I was brought up culturally Jewish and Anglican but spiritually atheistic, and I came to spirituality later in life. As such, I’m always looking for ways to strengthen my faith — and perhaps if you are also looking to build a spiritual life as an adult, you can relate. But whether you share my experience or were born into a practicing religious family, all of us might find ourselves, at one time or another, looking into deepening our spiritual practices.

“All of us might find ourselves, at one time or another, looking into deepening our spiritual practices.”

Spiritual health is intrinsically linked to our physical and emotional health, too, something which you may intuitively know. It’s obvious, for example, in the many proven physical and mental health benefits of meditation. But it’s not just individual practices that can help you build a sense of wholeness. Saliently, one 2022 Harvard-led review found that spirituality was linked to better health outcomes and recommended that spiritual care be incorporated into general healthcare. 

Whatever your particular motivation for wanting to deepen your spiritual practice, here are 99 ways to get started.

Lean into mindfulness

“Many people find traditional meditation difficult, including many neurodivergent folks. If that’s you, you could try incorporating a walking meditation into your routine — physically moving your body can help you drop in.”

  1. Sit in stillness. When most people think of meditation, this is what they picture, but sitting in stillness (with or without a guided meditation track or music) can be an invaluable tool for connecting with yourself and the universe.
  2. Try a walking meditation. Many people find traditional meditation difficult, including many neurodivergent folks. If that’s you, you could try incorporating a walking meditation into your routine — physically moving your body can help you drop in. You can either do this by walking mindfully, or by listening to a walking meditation track, which are readily available on YouTube or Spotify.
  3. Learn breathwork. Like meditation (and in fact the two practices are often combined), breathwork is a powerful mindfulness practice which helps calm your nervous system and restore your connection. Start with a simple box breath if you’re a total beginner — simply inhale for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold for four. Repeat for as long as it feels comfortable and nourishing.
  4. Say a prayer. If you have a religious background, you’ll already be familiar with some basic prayers or prayer structures which you can tap into to strengthen your connection with a higher power of your understanding. If not, simply try having a conversation with the universe, remembering to include an expression of gratitude for the support you’re hoping to receive. You can also look up prayers on YouTube, for example.
  5. Find pockets of mindfulness among your daily activities. Anything can be a meditation if you approach it that way — brushing your teeth, eating a meal, taking a shower, commuting to work.
  6. Try self-hypnosis. If meditation doesn’t go deep enough for you, self-hypnosis may be worth a try (don’t worry, you’ll still be totally aware of your surroundings!). There are plenty of self-hypnosis tracks on YouTube, or the To Be Magnetic membership specializes in this practice.
  7. Build a creativity practice. Creative energy is spiritual energy. Immersing yourself in a creative pursuit can not only act as a meditation in and of itself, but will also help you connect with your purpose and just feel really good.
  8. Do a jigsaw puzzle or any activity that requires your full attention to achieve an end goal.
  9. Practice movement that incorporates spiritual elements by nature, such as yoga, tai chi, or qi gong.
  10. Move in any way that brings you joy, mindfully, whether that’s dancing, skateboarding, or lifting weights.
  11. Pursue what lights you up. Any activity that connects you to purpose and to your joy is a spiritual activity.
  12. Practice the 5-4-3-2-1 method. This is an easy way to drop into mindfulness and into your body. Simply take a moment of pause, and notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
  13. Set an intention for your day. Before you pick up your phone in the morning, take a moment to think about how you want to feel that day, then try to remember your intention throughout the day — especially if things go off track. You can also write down your intention if that helps you connect with it.
  14. Free write. Try sitting down with a pen and paper and writing exactly what’s on your mind, without overthinking it or editing yourself. You’ll be surprised by the clarity you’ll receive through this exercise.
  15. Listen to your inner knowing, AKA your intuition. When your connection to your intuition is strong, you’ll be able to make spiritual choices in every area of your life that align with your values and desires.
  16. Listen to your body’s signals. Whether it’s a pang in your stomach or a tightness in your chest, your body always knows what you — and by extension, the world — need. Listen to it.
  17. Limit how busy you are. Often, overworking or overscheduling yourself can be a way to numb uncomfortable feelings — but these feelings are often far less scary and overwhelming once you allow yourself to feel them. And once worked through, they’ll open the door for a greater connection to your spirituality.
  18. Find spiritual practices that feel good to you. Don’t try everything on this list, or at least not at once! Instead, try picking a handful that feel nourishing to you and test them out — your spiritual practice can look so many different ways.
  19. Stay consistent with your spiritual practices. For better or for worse, it’s hard to strengthen your connection with the universe without coming back to it again and again. So whether you meditate for five minutes every morning or you fit in a 30-minute mindful walk three times a week, try your best to stay consistent with your practice.
  20. Eat in a way that feels nurturing to you and the planet. Feeling your best physically will help you feel more connected to your emotional and spiritual world, as well as your environment.
  21. Carve out alone time. Spending time with yourself is crucial for developing your connection to the spiritual world.
  22. Clear your space. Tidy and declutter your home, car and office space where possible, to help you clear your mind.
  23. Create a space that helps you feel connected to yourself. Decorate your home or spaces so that they feel nurturing and safe.
  24. Curate a meditation corner in your home. Having a space that is specifically designed for meditation can help you create that association and make it easier to stay consistent with your practice.
  25. Learn to self-soothe instead of relying on external sources of comfort. This will help you deepen your connection to yourself.
  26. Limit phone usage. Phones are another way we disconnect from ourselves.
  27. Schedule a longer digital detox. Carve out a few hours, a day, a weekend or more when you won’t use any screens — or book into a tech-free retreat.
  28. Spend mindfully. Financial wellness feeds into mind-body-spirit wellness.
  29. Engage with news mindfully. Try to stay mindful of when you start to feel overwhelmed, and disengage at that point.
  30. Avoid living in the past or future. True connection is in the present.

