What Is Spiritual Guidance? Finding Your Purpose

Spiritual guidance helps you explore life's deeper questions and connect with your inner self, developing a sense of peace and purpose as you navigate life's challenges with greater awareness.

Why Am I Here?

Do you ponder and wonder? Do you question why? What is my purpose? What's the plan? Why am I here?

If you are one of those 'questioning' people (and you probably are if you've landed here) then read on …

In a pure sense, seeking the meaning of life through spiritual guidance relates to a person's thoughts and beliefs rather than to their bodies and physical surroundings. We all know, however, that it's not necessarily our thoughts which alert us to our needs. Our bodies can ache, we feel an array of emotions daily and are concerned with our earthly needs. Food, warmth, shelter and comfort.

The human race faces real challenges. People all over the planet are dealing with significant threats to their wellbeing and safety: poverty, war, famine and climate change. Never has the need to make sense of our purpose and suffering been greater. How can we navigate our spiritual needs in this kind of environment? And what are spiritual practices?

By way of giving some support on these questions, I would like to tell you a story. So, if you're sitting comfortably, then I'll begin… Once upon a time in a land far away a puppy was born. The puppy's owners were cruel people, only wanting to make money from selling him, not caring for his wellbeing. They took him away from his mother at a very young age and sent him in a box to another country, far away, where they thought they could earn money. The puppy was very afraid, cold and hungry. Luckily he was rescued on the way by some good humans. They took care of him and quickly found him a new forever home, with a new forever human mother. But the puppy was still scared. He was so scared he would growl and never sleep until, eventually, he would fall asleep standing up because he was so tired. His new human mother looked after him very well and, in time, the puppy played, slept peacefully and grew strong.

He came to love and trust his human mother very much. His human mother had been very lonely before the puppy came to live with her. She was so grateful for his love, companionship and loyalty. To show her love every day she cooked eggs in a pan for the puppy's breakfast. She wasn't rich but every day she would make sure that the puppy had his eggs for breakfast. This was her simple but profound way of showing her gratitude, appreciation and love. To her, this was a spiritual practice.

Building a Sustainable Spiritual Practice

How will your personalised spirituality blossom and evolve? An answer to that question may lay in developing a spiritual practice that is sustainable, despite the challenges life can throw at you. Somehow you manage, despite it all, to maintain a degree of spiritual connection, whatever that means to you, and so are able to react and respond to the challenges of life in a more aware and purposeful way. Perhaps maintaining this kind of spiritual connection is really quite simple—it's just that somehow as humans we over-complicate it.

For some people the spark which ignites the beginning of their spiritual journey is a dramatic life event: a life-threatening illness perhaps, loss of a loved one or the end of a meaningful relationship. For others this questioning and need for spiritual guidance comes because of loneliness, depression, anxiety or fear.

As humans we are born to be curious about the world around us and explore. Think of a baby, eager to experience, taste, learn to walk and grow, simply 'being' in the pure wonder and exploration of life. As adults, amidst dealing with the responsibilities and knocks life can bring, we can forget we ever felt this simple joy. A sustained spiritual practice can help us to reconnect to that sense of wonderment we felt as children and so return us to our true human nature and potential.

Finding Your Own Spiritual Path

There isn't one 'spiritual guidance' manual available to the questioning soul. Our world is full of differing advice and approaches. We have many spiritual teachers in our midst, both past and present. We can look to these teachers for guidance, learning of their lives' journeys, the practices they have followed and the values they hold dear as a way to help us answer our questions on life, the universe and everything. Ultimately, this journey to a sustainable spiritual connection is a highly personal one, forged on knowledge, instinct, a deeper connection to 'self' and a strengthening intuition. With that thought in mind, stepping forward with an open heart and a willingness to explore a variety of guidance and practices is a good place to start.

Here are some examples of spiritual practices:

• Meditation
• Prayer
• Yoga
• Breathing exercises
• Chanting, mantras, singing and making or listening to music
• Movement and dance
• Fasting
• Simplicity
• Spending time in nature
• Journaling
• Taking care of yourself
• Taking care of others
• Community and sharing your practice with others of like mind
• Ceremonies and rituals that hold meaning to you, and others you choose to share them with

Exploring Spiritual Guidance on Your Terms

At Sissoo, our mission is to ensure you have a rich and varied source of spiritual guides and teachings—some steeped in mysterious history, others quite new and emerging. Our intention is to make spiritual connection accessible, obtainable and inclusive for all. Whichever guidance you choose, or pathway you take, it will start you on an inner journey. A journey that may enhance your sense of purpose, bring you a sense of community and develop feelings of inner peace and harmony.

If you're curious about exploring spiritual guidance further, Sissoo connects you with a diverse range of vetted practitioners and teachers who work in different traditions and approaches. Browse our directory to discover someone whose methods and values resonate with your own search.