31/10/2026
Finding Your Spark: A Gentle Beginning
Written by Jennifer Thevalyn
A conversation at work recently reminded me how overwhelming the beginning of a spiritual journey can feel and how simple those first steps can be.
A colleague shared that she had attended a church and felt something light up within her. As we talked, she realised it was the music that had touched her so deeply. She didn’t necessarily feel drawn to attend church, but she wanted to explore what it had awakened within her. She described having a good life: a happy family, good health and much to appreciate. Yet something still felt empty.
Perhaps you recognise that feeling? You can appreciate your life and still long for a deeper connection with yourself. But where do you begin?
For those of us who have explored spirituality for many years, it can be easy to forget how much we have gradually learned. The practices, language and connections that feel familiar were once unfamiliar to us too. Someone starting out can encounter so many teachings, options and opinions that even meditation can feel like an enormous undertaking.
Do we really need to sit for hours, stop every thought or know exactly what we are doing?
My encouragement to her was to begin gently, with a few small moments of attention each day. Start with your breath. Pause, breathe in gently and breathe out comfortably, allowing your shoulders to soften.
One of my favourite ways to become present is to close my eyes for thirty seconds and ask, “What can I hear right now?” I begin naming the sounds: birds, the breeze in the trees, a passing car, voices nearby. This draws my attention out of the busy “monkey mind” and back to where I am.
When thoughts wander, simply return to listening. There is nothing special you need to experience; you are giving yourself a moment to pause and notice.
If you try a guided meditation, choose something short and notice how you respond to the voice and approach. When I was learning, I tried a highly recommended teacher whose subjects interested me, but the moment I heard her voice, I knew it wasn’t for me. I turned it off, and that was okay. Discernment grows through these small choices: listening inwardly, asking questions and taking time to consider a teaching before accepting it as your truth.
Become curious about what lights you up. For my colleague, it was music. For you, it might be gardening, dancing, creating or walking among trees.
In my own life, I have felt most connected when I have had the freedom to listen to my heart, rather than feeling I must follow a prescribed way of believing or practising. You are allowed space to discover your own relationship with spirituality.
Before sleep, you might begin by recalling five things you appreciated that day. The sunshine, the rain watering the plants, a kind word or a moment of laughter. Gratitude can sit alongside difficult feelings, helping us notice the small gifts within an ordinary day.
You don’t need to understand every spiritual concept or have your path mapped out. Let your understanding grow through experience, reflection and those little moments when you feel more present, open and yourself.
And for those of us further along in our exploration, perhaps this is an invitation to remember the value of simple beginnings, both for ourselves and for those whose curiosity is just awakening.
Give yourself one quiet minute today and ask: When did I last feel a little spark within me and what small step could I take towards it?
✨🌸🌹Jennifer🌹🌸✨