Learn from wise teachers

“Philosophy might be a wonderful gateway to spirituality for those who struggle to think outside of the rational mind.”

  1. Read spiritual nonfiction books. We love the authors Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson and Thich Nhat Hanh.
  2. Read fiction books. Novels, whether or not they specifically include a spiritual component, can teach us so much about the world around us and the spiritual realm.
  3. Explore poetry. Poets use words to express ideas that would otherwise be just out of reach.
  4. Engage with philosophy. While philosophy employs a different approach to spirituality in helping us to understand the world, both concern themselves with similar themes — such as morality or purpose. Philosophy might be a wonderful gateway to spirituality for those who struggle to think outside of the rational mind.
  5. Listen to spiritual podcasts. We love “Dear Gabby,” “EXPANDED,” “Move With Heart,” and “Gathering Gold.”
  6. Watch movies with a spiritual component — whether it’s a documentary like “The Secret” or a film that includes a moral dilemma (spoiler: that’s just about every film).
  7. Watch spiritual talks, whether that’s in person or online.
  8. Follow spiritual teachers on social media. We love @yung_pueblo, @briannawiest, and @alizakelly.
  9. Take a class or workshop on spiritual living. Local community centers, yoga studios or places of worship may offer these — or you can take one online.
  10. Connect with the spiritual people in your life. Really anyone can be a spiritual teacher, but if you’re new to spirituality, you might find it helpful to speak with people in your circle who already have a strong sense of their faith.
  11. Choose your role models wisely. This comes back to the fact that anybody can be a spiritual teacher: from your friend who’s always finding new ways to help her community to the celebrity who speaks publicly about their mental health struggles.
  12. Book a session with a psychic, medium, tarot reader or astrologer. This may help you better understand yourself and your purpose, or connect with guides, angels or a higher power.
  13. Learn from the children in your life. Children’s innate connection with their joy, their feelings and their needs can teach you so much.
  14. Glean wisdom from the elders in your life. There’s a reason traditional communities turn to their elders for answers — they’ve lived a full life and learned many lessons which they can impart to you.
  15. Learn mindfulness from the animals around you. Like children, animals have a deep connection to themselves and to the world around them — they don’t get stuck in overthinking, they just know they want a snack right now. And those walkies sound pretty good, too.

Connect with the universe or higher power

“Reflect on what spirituality means to you. Because you get to define it for yourself.”

