A spiritual journal is a place where you can discover yourself, heal your heart, receive answers to questions no one can answer for you, and essentially come into the fullness of who you really are.
In this article I'm going to explain what a spiritual journal is, how it benefits you, and ideas and prompts to get you going.
What is the purpose of a spiritual journal?
The purpose of a spiritual journal is to get you in touch with the "higher", non-physical aspects of yourself. You can also think of it as your subconscious mind. Terms really don't matter.
You've probably heard about the power of writing things down. Why is this? From my experience and research, writing is a form of channeling. You are channeling parts of yourself that you don't typically have conscious awareness of when you journal or write down intentions, for example.
When I was younger, I would ask others for advice. I felt like if I didn't have the answer, then I simply didn't have it. So I searched on the outside of myself for answers, which only caused more confusion when the answers I'd receive didn't truly align with me.
This is where a spiritual journal comes in. You bring your tangled mind and heart to your journal and watch the knot unravel. You will be amazed at how easy it can be sometimes for answers to flow when you journal. It's as if the answer was there all along, just waiting for you to see it (because it was).
How to start journaling for spiritual growth
If you're new to journaling, or have tried journaling in the past without success, I'm here to let you know that you do not need to make this a painful, drawn out process.
I notice that a lot of people are under the assumption that journaling requires lengthy daily submissions. This just isn't accurate. A person trying to come up with stuff to put down in their journal isn't getting the same benefit as a person who may journal once a week or even once a month, but focuses on powerful questions.
Keeping a diary and journaling are different. You are not recording your daily activities or every thought. A diary is for recording, whereas a journal is for discovering. With this definition, you can see how daily journaling is not a requirement, but a tool you access when needed.
To begin a spiritual journal, you can either purchase a physical journal or use a digital one. If it's a physical journal, I prefer one that has a ring binder or can lay flat easily. Here are 3 affordable and beautiful blank journals that would work well:
Spiritual journal prompts
The right prompts make all the difference. If the question isn't powerful, it won't draw the kind of reflective answers you're desiring.
I have two go-to journal prompts that I use whenever I'm feeling tangled up. They are:
- How am I currently feeling?
- What current actions/situations are creating this current feeling?
- How do I want to begin feeling?
- What activities help to bring me this feeling? What activities do the opposite?
I just write whatever comes up and let it all out on the page, which feels like taking a deep breath. I then focus on how I want to begin feeling, and this gets me thinking about the steps I can take to help that happen.
I have found time and time again that realizations, ideas and answers come through while I am doing this simple journal exercise. I may realize what is actually at the core of my frustration or anger, or I'll discover exactly what I need to do in order to move in a different direction.
While I use these two prompts 80% of the time, I have shared more specific journal prompts in the two articles below:
- 50 Journal Prompts for Clarity, Well-Being & Healing
- 10 Shadow Work Prompts for Self-Love, Letting Go & Healing
Spiritual journal ideas
I have used different types of spiritual journals that were guided. These can be not only powerful but fun, inspiring ways to get in touch with your higher self through guided prompts and reflective questions.
The following are some ideas for beautiful guided spiritual journals:
- Moon ritual journal: I used this journal for several years and to date it is still my all time favorite. The moon cycles through all of the phases that we ourselves need to cycle through every month. From setting new intentions, to taking inspired action, to celebrating our lives, and back around to becoming still and letting go of what no longer serves us.
- Manifestation journal: This was the first guided spiritual journal I used years ago, and it absolutely changed my life because it changed my mindset. This a good journal for turning away from a lack mindset and focusing on the good so that you attract even more of it.
- Chakra healing journal: I used this journal to take a journey of sorts through my chakras and connect with parts of myself that had been suppressed or never acknowledged. The morning sheet is beautiful contains reflective journal prompts to set the tone for your day.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this article and found something to take away with you.
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With love,
Jessica
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