Everyday Spirituality: 5 Simple Spiritual Practices to Reconnect with Yourself
At Sentient Publications, we publish authors whose work explores consciousness, connection, and the sacred in everyday life. In our fast-paced, digitally saturated world, it’s easy to lose touch with the deeper threads of life, the ones that anchor us to meaning, wonder, and a sense of inner peace. For many of us, spirituality is about cultivating a quiet, steady awareness that reminds us we are part of something greater. But how do we access that awareness when we’re moving from meeting to meeting, catching ourselves mindlessly scrolling through our days, or feeling stuck in a sense of disconnect?
Spirituality doesn’t have to be distant or abstract. It can be woven into the rhythms of daily life through simple, intentional practices. These small acts of presence open the heart and root us in the now. Here are five everyday spiritual practices to help you reconnect with yourself and the sacred.
1. Begin with Stillness
When you wake up, how often do you reach for your phone before anything else? Notifications flood in, messages pile up, and we scroll through our feeds, putting off actually getting out of bed. Those first moments of our daily consciousness are focused on others and their lives and their needs from us. But what if, just for a moment, you did something different?
Before jumping into the day, and rolling over to check our phones, take a few deep breaths. Feel your body. Notice how you slept. How do you feel right now? Instead of rushing out into the world or the digital noise, try simply being with yourself for a minute or two. Sit up, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and ask “What do I need today to feel connected?” “What do I get to do today, not just what I have to do?”
It’s not about perfect meditation or productivity. It’s about arriving in the morning for yourself. Even a small moment of stillness can clear space for intention and peace, giving you a clear mind and readiness for the day to come.
2. Reconnect with Nature
You don’t have to live in the mountains or by the beach to feel close to nature. Oftentimes simply going for a walk, stepping outside, feeling the breeze on your skin, looking up at the clouds are simple sensory moments that reconnect us to the earth’s natural rhythm.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to take a walk without your phone, without music, without any distractions or destination. Just walk. Notice the birds, the cracks in the sidewalk, the temperature of the air. The natural world is always present, always welcoming. You just need to be be able to hear it.
3. Practice Conscious Breathing
When stress or overwhelm emerge before a meeting, after a sleepless night, or when emotions feel intense, pause. Take three slow, deliberate breaths. Breathe in focus, calm, and your truest intentions. Breathe out pressure, irritation, and unease. Inhale through your nose. Exhale gently through your mouth.
Notice your body. Feel your chest expand on the inhale and relax on the exhale. You can even rest your hands lightly on your abdomen, sensing the rise and fall of your breath. These full, mindful breaths are here to steady you and bring you back to yourself, just for a moment before stepping into the rest of your day. In this quiet rhythm, you settle and reconnect with your purpose.
4. Mindfully Eating
Before you eat, take a moment to honor the farmers, the cooks, the soil, and your body. Whether it’s a silent thank you or a gentle breath of recognition, this shifts eating, which can often feel automatic, into a gratitude practice for your body and the community that provided your meal. It invites you to become more mindful of the nourishment this food is offering your body. And when the meal is done, linger in the feeling of fullness. Sense the vitality within you. This quiet pause completes the rhythm of giving and receiving.
5. Take Notes
Keep a small journal or use your phone to jot down moments of clarity, awe, or kindness you witness, whether from yourself or others. These flashes of goodness can be easy to miss in daily life. When you feel weighed down or discouraged, these notes remind you that light still exists, even if it feels hidden. They keep you connected to something larger, encouraging you to see others as fellow travelers worthy of kindness rather than strangers to dismiss. This simple journaling practice doesn’t have to take long. Even a single line or feeling can help you deepen your awareness and grow your compassion over time.
These small, everyday practices don’t require hours of meditation or retreat. They are invitations to slow down, open up, and weave intention and purpose into our daily lives.