The Open Bowl:
My concept behind "The Open Bowl" represents a mindset of openness and receptivity. A bowl is not rigid or closed off; it allows for the continual addition of new ingredients, much like how we can integrate various spiritual practices that resonate with us. Each spiritual path offers wisdom and understanding, but we are not bound to one single tradition if we so choose.
The idea is to gather what nourishes your soul, whatever form that may take. The Open Bowl encourages the blending of different practices, belief systems, and insights to create a unique, personal spiritual experience. The beauty lies in the openness to explore, grow, and adapt as you discover what truly aligns with you.
Disclaimer: In this space, I am not advocating for any one specific spiritual path—whether it be Paganism, Christianity, or something else—but rather for embracing an open-minded approach to spirituality. The focus is on discovering what feels right to you, whether that involves elements of multiple traditions or a deeper dive into a single one. The key is personal growth, and finding spiritual practices that promote mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Why It Matters: The Impact of Spirituality on Mind, Body, and Soul
Spirituality, in its many forms, offers a profound way to support our overall well-being. Whether rooted in traditional practices or a personalized blend of beliefs, it can create a sanctuary for healing and growth. Here’s how exploring spirituality benefits us:
Mental Wellness: Spiritual practices such as meditation, prayer, and rituals help calm the mind, reducing anxiety and depression. They foster mindfulness and clarity, which can improve decision-making and emotional resilience.
Emotional Healing: Spirituality often encourages introspection and self-awareness. It can help process emotions and traumas by offering a sense of purpose, connection, or belonging that grounds us during challenging times.
Physical Health: Research suggests that spirituality and practices like yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and strengthen the immune system. The body and soul are interconnected, and nurturing one can positively affect the other.
Community and Connection: Participating in spiritual groups or rituals provides a sense of community, combating loneliness and offering social support. This connection can be deeply healing and enrich our human experience.
A Deeper Sense of Meaning: Whether through exploring nature, studying sacred texts, or combining practices from various traditions, spirituality often helps us find meaning in life’s ups and downs. This sense of purpose can fuel personal growth and transformation.
Empowerment and Individuality: Blending spiritual traditions into your "open bowl" honors your unique journey. It empowers you to curate a path that feels authentic and nurturing, embracing both ancient wisdom and modern insights.
By integrating spiritual practices into your life—whether through meditation, creative rituals, or studying traditions that resonate with you—you create a foundation for healing, joy, and transformation that touches every aspect of your being.
The Breakdown:
A Glimpse into the Many Types of Spirituality
There are countless spiritual practices and belief systems, each offering its own path to connection, growth, and healing. Some of the most prominent ones alphabetically include:
Atheist Spirituality: While many associate spirituality with religion or belief in the divine, atheist spirituality focuses on personal growth, mindfulness, connection to the natural world, and community without a belief in a higher power. It can often overlap with secular humanism or existentialism.
Druidry: A spiritual path that honors the Earth, the seasons, and the wisdom of nature. Druid practices often involve rituals tied to the cycles of the moon and the solstices, alongside reverence for ancient trees, wildlife, and ancestors.
Mediumship: This is a practice centered on connecting with the spirit realm, often to communicate with deceased loved ones, spirit guides, or other non-physical entities. Mediumship focuses on bridging the physical and spiritual worlds, and for many, it provides a sense of healing, guidance, and connection.
Modern Kabbalah: The mystical and esoteric interpretation of Jewish teachings, Kabbalah delves into understanding the nature of God, the universe, and the human soul. It incorporates meditation, prayer, and a symbolic study of the Torah.
Mother Nature Practices: Rooted in reverence for the Earth, these practices often focus on honoring the natural world, cycles of life, and environmental stewardship. Many indigenous cultures, such as Native American spirituality, incorporate this connection to nature in their daily rituals and spiritual expressions.
Mysticism: Often a component of many spiritual paths, mysticism emphasizes direct personal experiences of the divine or transcendent. It often involves deep meditation or contemplation and a pursuit of inner truth beyond conventional doctrines.
