If Life Feels Like It's Turning You Inside Out

By Allison Brunner (and a video interview with Paige McHugh)

Lately, I’ve been noticing a common theme in conversations with people from all walks of life.

Many are experiencing an increase in pressure emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Old wounds, fears, grief, limiting beliefs, and patterns that have been tucked away for years are rising to the surface and demanding our attention.

If this is happening for you, you're already aware that it can feel uncomfortable. It can feel exhausting. At times, it can feel overwhelming.

You may find yourself questioning everything.

You may be taking a fresh look at beliefs you’ve held for years and wondering whether they still feel true. You may be reevaluating your work, your relationships, your spiritual path, and the direction your life is taking. You're likely questioning many of your beliefs, and that can create a great deal of uncertainty.

Many people describe feeling as though life has pushed them onto an entirely different path. A relationship has ended (or is about to), a job changes, a move becomes necessary. A dream that once felt important loses its pull. Something new begins calling for your attention, even if you can’t fully see what it is yet.

You may discover that certain friendships, activities, interests, or places no longer resonate in the same way they once did. Music or movies you’ve loved for years may feel too heavy or leave you uninspired. Conversations that once energized you may drain you. Parts of your life may feel complete, and a new chapter may be waiting for you to step into it.

Many people find themselves in an in-between space during this process. The old version of life no longer fits, and the next chapter has not fully emerged. That space can feel confusing. It can feel directionless. It can bring up sadness, fear, frustration, and doubt.

Some people experience this as a spiritual awakening. Others experience it as a dark night of the soul. Whatever language speaks to you, the experience often includes a profound reexamination of who you are and how you want to live.

For some, this process shows up through emotional upheaval. For others, it shows up through major life changes. Some people experience health challenges that invite them into a different relationship with their body. Their body asks for more rest, more attention, more nourishment, more grounding, and a different pace of life.

Many people are also becoming more sensitive. You may notice that your intuition is stronger. You may find yourself paying closer attention to your inner knowing. You may become more discerning about where you spend your time, who you spend it with, and what truly supports your well-being.

One of the things I’ve come to understand is that people move through these experiences in waves.

This has nothing to do with spiritual status or being further along than anyone else. We each have different seasons and different responsibilities. While some people are moving through a profound transformation, others are raising children, caring for loved ones, teaching students, tending businesses, working in hospitals, growing food, supporting communities, and helping keep daily life moving forward.

As one group moves through a challenging season and begins integrating what they’ve learned, they are often able to extend support to those entering that territory themselves. Then another wave follows. We support one another through the different seasons of being human.

I want to offer you something that helped me through some of the most difficult periods of my own journey.

This season will move. Life continues to unfold. Clarity emerges. Understanding deepens. New possibilities appear.

In the meantime, connection matters.

Spending time with people who understand can make an enormous difference. Meaningful conversations help. Laughter helps. Time in nature helps. Moving your body helps. Taking your shoes off and standing in the grass helps. Giving yourself permission to step away from the questions for a while helps.

Sometimes healing happens through insight. At other times it happens through connection.

That’s one of the reasons I’m excited to share my recent conversation with Paige McHugh from the Circle of Support team at Solace Farms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MEEJNRWcH0

Paige will be facilitating a Spiritual Awakening Support Group on Friday, June 26, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. This gathering is for people who are moving through spiritual awakening, questioning old ways of being, and looking for a supportive community where they can share their experiences with others who understand.

If life has been asking a lot of you lately, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch our conversation.

And if you find yourself in the middle of a season of change, I hope you’ll remember that many others are walking this path too.