  1. Reflect on what spirituality means to you. Because you get to define it for yourself.
  2. Journal like you’re having a conversation with the universe. Ask questions in writing — you might be surprised what answers come through.
  3. Pay attention to signs from the universe. That sequence of repeating numbers you keep seeing? Many people believe those are signs from the angels. Signs also come in the form of animals, songs, smells, synchronicities…
  4. Ask for a sign from the universe. While signs naturally occur all the time, if you’re looking for the answer to a specific question or dilemma, you can ask for a specific sign from the universe. If you receive it, that’s a sign of encouragement that you’re on the right track. If you don’t, something may need to shift.
  5. Spend time in nature. The natural world is where many people feel closest to Spirit.
  6. Connect with awe. See everything around you through new eyes.
  7. Be respectful of the planet. Nature is sacred.
  8. Build trust in the universe’s timing. What’s for you won’t pass you by.
  9. Trust that the universe is supporting you. If you look back on times in your life when you didn’t get what you wanted, you’ll often see how not getting that thing opened even better doors. Trust that that’s always happening.

Shift your mindset

“Spirituality involves a sense of giving over your problems to a higher power and trusting that things will work out without you having to hold on for dear life.”

  1. Practice gratitude. Being thankful for the good things in your life is a way to honor the universe.
  2. Repeat positive affirmations. For example, “I am always supported,” or, “all is well.”
  3. Hang affirmations or prayers around your home. That way, you can soak in the words’ comfort and wisdom any time you see them.
  4. Try mirror work, as suggested by the late spiritual teacher Louise Hay. This consists of repeating positive affirmations to yourself while looking in the mirror.
  5. Reach for the next best-feeling thought. This is a Gabby Bernstein method, which consists of catching yourself thinking a negative thought, and gently reaching for one that feels better, but still realistic. For example, if you have the thought that you’re terrible at your job, you could reach for a memory of when your boss congratulated you on a piece of work you did.
  6. Try EFT tapping. This technique involves tapping on energy points while positively reframing a particular issue you’re dealing with. You can find many EFT videos on YouTube, and eventually learn to do it for yourself if you want to.
  7. Release control. Spirituality involves a sense of giving over your problems to a higher power and trusting that things will work out without you having to hold on for dear life.
  8. Have more fun. Having fun is an indication that you’re aligned with the universe, and that energy is infectious.
  9. Rewrite your limiting beliefs. The negative beliefs we hold about ourselves and about the world can cloud our connection to the universe. You can use methods including EFT tapping, self-hypnosis, journaling or therapy to help you rewrite the beliefs that no longer serve you.
  10. Work towards healing old wounds. Any lingering hurt you harbor can get in the way of true connection to yourself and to the world. Healing isn’t easy, but it’s so worth it.
  11. Explore shadow work. Shadow refers to the parts of ourselves that we’ve hidden away in the depths of our psyche because we believe they’re too shameful to look at. Paradoxically, it’s often once we look at them that we become free.
  12. See your fears and obstacles as opportunities for growth. Life can be really challenging, but there’s extreme comfort in the belief that everything that happens around us is really happening for us. Through every hardship, there is opportunity to develop into a higher version of yourself.
  13. Embrace radical acceptance. The spiritual teacher Tara Brach is the authority on radical acceptance — which means no longer fighting the way things are, and accepting life for what it is.
  14. Stay curious and open. True spiritual connection requires openness to new ideas, perspectives and experiences.
  15. Forgive yourself. We all make mistakes, but we can’t be truly free until we forgive ourselves.

Build more spiritual relationships

“Nobody is the same, and sometimes that can be difficult to accept — but it’s also the beauty of life. There’s always something new to learn.”