New Age Spirituality: A broad category that draws on various older spiritual practices, such as astrology, numerology, crystals, and energy healing, with a focus on personal empowerment, healing, and a universal connection. This often includes elements of Eastern and Western beliefs combined with an emphasis on self-growth and enlightenment.
Paganism: A broad, inclusive tradition that includes reverence for nature, polytheism, and the veneration of deities connected to Earth, seasons, and the elements. Wicca is a well-known form of modern Paganism, but it encompasses many different traditions.
Religions: Major world religions, such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism, each have rich spiritual practices that connect followers to a higher power, the divine, or universal truth. These practices include prayer, meditation, and acts of charity.
Shamanism: A practice rooted in the belief that certain individuals (shamans) can connect with the spiritual realm, often through rituals, meditation, and journeying, to guide, heal, and protect the community. Shamanic practices exist in many cultures worldwide, including among Native American, Siberian, and South American Indigenous peoples.
Sufism: The mystical branch of Islam, Sufism emphasizes the inward search for God and striving for spiritual closeness to the divine. Sufis engage in practices like meditation, music (such as the famous Whirling Dervishes), and poetry to cultivate a deeper, personal connection with God.
Wicca: A modern form of witchcraft that focuses on the worship of the divine as both male and female, typically symbolized by the God and Goddess. It incorporates rituals, spell work, and the honor of nature, celebrating both light and dark aspects of life.
Zen Buddhism: A school of Mahayana Buddhism that focuses on meditation (zazen) and insight into the nature of the self and reality. Zen places importance on the direct experience of enlightenment, and it is often marked by its simplicity and focus on mindfulness in everyday life.
In future posts, I’ll dive deeper into each of these practices and extraordinary people, exploring their unique approaches to spirituality and how they can benefit us in different ways. Stay tuned for more insights into how you can find your own path!
For Indigenous Cultures: The accessibility of such practices to non-Indigenous people can sometimes be controversial. It's important to approach practices with respect and understanding of cultural appropriation issues associated.
I personally believe that no spiritual path should exclude individuals based on race, gender, background, or sexual orientation. Spirituality is about personal growth, connection, and healing, and these qualities transcend societal divisions. Every individual, regardless of their background, should have the freedom to explore and embrace the spiritual practices that resonate with them. Spirituality, at its core, is about honoring the unique journey of each person, and in my opinion, it should promote inclusivity, respect, and love for all creatures.
Whatever name resonates with you—Source, Creator, God, Divine, Mother, Gods & Goddesses, Guides, and/or Angels—is deeply personal and valid. There’s no universal answer; it’s your journey to define.
My Journey:
I love visual metaphors, and this bowl metaphor keeps popping into my head. So I'm trusting myself.
I used to fear God, faith, and religion. The very idea made me suspicious, cynical, and uncomfortable. I think, in part, this was because my ancestors had weaponized religious beliefs against one another. If you didn’t have the "right" faith, you were labeled "bad." Relatives living in the same small town, even just down the street from one another, would feud, sometimes spending decades not speaking because of differing religious beliefs.
In a way, I feel fortunate that, as a result of all this religious feuding, my parents had no interest in forcing me into one religion or faith as many ancestors had done. This allowed me to follow my own natural curiosities as a child.
I wanted the same freedom for my son—the ability to be authentic and follow his own curiosities. I promised myself I wouldn’t force my views on him and would support whatever he gravitated toward. Whether it was baseball or ballet, traditional gender roles be damned! Somewhat ironically, he has shown a natural inclination toward spirituality—the last thing I expected. We only took him to church for special occasions, choosing one that aligned with our family’s ethical standards. Yet he began to ask to go to church more often, even at five years old. Initially, I was both scared and shocked. But I remembered my vow to support his natural interests, wherever they led, while keeping him safe.
At the same time, he naturally gravitated toward my own healing practices: meditation, healing stones, and connecting with ancestors in spirit. I would tell him, “This is what Mama believes, but you can decide for yourself what you believe.” His openness inspired me.
