Soul practices: exploring my own awakening
‘In a way my whole life has been about waking up
and then waking up some more.’
Sue Monk Kidd
Awakening is a mysterious movement of the spirit that unfolds slowly, and at times almost imperceptibly, over many years. It has its own unpredictable rhythm and weaves itself in and out of our lives like rolling waves breaking on a shore. We wake up and then months or years later, we find ourselves waking up again. And somewhere deep within us, we know that there is still more waking up to come.
Awakening is, moreover, not only something that happens to us. For it is in itself a journey, one that must be entered into time and time again. To enter into that journey is to pay attention to the landscape of our inner being. It is to turn inwards and take notice of what it is that is happening to us and within us. And it is to wonder what it means and what it is asking of us.
Entering into the journey: some questions to reflect on
Think back over the last ten years of your life. How would you describe your own experience of awakening over these years? In what ways does your experience resonate with those you have read about here or elsewhere and in what ways has it been different? Then ask yourself what, if anything, is awakening within you in the present.
In what ways have you made sense of your experience of awakening in the past? Has this changed in any way as you have learned more about the journey of awakening?
Complete the following sentence in as many ways as you can. You may find it helpful to record and keep your responses so that you can add to them as you continue to journey:
Over the last few years, I have awakened to....
Some creative activities to explore...
Create a collage, drawing, painting or wordmap or write a story or poem that captures something of your own experience of awakening. If you were to give it a title, what title would you give it and why?
Alternatively, create a collage, drawing or painting that captures the parts of yourself to which you are awakening.
©Copyright Kaitlyn Steele 2026
Kaitlyn Steele
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