention for the day or for each session of your journaling. This is a personal decision and can be something like “I want to release stress” or it could be as specific as “I want to understand my feelings in a relationship.”
In spiritual journaling, you are creating a space where you can process your thoughts and feelings.
You will start to see clarity about what is important in life, both on an individual level as well as within the context of relationships with others: family, friends, coworkers.
What if I am afraid of writing at all?
Journaling can be a therapeutic process. It doesn’t matter if you’re not the most skilled writer or have never written before, it is about getting your thoughts and feelings out of your head and onto paper to release them.
The act of writing helps us to organize our thoughts in ways that we cannot do with words alone because there are no limitations on what can be said.
It’s important to note that Spiritual Journaling does not need to be about working through your issues or discussing difficult topics.
It is simply a personal notebook where you can write anything and everything: thoughts, feelings, experiences, goals for the future…anything!
The act of writing forces us into present consciousness as opposed to worrying about the past or future, and this is an important step in Spiritual Journaling.
The act of journaling can also be a self-loving exercise by taking some time to focus on what you love about yourself.
Journaling is not meant to create pressure for anyone; it’s simply a process that has many benefits.
Benefits of Spiritual Journaling
A Spiritual Journal is a blank book in which you write about your spiritual journey. You can include prayers, scripture, or inspirational thoughts that happen during the day.
Spiritual Journals are often used to assist with meditation and reflection on one’s life. There are many benefits of keeping a Spiritual Journal including:
- helps track changes over time
- provides a record of your spiritual journey
- can help you discover new insights about yourself and the world around you
- keeps track of prayers that were answered
Spiritual Journaling has been proven to lower stress levels, improve self-esteem, reduce anxiety, increase happiness levels.
Spiritual journaling also increases mindfulness which allows for greater awareness in daily life. Spiritual Journaling can provide a sense of meaning and purpose which helps with self-understanding.
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, Spiritual Journals have many more! The full list includes:
- increasing spiritual insight and understanding
- provides a structure for your day
- increases fulfillment in life
- encourages gratitude and appreciation towards life events and oneself
- the Spiritual Journal is a document that can promote accountability and honesty
- helps people to be more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns.
This awareness supports personal growth as well as relationships with others
Spiritual Journals are beneficial because they allow for reflection on one’s spiritual journey in a private space without judgment or fear of being discovered.
Spiritual Journaling Exercises
Here are some exercises to try when Spiritual Journaling:
- Write “I am” three times, and then write something about yourself.
- Make a list of things you are grateful for that happened this week or day
Imagine what your ideal life would look like in five years time and describe it briefly:
- What are the daily activities?
- Who do you live with?
- What do you see when you look in the mirror and how are you feeling about yourself?
- Write down five things that make life worth living for you.
- Describe three of your natural talents or skills that could help others to feel more empowered.
- Picture an ideal day where everything goes smoothly, what goes right in the day?
- What goes wrong, and how do you handle it?
- Draw a picture of your perfect self.
- Think about what would make you happy. Imagine that someone gave this to you as a gift. Describe it briefly and why they might have done so.
You can Spiritual Journal with others or write by yourself. Spiritual Journaling can be done for any length of time and in any format that is comfortable for you, but it’s best to set a specific duration first if possible.
Conclusion
This blog post has shown you three easy ways to get started with spiritual journaling. I hope that this will be the first step for many of you on your journey to a more fulfilling life!
You can do it too, just start writing and see what comes out – don’t worry about making mistakes or being perfect. The only way to grow is by taking risks and trying new things.