28. Spiritual Awakening: A Comprehensive Guide

Hi, I’m Natalie Ottosen and you are listening to The Mindset School for Soulful Entrepreneurs, episode number 28.

Welcome to The Mindset School podcast, a show for spiritual entrepreneurs who are ready to stop feeling stuck, reconnect to their soul’s purpose, and create a deeply fulfilling life and business. I’m Natalie Ottosen, transformational life coach, and reconnection healing foundational practitioner, and I can help you scale and grow a six-figure business from a place of inner authority, wisdom, knowledge, and truth.

If you are a spiritual entrepreneur and you are looking to take that first step towards your dream of running your own business, this is the show for you. Ready to step into your power and move forward with clarity and purpose? Let’s go.

Hello, wonderful souls, welcome to another episode of The Mindset School for Soulful Entrepreneurs, the safe space where we explore the depths of spirituality, self-growth and transformational life experiences. Today I wanted to dive deeper into the waters of spiritual awakening. I wanted to talk about spiritual awakening today because this is a topic that comes up all the time for me with my clients and helping my clients build their own businesses and go through this process of spiritual awakening.

And I know that it is a topic that can be close to many of our hearts, especially if you’re listening to this podcast. And for some, this phase can be exhilarating and liberating and for others it can feel overwhelming and even very confusing. So whether you’re in the middle of this transformative experience or if you’re just curious about what it entails, this episode today is going to help provide some clarity, some insight and some actionable tips.

So let’s start with what is spiritual awakening, let’s start at the beginning. A spiritual awakening is a period in your life where you become aware of a deeper, more profound connection to the universe, the divine or your higher self. It can be like I said, both exhilarating and, let’s be honest, it can really be a bit disorienting and maybe even scary. It’s a time when you question a belief, you are experiencing heightened intuition and you’re embarking on a journey to find your truest self. And it isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a profound inner transformation.

Imagine peeling away layers of societal conditioning, personal beliefs, or even emotional barriers that reveal the core of your spiritual essence. It’s a profound realization that you are part of something far greater than the material world. This awakening is your soul calling you to discover and embrace your most authentic self. So I wanted to kind of talk about recognizing some of the signs of a spiritual awakening.

As I mentioned, I have had so many clients reaching out to me really over the last year, year and a half because they are going through their own spiritual awakening. They know that what it is that they’re doing, it isn’t fulfilling them anymore and they’ve either had incredible visions, or going through a dark night of the soul or whatever that looks like for them. They know that something is bigger and greater for them.

And I love when I get the opportunity to dive into somebody’s astrology chart and actually see the actual transformation that’s happening with them and how that lines up with them astrologically. It is such a beautiful gift on my end, and I’m so grateful for that opportunity. So recognizing the signs of spiritual awakening, I think it’s important to recognize that because it may be something that you’re going through and that you’re not aware of or maybe you have some idea and this can help give you that kind of confirmation or knowing that you’re not crazy after all. Because that’s how I felt when I was going through my spiritual awakening.

Number one is you can have this increased sense of awareness. It’s like someone turned on the lights in the room you never knew was dark. You become profoundly self-aware. You start pondering your habits and your choices and even your thoughts patterns. This can be kind of an undoing almost of where you were and where you’re going. The other one is you can start questioning long held beliefs. So you start reevaluating everything from the religion you were raised in to the societal norms to what you truly believe is your life’s purpose.

Another one is your sensitivity and intuition. Your intuitive abilities heighten and you feel more in sync with the energy around you. You might even experience premonitions or a more vivid dream life. I have several clients right now who are having very vivid, not only premonitions, but dreams as well. And they’ve shared them with me and I always offer them the opportunity to analyze their dreams themself, to break them down, to even look them up, to journal them and talk about what all the different things represent for them, what they believe that that represents for them. So that could be something that could be showing up for you.

You could be having empathy overload. You’re not just walking in someone else’s shoes, you’re feeling the ground they walk on. Your empathy often feels more like a superpower that can deeply connect you to others. I know for myself my empathy, I feel everything. I truly feel everything and that can be a lot sometimes. So I just want you to know that sometimes those intensely overwhelming feelings that you have, and it could be something that you feel all the time. It could be that you’re feeling that collective consciousness, you’re feeling that collective energy, you’re feeling the energy around you.

