DeAnna King, Certified Life Coach, Reiki Master & Yoga Teacher, ERYT-500, YACEP

“I’m not religious, but I’m spiritual.”

“Isn’t spirituality and religion the same thing?”

“Spirituality is what I feel when I’m in nature.”

“I go to church, so, of course I’m spiritual.”

As I’m working with my new clients, I often hear that spirituality is interrelated to their intuition, and I agree. Spirituality means different things to different people, though. Some feel that it is interrelated with their religion. Some people have the same feeling with nature. I don’t think any of those are wrong. I do think this is the topic that we don’t talk about often enough. There’s a fear in saying something wrong, or saying something that will offend, or make others think of you as strange for your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Spirituality is a huge topic because it brings out such strong feelings. Feelings that come from our experiences, and all our experiences are unique to each individual.

I grew up going to church, which is where so many find their spirituality. I struggled, though. I did not understand why I wasn’t feeling the deep relationship with God that I had heard so much about. I thought that there was something wrong with me. The preacher would talk about “your relationship with God” as being something you humbled yourself, got down on your knees and prayed, “Forgive me!” or, “Save me!” That always seemed like he was saying you pray from a place of crisis. (Maybe be that’s why some people stay in a constant state of crisis, so that they can have that relationship with God, because they know no other way. Just a thought.) But, I didn’t like the way that relationship felt.  I didn’t feel like I could go up to “someone” that I didn’t know and ask for help, in any way. I would hear how God was your best friend, but that didn’t make sense to me because I couldn’t experience God. I spent a lot of time going to other churches, reading and studying religious texts, and trying out new things to find something that was already there, I just didn’t recognize it. I didn’t know that I was stifling the very gifts that allowed for that connection to happen: my sixth sense and my intuition. 

I’ve always been a deeply feeling person, often feeling or sensing something that I couldn’t express in words. When I would talk to someone about my experiences with my sixth sense, or my intuition, I would hear that I was being “silly” or that I was just experiencing coincidences. I felt that my experiences were being minimized and I learned to not speak about them. I think it’s strange that our culture teaches you to disregard that sixth sense, when I’ve learned that’s the way I feel God most. Spirituality is a feeling and a connection that is somewhat indescribable. It’s a connection that exist, because I am a divine being, from a divine source, that many of us called God, Spirit, Great Spirit, or simply Source. It’s the, “I am.” I am not truly, DeAnna, from Roundhill, with this physical body. This is just a temporary experience. I don’t “have” a soul. I AM a soul! To say that “DeAnna has a soul,” makes “DeAnna” the main being. Instead, I am a soul experiencing a “DeAnna” experience. In other words, I’m getting to experience what it’s like to be a physical being, living this life with the name DeAnna, and all that comes from that.  (I am probably over using quotation marks, but you guys will just have to bear with me.) I am a soul here on earth. I know this because I can feel it deeper than I have ever been able to feel anything. That is where my spirituality stems from. I feel God‘s energy around me when I’m in nature, when I’m in yoga, when I listen to instruments making beautiful music, when I hold a baby, or connect with a child, and so many more ways. But, these are the very special moments that you can connect and grow your spirituality through. 

Meditation often scares people who come from a Christian background, only because they’ve never experienced it. For those of you who aren’t familiar, it’s a practice of grounding, clearing your mind, or attempting to focus on one thing, wholly. Then, it allows you to see what arises in your thoughts and feelings. Grounding yourself in this way deepens your connection with the divine! If you meditate before you pray, you will take your prayer to a higher level. (If you want to know more about this, hit me up!) Some say that prayer is a conversation with God, but honestly, prayer is you speaking. Meditation is you listening and receiving. It transforms the conversation, taking prayer from a monologue to a dialogue. Is meditation the only way you can hear God? Absolutely not. But, it is one really great way to do that! There’s so much more I could say about meditation, but that’s an entirely different blog post. But, meditation helps me to connect spiritually. 

My spirituality isn’t something I have, but instead, it’s a part of me. I am aware of its existence when I feel the deep breaths that my body is taking, recognizing that these are a part of this physical state that my soul gets to experience. I’m aware of my spirituality when I think about my life’s purpose, what I’m here to do, or the purpose of my little son. I think about how he has a purpose here on earth that is his alone to experience that has little to do with me. Some of you know the song, This Little Light of Mine. That song is about your soul’s purpose and that you’re here to live it and “shine,” which is why it has moved from a gospel song to a freedom song. It’s a great personal anthem! 

This topic can grow into a much deeper conversation. I look forward to bringing you more thoughts as I go through my coaching experiences, but I really want to hear from you! 

What does spirituality mean to you? How do you feel it? When are you aware of it? How can you better develop your spirituality or your awareness of it? 

If this is something that you would like to further explore or develop within yourself, then spiritual coaching is for you. Maybe, I’m just the coach you need, or maybe not. I know lots of coaches! I would love to assist or guide you through that beautiful journey so that you feel strong in your spirituality! 

DeAnna King, Spiritual Life Coach, CLC