Journaling is the writing of thoughts and feelings that you may have and want to process. For many it’s a daily practice sometimes in the form of a diary, other times as a way to express feelings, still others to channel deeper thoughts and inspirations that comes from connecting to Source energy.
There is a difference in the process between writing a diary and connecting to Source. The first is a process that is mind focused. What does that meant o be “mind focused?” As beings who are spiritual and physical we ideally connect by using the heart, gut, and mind to process what is going on around us. The heart connects us with universal love, the gut connects us with the base chakras and our instinct, the mind is meant to take in all that information and process it into what that means as a physical being. As humans we have been very mind focused valuing what we can see and thinking without processing through the heart and gut. Journaling as a diary is simply writing what has gone on with your day and keeping those thoughts written down. This can be very useful when there is a need to take a step back, keep a record of what is going on with your life and be able to look through it and objectively start to get a handle on what your life looks like and evaluate what is working for you and what is not.
Journaling as a way to channel spirit is a way of stepping out of the mind and connecting with your heart, gut and Higher Self. Channeling in some way is a form of translation. (for more information go to our blog “What is channeling”) A channeler senses communication and translates it into human words. Channeling as a way of journaling allows you to connect with the spiritual realms, your Spiritual Team, and get downloads of insight into what your life choices mean, deeper concepts of how the universe works and, sometimes, you get to get a better understanding to the age old question…”what is the meaning of life?”
Journaling can be just writing as a "stream of consciousness". This is not channeling or a diary. It's simply you allowing yourself to write anything and everything that comes to mind without censoring it. Use your imagination and let it run wild! This is YOUR journal and you don't have to share it with anyone if you don't want to. But this form of writing is a great way to help clear creative or writing blockages and connect yourself with yourself.
The practice of journaling as a channel, stream of consciousness or as a diary will also help in another way...learning to evenly process any and all thoughts, feelings and intuitive guidance you get physically, emotionally and spiritually. By using all your senses the practice of journaling can help you far beyond just writing down thoughts and feelings. Need to write something for work or school? Do your research and then allow your thoughts to flow and help you to write something that is both factual and compelling. Want to write a book or story? Take what you have learned about good writing and let Spirit inspire you to use your imagination and get it down on the page! Not sure how to express yourself to someone you care about? Connect to your Higher Self to do the talking and express yourself in a loving way that your thinking mind might ordinarily have trouble communicating.
How to Journal
Journaling is a personal exercise. Here are a few ways to journal. Try them out and choose which one works for you.
Use a notebook or diary that can be purchased at any bookstore or craft store. Write the date before writing. This will help you when you want to look back and easily see how you’ve progressed.Write whatever is uppermost on your mind. It can be:
What happened that day.
Any feelings that you are having at the moment. Don’t judge them as “good” or “bad”. Just look at and feel them objectively. They are simply a way for you to process anything that is going on. Allow yourself to simply observe them and let the feelings themselves give you some insight.
Use it to channel Spirit/Source/God/Goddess.
Sit quietly and meditate for a little while in order to center yourself.
Write a question on the page that you are looking to answer or, if there is no particular question, thank Spirit for being there and then allow any and all thoughts to come. It could be a paragraph, a word or a picture. Write them down immediately without process or overthinking. Don't worry about what it is. You can always look back at it and expand on it at a later date.
Journal your day AND channel as needed. This is a way of keeping track of what is happening in your life and using it to channel as a way of getting better insights from Source. This type of journaling will help you to learn to balance your connections with yourself and Source.
Remember, there is no one right way to do this! We are all individuals processing all of life through the filter of our own personal observations and preferences. Try out different things. If writing by hand doesn’t work then try journaling on a computer or laptop. Use the tools that are available to you. Journal with a friend that you trust. Create a journaling circle. If it doesn’t work for you to journal daily, then don’t journal daily! Make it fun and something that you look forward to doing, not a chore and something you “should” be doing.
This is your journey and yours only. Find what tools work for you and see what adventures they bring.