I love writing! There's something about putting pen to paper that's magical. For me it's the best way to organise my thoughts, understand my triggers, articulate embodied experiences and reflect on my spiritual practice. Keeping a journal keeps me growing spiritually and personally.

I've been writing in journals for about 20 years now, and they continue to be a resource I fall back on again and again. So, if you're new to journaling, I hope I can inspire you to start. And if you've been journaling for a while, I hope you find new inspiration in this blog.

GETTING STARTED WITH JOURNALING

It doesn't matter how you start, just start. There are no rules when it comes to journaling. It's a personal thing, and whatever works for you, go for it. Choose a journal that resonates with you, whether it’s a physical notebook or a digital tool.

For me, there's something about paper and pen; it's tangible, and it gives me the freedom to be super creative in my journals. But, if a digital journal works better for you, that's OK. Digital tools are easy to carry around and you have access to them anytime.

You might like to start by setting an intention for your journaling practice, such as cultivating self-awareness or deepening your spiritual practice. Begin by writing about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and see where it takes you.

Don’t worry about grammar or spelling, just focus on expressing yourself honestly. I sometimes used different colours, I sometimes draw, I sometimes write in big capital letters. It's all about self-expression.

You can also experiment with different journaling techniques, such as stream-of-consciousness writing or prompts. Some of my clients have really struggled with where to start. They just don't know what to write. If this is you, choose some journal prompts that are aligned with your journal intentions.

JOURNALING FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Journals have been instrumental in my spiritual growth over the years. I would say this practice is right up there with meditation practice.

One of the fundamental theories in transpersonal psychology was published by John Welwood in a paper called Principles of Inner Work: Psychological and Spiritual. Welwood was a psychotherapist and argued for a balanced approach to inner work that incorporated both transcendent practices like meditation and depth psychology work like psychotherapy. For me, journaling supports the two branches of inner work.

But, most importantly, on the spiritual path, journaling keeps me grounded in reality. Journaling can help insure us against spiritual bypassing and expose our egoic tendencies. And I think that's why it's so powerful.

JOURNAL TECHNIQUES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Here's a few quick tips to get you started journaling;

• Try using journal prompts to guide your reflection, such as “What am I grateful for today?” or “What roles am I playing today?”

• Write about your experiences with different spiritual practices.

• Reflect on how your spiritual practices, such as meditation, breathwork or prayer impact your daily life.

• Reflect on your spiritual journey, including milestones, challenges, and insights.

• Reflect on how your spiritual journey has impacted your personal growth and self-awareness.

• Use your journal to identify patterns and themes in your spiritual journey.

• Experiment with creative writing techniques, such as poetry or storytelling, to express your spiritual experiences.

• Practice writing from the heart, rather than just the head, to tap into your emotions and intuition.

  
  
  
  
  

TYPES OF SPIRITUAL JOURNALS

I have to confess, I've got dozens of journals on the go at any one time. And there's method to my madness. I've got separate journals for different aspects of my spiritual life. I've got a journal for integral practice, a journal for my dreams, a journal for inspiration from spiritual literature, and a journal for depth psychology work like shadow work.

You might like a prayer journal or a gratitude journal. You might like a journal where you can record your spiritual practices, such as meditation or yoga, and how they impact your mental health. Or a journal to track your progress on your spiritual path, where you can reflect on insights and breakthroughs.

It's good to experiment with different journaling formats, such as a daily journal or a weekly reflection journal, a bullet journal or a creative journal. You could explore how songs make you feel in a journal. You can even journal about your journaling experience. Don't laugh! I've done it. And it was powerful.

There really are no rules. Any kind of self-reflection will lead to self-discovery and increase your self-awareness.

THERE ARE NO RULES - JOURNALING IS CREATIVE

And when I say there are no rules, I mean there are no rules. Journaling is freedom of expression. You're not at school now. You don't have to limit yourself to sitting still at a desk and working cognitively. In fact, the more active and dynamic you are, the better. Journaling should be an embodied experience.

REAL JOURNALING IS DYNAMIC

Sometimes when I journal it's very dynamic. I'll often have a pencil case full of coloured pens. Some pages in my journals have one word in big red capital letters. Other pages have pictures, doodles, and blocks of colour.

One minute I can be singing, the next crying, the next screaming. I might stop and put on a song that expresses how I feel or I might role play with an imaginary character from my life.

Be dynamic. Allow your body to lead and don't be attached to working things through just by writing. Don't be afraid to get up and scream, punch a pillow or roll around on the floor shaking. It's not about journaling it's about growing and evolving.

While writing and journaling are brilliant ways to access and expose our subconscious and deeper levels, being dynamic is how we release old stuff. We keep trauma in the body. So it is through the body we must release it. We can't release it through the head and cognitive methods.