And so I just want you to recognize that it could be somebody else. It could be the collective that you’re feeling as well. Another one is a desire for solitude. When we go through a spiritual awakening it is very personal and it can be again, very overwhelming. And sometimes we need to take that time to be alone, to connect with ourself, to connect to our higher power. And sometimes this can be mistaken for loneliness, but it’s more about enjoying your own company, to reflect, to introspect, to grow.

I know for me, I’ve shared a little bit about this over the last several episodes about getting so clear about who I was. I was always someone who was seeking the approval or connection of others. And it wasn’t until I moved halfway across the country after leaving an organized religion to be surrounded by Mormon individuals to realize I would rather be all alone because I was going through this metamorphosis. I was going through this process, this my own, one of my own dark nights of the soul. I was going through this process myself.

And I came to the realization that I would rather be all alone than be surrounded by people that I don’t resonate with, that I’m not connected with, that I don’t share the same values and spiritual path in the process and all of that. So permission that having this desire for solitude, not only do I give it to you, but sometimes it is very necessary.

Another one is experiencing synchronicities. I think this is one of my favorites because whenever I tap into my spirituality or tap back into my spirituality, because we go through ebbs and flows. I mean I believe ultimately it is a direct path up, but we are going to go through ebbs and flows through the process of our spiritual awakening through our spiritual journey. And synchronicities are such a beautiful way of reminding us that we are on track, that there is something bigger and greater than who we are.

And we get the beautiful opportunity to embrace that and to see that and experience that and share that with other people if we choose. And one of the most miraculous things as far as synchronicities that have happened in my life, one of them was reconnecting me to my son that I gave up for adoption many years ago. And I talked about that in one of my past episodes. So if you want to hear more about that story, you can go back and listen to that.

But it was recognizing that I was out of alignment with my values and my spirituality and I had kind of deviated off my path. Then once I got back onto my path, the synchronicities, the lid blew right off. So, experiencing synchronicities, you start to notice those coincidences, which I don’t believe there’s any coincidences, but those coincidences that seem too meaningful to be random, like seeing repeating numbers or encountering people who profoundly impact your journey or you are impacting their journey.

One of the things that I used to do when I started tapping back into my spirituality is I would meditate and then I would get intuitive downloads while I was meditating. And I would write them down in my journal, and then I would act upon them. And it never ceased to amaze me that when I acted on those experiences I would always get confirmation in one way or another that that experience had a profound impact on somebody else. Whether it was reaching out and they said, “I was just thinking about you” or, “You were exactly what I needed to see today”, or whatever it happened to be. But having those synchronicities in your life is such a beautiful gift.

Another thing that can happen, another sign of spiritual awakening is sleep patterns begin to fluctuate. So this happened for a long time. And I remember when I was looking up the signs of spiritual awakenings many years ago, there was an article that I found of waking up between two or four o’clock in the morning. And that was very common practice as you are going through your spiritual awakening. So whether you’re struggling to get enough sleep or waking up at odd hours, these are some of the changes that often signify a recalibration in your energy field.

A few others are changes in relationships and friendships. As your spirituality changes, as you start to go through this awakening, you may not resonate with the same people you used to resonate with and people may begin to drift away. And I just want to again, offer you, this kind of goes back to the solitude piece. Sometimes it’s better to be all alone than to be surrounded by people who you are not on the same path with. And just because they’ve gone away doesn’t mean that they won’t come back. You may have lost interest in materialism. It doesn’t mean that you can’t have nice things.

There’s a difference between attachment and non-attachment. In fact, I’ll probably do an episode about that because that was a very life changing experience for me going through that process. But I’m not saying I don’t have nice things or nice material things in my life but if I don’t have them, it doesn’t mean anything about me. So you may go through the shift of I have them, but if they go away, I’m okay.

There’s also this feeling of oneness. I shared this in many episodes back, my experience of feeling this connection of oneness. And in my meditation process, literally connecting with God again and it was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had in my life and I will never forget it. And it is something that is unexplainable. There are not words for this oneness. It is love. It is the essence of love and we are love.

The other thing that you might be experiencing, one of the signs of a spiritual awakening is an emotional roller-coaster, it is up, down, flipping upside down, inside out, all of it. Everything about who you are is shifting and changing and you could be going through all of the experiences, all of the feelings and experiences, mood swings, unexplained emotions. As you are working through some of these suppressed issues and traumas, give yourself some grace through that process. If anybody can understand that, I can.

