At some point in one's spiritual path, it is common to unknowingly take a turn and find oneself engaging in fear-driven spirituality.

Wake up, meditate, journal. Rinse and repeat, day after day. And if you miss a day, cue the anxious thoughts. "Uh-oh, did I just block my manifestation?"

We grip onto rigid routines, templates or belief systems propagated by others, hoping that if it worked for them, it will give us similar results. All the while totally discarding the fact that we have our own soul, with its own journey to go on, and therefore with its own unique medicine.

How Fear-Driven Spirituality Shows Up

"If I don’t meditate every day, I won’t be in alignment."

"If I receive any sort of financial support, I’m blocking my abundance."

"If I'm feeling unwell, I'm screwing up my energy and immediately attracting terrible things into my life."

etc. etc.

This kind of thinking is not aligned with true spirituality. It’s a result of superstition. And it keeps us stuck in fear, not faith.

True Spirituality, True Alignment

Alignment is not gifted to us when we follow a script perfectly—it’s the result of tuning in, discovering what actually feels expansive for us, honouring that, and honouring too how that will shapeshift over the course of our lives.

You don’t have to:

• Meditate every day. Maybe what connects you into your Truest Self looks like dancing in your kitchen one day, taking a walk by the water the next.

• Journal every night. Maybe your clarity comes through conversations, or prayer, not writing.

• Follow a specific manifestation formula. Maybe trusting yourself is the optimal "formula."

The point is: your most nourishing spiritual practice will not make you feel anxious, it will make you feel connected to your unique heart.

How to Shift from Fear to Trust

1. Question the “rules” you’ve internalized

Ask yourself: Do I actually believe this? Or was this belief passed down to me?

2. Trust your body over dogma

Your body knows when something feels forced vs. when it feels correct for you. Pay attention to any contraction, heaviness or tightness. By contrast, notice when you feel your breathing is easy, when you feel a sense of lightness, flow, and joy.

3. Give yourself permission to experiment

Try skipping a practice that you've long adhered to, just for today. If that brings up anxiety, be with that anxiety; remember, it is good that it has surfaced, as it surfacing is step 1 in releasing fearful energy you've been holding onto. This is the beginning of creating space within you to actually hear your true self more, to liberate yourself from rules that don't serve your soul.

In that space you've created, lean into experimenting/playing. (More on this in the podcast on this topic—coming April 16th, 2025.)

In Short...

Spirituality isn’t about adhering to rules established by others. It's all well and good to take inspiration from others, but always remember to run that inspiration back through your own filter before considering what you'll apply to your own life.

You can trust your filter, your lens on life. You can trust that the Universe is communicating to you directly through your intuition, and it is guiding you home to your Truest Self.

And when it comes to manifestation, it's as simple as this: Keep coming back to yourself, over and over and over again. As you live and breathe in the seat of your truth, the manifestations that are meant for you will find you.