JOURNALING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WORK

Journaling can lead to deep psychological work where deep-rooted pain and trauma come to the surface. Sometimes you just gotta release the energy and you might not even know what it's about.

When I'm journaling, you might find me shaking, screaming, rolling around on the floor making guteral sounds or punching a pillow. If anyone could see me they'd probably think I was crazy.

Journaling offers us a door into the unknown exposing that which is hidden. Being dynamic offers us a way to release that which has been hidden for many years.

SELF-CARE FOR JOURNALING

With the potential for deep psychological work, it's important to take good care of yourself. Sometimes, when you're working in your spiritual journal, you can go to a much deeper level than you thought or expected.

Part of working with journals is practising self-care. That means anything from creating a private space to do real work to having a nice box of tissues near by for tears. But whatever happens in your journaling experience, make sure you get the support you need and that you are nurtured and loved in your deep psychological and trauma work.

GETTING HELP AND SUPPORT FOR HEALING WORK

If you uncover memories that are difficult to process, get help and support. Just because you expose old trauma alone in your journal doesn't mean you have to do all the work around it on your own. You could work with a therapist, mediator, or counsellor. Alternatively, there are workshops like family constellation work and shadow work that can help you work through stuff.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO JOURNALING

Everybody encounters obstacles on their journal journey. You can even use your journal to reflect on your obstacles. This in itself is a powerful way to use your journal. And it will certainly get you over a blank page and writer's block.

Some other tips to overcoming journaling procrastination and obstacles;

• Habit stack your journal practice. That means you do it just before or just after or at the same time as an easy habit. For example, if you have a cup of herbal tea every evening before you go to bed, you could journal while you're drinking it. Or if you meditate, put your journal next to where you meditate so you can pick it up as soon as you finish. You might also like to journal before your meditation to clear your mind a bit.

• Experiment with different journaling techniques, such as prompts or freewriting, to overcome writer’s block. You can even try writing with your non-dominant hand.

• Use your journal to process difficult emotions or experiences, rather than avoiding them.

• Reflect on how your spiritual practices can help you overcome obstacles and challenges.

• Use your journal to celebrate your successes and progress on your spiritual path.

  
  
  
  

INTEGRATING JOURNALING INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

I'll confess right here. I'm not a daily journaler. Journaling, for me, is totally random. I do it when I'm inspired, triggered, alone, or when I've had a crazy dream. There really is no rhyme or reason. But, I have in the past journaled as a daily practice. And it is a powerful tool.

So, if you're not already journaling every day, give it a go. Try to make journaling a daily habit, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day. Experiment with different times of day, such as first thing in the morning or before bed.

Use your journal to reflect on your daily experiences and how they relate to your spiritual practices. You could also incorporate journaling into your spiritual practices, such as meditation or prayer, giving you a chance to reflect on your practice, which is one of the most powerful ways to use journaling.

You can also use your journal in more practical ways. Like planning, setting intentions and tracking progress. This method helps you stay focused and it's great to have a log to look back on and notice your achievement.

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE JOURNALING

• Be honest and authentic in your journaling, without worrying about what others might think. No one else is going to read it.

• Be creative, flexible and curious, try different techniques and tool.

• Use your journal to explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, rather than just recording events.

• Reflect on your spiritual practices and how they impact your daily life.

• Use your journal to identify patterns and themes in your spiritual journey.

CREATING A SPIRITUAL JOURNALING RITUAL

Many people find having a ritual around their spiritual practice helps. Create a sacred space for journaling, such as a quiet room or a peaceful outdoor spot. You might like to have a special pen, candle or incense stick. You can also incorporate spiritual practices, such as prayer or meditation, into your journaling ritual.

Ritual helps your subconscious mind get on board with your conscious mind. It helps us focus on the task and create the mindset and state of consciousness needed for our practice. Play around and see what works for you.

Equally, don't get bogged down by ritual. It's just another tool to get you started but you should never become dependent on it. You want to be able to do your spiritual practice whether you've got access to that special room or incense or not.

USING YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNAL FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Journaling is a powerful tool on the personal development and spiritual growth journey. I can't stress enough how powerful it is and how many breakthroughs I've had while writing in a spiritual journal. It's probably the single most useful tool for getting to know yourself better. And for that reason I hope this blog has inspired you to dive deep into the world of journaling.

Remember that journaling is a personal and individual experience, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Experiment with different journaling techniques and formats to find what works best for you. Along the way, take good care of yourself as you dive into your inner world, reflect on your spiritual journey, deepen your spiritual practice and get to know yourself better than anyone else.

Let's keep journaling and see where it takes us on our spiritual path.