My personal journey toward spirituality began with an interest in my ancestors. I was drawn to Tyler Henry's work in mediumship, inspired by how he connected with another realm. I read Bobbi Rise’s book about her deceased husband communicating with her from the other side. Her stories resonated deeply, so I booked a reading with a medium she recommended. The experience was transformative, filled with profound confirmations about my ancestors. During the reading, a hawk landed just outside the window, staring at me. It was an unforgettable moment.
After that, I began noticing synchronicities: repeated numbers, feathers appearing wherever I went, and other signs encouraging me to trust this path. At first, I only connected with spirit guides and ancestors, but I vowed to remain open to exploring more. Soon, I received mental downloads that pushed me toward new curiosities. When I asked my guides to help me overcome my fear of God, Divine, or Spirit, my downloads shifted. Suddenly, I felt drawn to religious concepts, not as dogma, but as a new layer of understanding.
This openness led me to explore Wiccan, Druid, and Pagan traditions, which felt natural given my Anglo ancestry. I felt a profound comfort and trust in knowing there was no wrong way to be spiritual. It was a liberating realization: life’s challenges weren’t attacks on me but opportunities for growth—lessons my guides wanted me to learn or ways I could be part of someone else's growth.
Trusting my intuition and my guides, I finally felt aligned with my highest self's path.
This journey is ongoing, and I’ve learned that spirituality isn’t about choosing a single path but about staying open to the paths that resonate with your soul. My "open bowl" is filled with practices and beliefs that bring me peace, joy, and clarity. And just like my bowl is ever-evolving, so is yours. Wherever your curiosity takes you, trust that it’s the right path for you.
Your Turn:
What's in your spiritual bowl? Share your thoughts on how you explore spirituality and create a practice that feels true to you! 🌟 Whether you resonate with nature, mysticism, traditional religion, or something uniquely your own, let's open a dialogue about what inspires and empowers your journey.
Drop your reflections or questions below—your voice could spark insight for others! 🌿 Scroll down to comment.
As always, follow us on our new Instagram page and tag us using #TheMindfulBalanceToolkit.
Until next time,
Ready to Dive Deeper?
Your journey doesn’t stop here! Check out our other posts and inspiring resources:
Explore more Blog Posts, browse our Resources and FAQs, learn more in the About section, reach out through our Contact page, or find your way back Home!
Sources:
Human Rights Campaign, "LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Religion";
The Pagan Federation, "Inclusivity in Paganism";
Buddhist Global Relief, "Gender Equality and Buddhism"
Shamanism: A Basic Introduction" by Michael Harner
"The Essential Rumi," translated by Coleman Barks
"New Age Spirituality: A Guide to the Movement's Many Paths" by David Tacey
"Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki
"The Science of Numerology" by Shirley Blackwell Lawrence
"The Everything Guide to New Age Spirituality" by Lexie Sachs
National Museum of the American Indian, "Native American Spirituality."
The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids (OBOD), "Inclusive Druidry."
The Pagan Federation, "What is Paganism?"
The Wiccan Rede, "Inclusivity in Wicca."
Human Rights Campaign, "LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Christianity."
The International Queer Muslim Project
Hinduism Today, "LGBTQIA+ Acceptance in Hinduism."
Buddhist Global Relief, "Gender Equality and Buddhism."
The Jewish LGBTQIA+ Alliance, "Inclusion in Judaism."
Mysticism and the Divine, "Inclusivity in Mystical Traditions."
Shamanism and Culture, "Shamanic Practices and Inclusivity."
Sufism: A Path of Love, "Sufism and Inclusivity."
The New Age Movement, "Inclusivity in New Age Practices."
Zen Buddhism and Gender, "Inclusivity in Zen Buddhism."
Kabbalah Centre, "The Accessibility of Kabbalah."
Atheism and Humanism, "Inclusivity in Atheist Spirituality."
Disclaimer: This is a safe and supportive space where vulnerability is valued. All races, religions, gender identities, sexual orientations, backgrounds, and abilities—including those with chronic illnesses, mental health conditions, PTSD, and mobility challenges—are welcome with open hearts and good intentions. Please share your thoughts with kindness. Bullying, hate speech, or harmful comments will be immediately removed without notice to maintain the integrity of this community.
Comments