You might also have some sudden interest in spiritual disciplines like yoga, meditation, mindfulness practices. Things that didn’t seem interesting to you may start coming forward for you. You might be having physical sensations, that could be at the top of your head or warm waves or vibrations to your body. I have a client who whenever she gets a hit of information, she gets a wave. We call it the wave. And she gets this wave that goes up and down her body. So you might start having some of those physical sensations.

You might also have an alteration in your diet and lifestyle. You may want to feel cleaner. You may want to cut down on meat or alcohol. I know for myself, I very rarely drink. I drank a lot when I was younger, I again talked about that in one of my past episodes. But you may not have the same desire for alcohol or things like that and you want to live a cleaner and more mindful lifestyle. You might also have increased creativity, enhanced sense of gratitude. I know gratitude is a staple in my life.

And you might also start to recognize the ego structures so you become more aware of how your ego has been controlling or influencing various aspects of your life and make a conscious effort to operate from a place of authentic being. One of the things I love about the astrology program that I went through is that one of the first things I tell my clients about is their sun, moon and rising. The sun is the ego, that’s how you show up, that’s how you shine bright every single day. The moon is your emotional body and your rising sign is your soul. And the ego is so important because it keeps us in check and we want our soul driving the ship.

So it’s so important in the process of your own spiritual journey that you know that for yourself. Are you in the high road or the low road of your ego? And what is driving your ego or the soul, your soul essence of who you are? I’m a Virgo rising and I’m here to be of service and I know that. And my north node is in the 11^th house in cancer. And so I’m here to be a mother to the collective, to be of service, and I know that about myself. So recognizing some of those ego structures and how to move forward in your own life.

So those are just a few, I gave you quite a few, those are just a few of the signs of a spiritual awakening. And so I want to kind of talk about some practical ways to navigate your spiritual awakening because it can be intense. And again, I’ve had so many people reach out to me and they’re like, “This is what I’m going through, is it a spiritual awakening?” And my first question to you is what do you think it is? Ask yourself that question. What am I experiencing right now?

And you can kind of go back and reference this list of signs that I’ve given you, but some of the practical ways to navigate through this is to take a breather. The influx of emotions and sensations and realizations can be overwhelming. So I want you to give yourself permission to pause and breathe. This pause is a form of self-care, self-love and grounding. So that’s number one.

Number two is seek some guidance. Sometimes we need a mirror to better see ourselves. So consider seeking a spiritual mentor or a coach like me who can offer experience, insights and techniques. And to also let you know that what you’re experiencing is normal, that you’re not crazy. Because again, I can’t tell you how many times I felt like I was nuts and crazy and I can’t tell you how many of my clients have felt that exact same way. So having someone, having someone that you can share these experiences with and to talk with is such a beautiful gift.

Number three is the power of journaling. This was such a powerful thing for me. Documenting your experiences, your insights and even some of the questions that arise for you, journaling not only organizes your thoughts but it also helps you see how far you’ve come on this journey. As I mentioned, my experience with God when I was in meditation and I connected back to God, I journaled that and I’m so grateful I did, because even remembering it many years later, I didn’t even remember it exactly the way that it happened. And I went back and reread it recently because I did a podcast about it and it overwhelmed me. I cried.

I sobbed when I read it because it was such a powerfully profound experience for me. And I have so many of those, in fact it got to the point I was like, “I have to stop writing down my synchronicities because my whole journal is just this happened and this happened.” But it’s such a beautiful gift experience, especially when you experience something and then it comes full circle and you’re like, “Oh my gosh, this was my intuition guiding me.” There is nothing more powerful than that.

Number four is grounding yourself. So engage in grounding activities like earthing, meditation or even simple breathing exercises. I’m going to throw in yoga as well. I didn’t know this until much later in my spiritual awakening journey what a profound effect yoga had on me. I had an amazing yoga teacher when I was in Utah. I’m not in Utah anymore, I’m in Kansas City. But when I was in Utah and I was going to Lifetime Fitness, there was this incredible yoga teacher, his name was John. And I don’t know if he’s still there and he left and then came back.

But he was one of the best yoga teachers I’ve ever had in my life, and I didn’t realize until much later until I had another incredible yoga teacher who changed my life. She was one of the most beautiful souls I’ve ever experienced ever. And unfortunately she is now an angel. I had so much opening and growing through the yoga process because it allowed me to ground myself so deeply into this space and time. So I want to offer yoga to be able to ground yourself as well, because those grounding stones can be excellent aids for us on this process.