  1. Work towards releasing judgment. Many spiritual traditions teach the idea that we are all one. Judging others, then, means believing that we are separate from one another, and takes us further from our connection to ourselves, to others and to the universe.
  2. Turn jealousy into inspiration. We all get jealous of others whom we perceive to have things we want and don’t have. But a more nurturing reaction in these situations is to take others’ successes and see what’s possible for us.
  3. Work to forgive those who’ve hurt you. Just like forgiving yourself leads to spiritual freedom, so does forgiving others.
  4. Set an intention before every interaction. For example, your intention might be to listen more actively if you tend to jump into the conversation excitedly too often, or it might be to speak up if you find that difficult. This can help you interact with others more mindfully.
  5. Bring positive energy to every interaction. How great does it feel when the cashier at the supermarket admires your earrings? Or when the crossing guard gives you a big grin? That’s the power of positive energy.
  6. Protect your energetic boundaries. If you tend to people-please or take on other people’s energy, you can try doing a grounding exercise before your interactions. And if you feel overwhelmed during the interaction, it’s okay to leave or take a step back, too.
  7. Be selective in who you surround yourself with. Notice how you feel around different people, and if some people make you feel depleted, it’s okay to limit how much time you spend with them — if any.
  8. Show up as who you truly are. The best gift you can give the world is to be yourself.
  9. Be as honest as you can be. This builds trust with those around you and the universe.
  10. See your relationships as assignments. Relationships — between family members, partners, friends, colleagues — can be some of the most challenging aspects of our lives as well as the most rewarding. Many spiritual teachers believe that these relationships were meant to come into our lives to teach us the specific lessons we need to fulfil our potential. Seeing them as such can help you navigate your relationships with more grace.
  11. Put your wellbeing first. While generosity is wonderful, and spiritual, it’s so important not to pour from an empty cup. This will make you feel depleted, and won’t help those around you, either.
  12. Build a spiritual relationship to your sexuality. Spirituality and sexuality are interwoven in many cultures, and both can inform each other.
  13. Open yourself up to daily interactions. If you feel disconnected from your community, try taking out your headphones more often and engaging in small talk with your barista, or the lady at the bus stop who looks lost.
  14. Perform random acts of kindness. Maybe it’s paying for the coffee of the person behind you in line, or complimenting someone’s fashion sense. You can find a lot more creative ideas here.
  15. Find ways to serve your community — be that by volunteering for a local charity or donating to an important cause.
  16. Join a spiritual-minded group, such as a 12-step program or a Bible study, for example.
  17. Attend events centered around spirituality. Look out for flyers in your area or check out sites like Meetup or Eventbrite.
  18. Book into a spiritual retreat. This is a great way to immerse yourself in spirituality among like-minded people.
  19. Support local businesses. This is a lovely way to support your community, which benefits you, too.
  20. Listen to others with compassion. Deep listening can teach you so much, and will mean a lot to those around you.
  21. Learn to disagree mindfully. Disagreements happen — it’s natural! Try to understand where a person’s coming from before getting agitated, and you might create a really meaningful exchange of ideas.
  22. Accept others’ differences. Nobody is the same, and sometimes that can be difficult to accept — but it’s also the beauty of life. There’s always something new to learn.
  23. Let go of needing people to like you. Stay true to yourself, and the people who are meant for you will stick around.
  24. Stay in touch with your roots and ancestry — be it through conversations with family members or reading about your people’s history. This will help you understand yourself and your place in the world more deeply.

Create a spiritual toolkit

“Carry talismans or place them in your home.”

  1. Have spiritual apps or memberships on hand. We like the Gabby app for meditations and motivational talks, the To Be Magnetic app for self-hypnosis and manifestation, and the Chani app for astrological insights.
  2. Carry talismans or place them in your home. Crystals, candles, incense, dried flowers, rosaries… can all help you feel more connected to your higher power.
  3. Wear jewelry that makes you feel connected to your spirituality. Many religious people wear a cross or Star of David around their necks, but perhaps you might prefer a bangle engraved with an affirmation, for example.
  4. Try affirmation cards. These are wonderful if you’re not sure what words you need at a particular time.
  5. Give yourself a tarot reading. Most decks come with detailed instructions, and you can gain incredible insights into your path by giving yourself a reading.
  6. Use oracle cards for guidance. Oracle cards are a wonderful alternative to tarot for spiritual guidance.

Iris Goldsztajn (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor based in London, UK. Her work has been featured in British Vogue, Marie Claire, Refinery29, SELF, Bustle and many more. Iris can typically be found on her way to a fitness class or with her nose in a good book.