Finding Physical and Spiritual Alignment

Are you wondering what we mean by physical and spiritual alignment?

If you think about it for a second, it’s hard to argue the importance of alignment in our everyday lives. If you don’t keep your car aligned, it’s not going to perform well. Just bringing your arms, legs, and front body into alignment allows for locomotion.

Yet, with our lives being so busy all the time, it’s so easy to fall out of alignment – both physically and spiritually. We’ll take a look at what this means.

Physical Alignment

If you’ve ever taken a yoga or Pilates class, you probably heard the instructor mention alignment. It’s one of the most important aspects of body mechanics and posture.

Physical alignment refers to the way your head, shoulders, spine, hips, knees, and ankles line up and relate to one another. With attention to proper alignment, there will be less stress on the spine. This in turn will lead to less curvature in the spine, as well as reduce the chance of broken bones there.

With so much attention to devices, many of us sit in a slumped and head-forward position that exacerbates rounding in the spine. But simple, everyday actions can also throw the body out of alignment and lead to muscle strains and joint pain.

Fortunately, alignment is our natural state. It’s where the body wants to be because it’s at its most comfortable there. So if you begin to deviate from the path but develop an awareness of physical alignment, the journey back isn’t as tough as it might seem.

Restoring Physical Alignment

One of the best ways you can build awareness of alignment is through the practice of yoga. This doesn’t mean the quick-moving, loud rock and roll variety of Westernized yoga that’s gained in popularity. This sort of “yoga” often ignores alignment and can easily lead to injury.

Traditional hatha yoga practices are contemplative and ask students to go inward. It incorporates the importance of physical alignment to keep the energy channels (nadis) open and allow energy (prana) to flow freely.

In addition, being in a space with others doing yoga, as well as practicing both the breathwork and meditation components that are intrinsic to yoga, will also bring you into spiritual alignment.

Which brings us to our next question:

What Is Spiritual Alignment?

The term “spiritual alignment” might sound a little new-agey to you. We get it. So think of it this way.

You know how when you’re having a really good day and everything feels purposeful and right on target? That’s when you’re spiritually aligned. You know your goals are within grasp and feel confident about what you need to do to reach them.

In the simplest of terms, to be spiritually aligned is to continue to move forward, remain unstuck, and be at peace.

You know when you’re out of spiritual alignment because you have the distinct sensation of not feeling like yourself. You may be depressed, tired, fatigued, irritated, moody, cynical, and just generally lackluster. Things are hazy and you’ve lost your focus.

So then what?

Ways to Come Back Into Spiritual Alignment

Above, we addressed the benefits of yoga for finding both physical and spiritual alignment. Away from the mat, there are many other activities that will help to restore that sense of peace and moving forward.

1. Try Meditation

The idea of meditation can be so scary for those who haven’t ventured into this amazing practice. But meditation doesn’t mean sitting still on a pillow, back straight, and coming face to face with your inner demons.

It could be a Yoga Nidra practice where you lie down on the floor. Perhaps it’s a moving meditation such a walk. It might even be tossing a small ball back and forth between your hands while consciously breathing.

How it looks isn’t important. It’s merely an opportunity to draw your focus away from the anxiety and overwhelming thoughts that can paralyze you.

2. Practice Gratitude

For some of us, it’s far too easy to get caught in a pattern of negative thinking that knocks us out of spiritual alignment. So try to consciously notice the things or people for whom you’re grateful. You may meditate on them, say them quietly to yourself, or start regularly writing them down.

The more often you’re able to focus on the positive, the clearer your perspective will become, and the easier it will be to get back into alignment.

3. Alter Your Diet

You’ll notice we used the word “alter” and not change. So if you’re feeling resistance to this, try not to read it as a need to ban sugar, carbs, red meat, alcohol, or any other “transgression.”

Consider, instead, slowly and systematically removing processed food items from your diet. Do it in steps. You might be surprised to find that once you start working toward more spiritual alignment, you’ll naturally gravitate toward more whole and natural foods.

4. Keep a Journal

Keeping a tally of your emotions, thoughts, and worries is an effective way to see where and when you tend to veer off track. Plus, putting them all down on paper gets them out of your head where they’re likely gumming up the works.

If you’re not sure where to being, you can start with these three simple questions:

How are you feeling today?

What are your worries?

Where is your focus right now?

The simple act of putting these answers out on paper in front of you can help you to clarify and keep your mind from running amok.

5. Do Nothing

Yeah, we know. Requesting you do nothing and learn to simply be is a difficult ask.

Doing nothing doesn’t mean lying on the couch all day in your pajamas and binge-watching your favorite series. It means giving yourself alone time and allowing empty space to see what comes.

Giving yourself this spaciousness is giving yourself permission to let the deepest part of you speak and be heard. And it can be tremendously powerful.

Bring Yourself Into Physical and Spiritual Alignment

If you feel like you’re out of physical or spiritual alignment, you’re not alone.

Fortunately, we can help. With our mobile yoga, meditation, mindful practices, and life coach services, you can find peace and calm within right at your place of business or through virtual sessions.