Number five is open, yet discerning mindset. So be willing to explore but also scrutinize, adopt beliefs and practices that resonate with your core, not because they are trendy. So figure out what feels right to you and what doesn’t. And again, another beautiful tool in helping you through this process is diving into human design a little bit. Because if you can understand a little bit more about who you are and kind of the blueprint of who you are, you can start making decisions.

For me, I’m a manifesting generator and I know for myself, one of the greatest permissions I ever received was knowing that I can do all the things all at one time and when it’s time for me to let things go, I just get to let them go. I used to have people tell me that I never finished things. Well, my permission is I don’t have to. Once it no longer resonates with me, and I’m an emotional manifesting generator so I have to try things on and see how they feel and I know that about myself. And this ties into being open, yet discerning with your own mindset, with what’s coming up for you.

Number six is indulging in self-care, emotional and spiritual detox can be exhausting. So never underestimate the healing power of a relaxing bath or a good book or even a spontaneous dance session in your living room. Take care of yourself through this process. And if you need to shut yourself off and close yourself off for a week, then do that too, whatever that looks like for you, take care of yourself first and foremost.

Number seven is cultivate a tribe. So this kind of goes back to seeking that guidance that I said as number two, cultivate your tribe. Look for communities or forums where people share their spiritual journeys. It’s one of the reasons I created Soul Sister Coaching on Instagram was so that I could create a community of like-minded people who want to come together, who want to share enriching experiences and want to have discussion and collaborate and communicate and create a space where it’s safe for other people as well.

Number eight is cultivate spiritual tools. So whether you’re a fan of astrology, tarot, crystal healings, energy healing, whatever that is, these tools can offer additional insight and affirmations during your spiritual awakening journey. I know for myself, I did astrology readings, I met with a medium. I met with psychics. I did all of the things because I was looking for confirmation for the path because it was kind of lonely for me. I didn’t have something like this. I didn’t have a podcast with somebody saying, “Hey, hello, this is normal. What you’re experiencing is so normal.” I didn’t have that.

I was on this journey alone and it felt very isolating. So having some of these tools can help you along this process as well.

So I wanted to kind of talk about addressing some challenges or overcoming some hurdles that you might be experiencing on your spiritual awakening. One of them is the overwhelm factor. So the spiritual torrent can feel overwhelming. Mindfulness, grounding techniques, having a tribe and seeking guidance can also help. Remember, you’re not losing yourself, you’re finding your true self.

Another challenge can be potential loneliness like I just mentioned. As your vibes change, so might the people that you surround yourself with. And I want to offer not to worry. You’re making space for the new people who resonate with your authentic self. And I know that it can feel scary to share some of these things that you’re going through, especially as somebody who was raised in organized religion where none of these things were allowed. And the people in my life all believed and felt that same way.

And so sharing some of these experiences that I was having, sharing that I was intuitive and I was empathetic and that I see things and that I hear things and that I feel things and all of that, that can feel very lonely and isolating, again. So understanding that and recognizing that is going to be part of the process. And also finding people that you can truly chat with, that you can connect with and you can always connect with me. You can always reach out to me @soulsistercoaching on Instagram, I’m always here for you. Know that you’re not alone through this process.

Another one is facing fear and doubt. These are merely old belief systems breaking apart. Reach for your spiritual tools and affirmations to ease your mind and reassure your heart. And if you don’t have those yet, go back to the beginning of my podcast because I share so many tools in helping you create your own belief systems, your own spiritual tools and your own affirmations through this journey.

So, to wrap this all up, navigating your own spiritual awakening is stepping into the most authentic version of yourself while shedding layers of past conditioning. The experience, as challenging as it may be at times, is a journey towards your ultimate freedom and wisdom. So I want to thank you for being here. I want to thank you for listening to this episode. And if you found it enlightening, please share with any of your family or friends who you think might benefit from this. And remember to subscribe and feel free to reach out with your own awakening stories or questions.

Until next time, may your journey be filled with love and light and endless discovery. I’ll see you next week, all my love.

Thank you for joining me for this week’s episode of The Mindset School. Ready to dive deeper into finding your purpose and create a deeply fulfilling life? Visit soulsistercoaching.com for more guidance and resources. See you next week.