Spiritual awakening affects all levels of our consciousness; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. No aspect of our being is left untouched by the fiery energies of transformation.
When we experience an awakening the physical symptoms often come unexpectedly, we don’t consider how important the physical body is in this process.
As we release heavy energy, emotions and traumas we might experience a purging through the body. When we let go of certain beliefs, how we view and utilize our bodies will also shift, as we become more limitless and tap into our power.
Having awareness that these changes will take place makes the whole process smoother and easier to integrate.
In this post I want to go over some of the physical symptoms of awakening, why they happen and how to manage these symptoms.
Heightened senses
For each physical sense there is a corresponding psychic sense. During an awakening our senses are heightened and transform in a way, we can take on information from both a physical and spiritual level.
If there is a sense you are already highly tuned into, you’ll notice that this become heightened in its own way.
Clairvoyance: the psychic sense of sight. When this sense is activated we are able to see more, more accurately, we are able to see through things. Clairvoyance, which is heavily linked to the third eye, allows us to see past illusion.
Clairsentience: the psychic sense of feeling. This is a common psychic sense and one that often goes unnoticed because it is so subtle. We might call people who have heightened clairsentience empaths, but highly sensitive will suffice.
Clairaudience: the psychic sense of hearing. When this psychic sense is active we are able to hear ourselves and others clearly; we can tune into the nuances. This is a common psychic strength in those who were already musically-focused or auditory learners.
Increased sensitivity
Another shift you might observe is heightened emotional sensitivity – an intensification of your triggers. While this doesn’t sound like a physical symptom, our emotions impact us greatly on a physical level – the connection is one to one.
- Stomach aches
- Tension in specific body parts
- Heaviness
- Brain fog
- Shivers
We become more aware of our repressed emotions and the way we unconsciously project these outwards – we confront the shadow side.
This is a time where we feel a drawn inward, for more solitude and to get our bearings without other people around. We go inward in order to see the outer world with more clarity, and embody the spiritual knowledge we’ve absorbed.
Increased sensitivity is not all bad, we also become better at detecting intuitive insights and gut feelings. When something feels off it will be harder to ignore, when a relationship isn’t working it will be harder to remain.
This can be a time of great loss and purging, but it’s well worth it in the long-term.
Bodily sensations
We might experience bodily sensations as a physical manifestation of the energy we are moving through our energy system. As we get accustomed to a higher flow of energy going through our bodies and release heavier tensions.
These sensations can be overwhelming at first, but sit with them without attaching too much anxiety, they will eventually subside as your body gets acclimated.
- Perceiving energetic movement
- Vibrations
- Muscle twinges
- Feeling heat in the body
- Purging/clearing
Some of these symptoms might relate to an awakening of kundalini energy; a merging of our sacred masculine and feminine energy that brings about a deeper embodiment of spiritual concepts.
Changes to diet & lifestyle
A spiritual awakening leaves no stone unturned, it shines light on all aspects of our being. We will likely be compelled to make drastic lifestyle changes in line with our new awareness, especially in relation to diet and daily lifestyle.
We will notice an aversion to types of foods that we were fine eating before like junk food, foods otherwise high in sugar, meat etc. We also might experience craving for heartier foods, root veg, food that come from the Earth.
These shifts will look different for each individual because our energy (and the changes that need to be made) are different for everyone.
- Shifts to your sleeping schedule
- Aversion to certain foods
- Cravings
- A pull towards nature/certain locations
I have found that I avoid adding sugar and salt to my food, leaning towards honey and other ‘natural sweeteners’ although those should be consumed in moderation too. I want to cook my foods in the least destructive ways, eat less meat and am drawn to foods which make me feel alive.
Sleep is another area that will shift greatly. Your sleep schedule is likely to be all over the place during an awakening, because you become tuned into the heightened energy that comes through during REM sleep and the nighttime.
In accordance with these symptoms we become aware of what our purpose on Earth is and how we want to bring our gifts forward – we move into service. Don’t be surprised if you are prompted to adopt a new diet, switch careers or move to a new location.
How to manage physical symptoms of an awakening
This can sound like a lot…and it can be! Spiritual awakening symptoms are not to be ignored.
These symptoms give us important information about our bodies, what they need and how we might have been neglecting them. And so, after a spiritual awakening you are likely to be more conscious of your physical health and more proactive in keeping it up.
When we experience an increase of energy in the body through a spiritual awakening, some symptoms will arise that have a concrete physical cause – long-term physical health problems, mental health or an illness.
There is nothing wrong or ‘unspiritual’ about seeking out medical or mental health advice if these symptoms alert you to something more sinister. Looking after your body and seeking out the help you feel is necessary is looking after your spirit, there should be no shame involved.
Be aware of the physical symptoms that come up and proactive in managing the ones that are causing major disruption, but don’t become hyper-focused on every little shift in energy you experience.
During an awakening our body might act as if it is in danger, but we’re simply overwhelmed with all the new information we’re absorbing. You may not be in a new physical location, but certainly in a new state of being which can activate similar danger signals.
Practice grounding
Grounding is one of the ways we can integrate the higher energies we are receiving and contain our energy more consciously. Walk barefoot on the earth, practice mindful movement, put pen to paper – anything that gets you out of your head, out of over-analysis, and into your body.
- Get seated on a chair or couch.
- Take deep breaths from your stomach area.
- Bring your awareness to the root chakra (base of spine).
- As you breathe visualize roots going down from the root chakra down into the earth.
- As you breath out, feel/visualize energy flowing out from the crown down into the earth.
- As you breathe in, feel/visualize energy flowing up from the earth into your body.
Grounding is so important in this modern age because we’ve lost our spiritual roots along the way, we have to find them again and strengthen them.
Create rituals
Identify rituals that you can perform day to day in relation to your spiritual work.
A ritual can be as simple as five minutes of breathwork in your car before going into work, writing a page in your journal each day, or sitting with a cup of tea in the morning and sipping it slowly and mindfully.
Rituals are a way to practice our spiritual awareness in the context of ordinary life, so they aren’t two disjointed spheres of our existence but come together cohesively.
We don’t have to go anywhere special or follow a complicated process in order to bring spiritual awareness into our life.
Learn more about working with your energy and the physical dimension of it, with my guidebook.
Dive deeper into psychic development with my energy work guidebook.
In summary
An awakening is not a walk in the park, but it also doesn’t need to be a completely disorienting experience if we know what to expect.