When I first began my spiritual practice almost a decade ago, I was all over the map. It was new and exciting territory, and I was burning with the desire to try all of it.

Tantra, kundalini yoga, chakra work, meditation, visualization, manifestation, chanting, toning, ecstatic dance, goddess worship, essential oils, reiki, holotropic breathwork, shamanism. There was no stopping my quest for spiritual transcendence. I simply had to experience it all.

After I had awakened my kundalini, things were never the same again. My awakening was a total deep-dive into the divine. Everything around me vibrated with a new kind of electricity. I felt my ego dissolving. I felt my purpose coming in to sharp focus. I felt my heart ablaze with love and inspiration. I felt as if all the things my eyes could see — the people, the sky, the moon, the ocean — were actually inside of me, pulsing beneath the surface of my skin. Like the serpent within, I had finally woken up. And this whole time, I hadn’t even realized that I was sleeping.

As I’ve been practicing the art and science of spirituality for 9 years now, I have some tips that might be helpful to anyone who is just starting to practice. These are things that I’ve learned over the years; things that have supported and nourished my heart and soul immensely. And keep in mind: I use the word “spirituality,” but feel free to substitute that word with anything you choose, like “love,” “the goddess,” “inner wisdom,” or “mindfulness.”

Sometimes I just use the word “spirituality” because it so efficiently sums up the ideas I’m trying to convey. But I get frustrated with the word sometimes, because it doesn’t feel like it encompasses the true essence of all I’m trying to communicate!

Anyhow, here is my list of tips for beginning your Spiritual (or Love) practice.

1. Have a sacred space in your home.

This is huge. If you’re serious about doing this work, you’ve got a create a nurturing environment that’s going to relax and inspire you in your journey. It doesn’t have to be anything too fancy, and you don’t need a ton of space for this. Bring in some candles, crystals, flowers, feathers, and other special objects that spark your soul, and you’re good to go.

2. Plan a time to practice.

Don’t leave it up to chance. Don’t leave it up to “whenever you feel like it.” Set a ritual for the same time every day, and build that consistency muscle. If this sounds like too much, start with 5 minutes. Make a commitment to sit and follow your breath for 5 minutes a day. Once you’ve got that down, you can start getting more ambitious.

3. Follow your desires. If you have a longing to develop your chakras, center your practice around chakra work.

Do you know which of your chakras is the most open? If so, start working with that one, and focus on expanding its energy to the chakra directly above or below it. Just like in the real world — if you have a strength, you should always lead with it. In my practice, I always start with the chakra that I feel is most open, and I use that energy to activate the other ones.

4. If you’re not sure which of your chakras is most open, then start with the first chakra, the root, and work your way up.

Initially, I would suggest working with one chakra for a couple days, then moving up to the next one. Once you’ve devoted time to focusing on each one, you can start to do more general chakra exercises that focus on all 7. And if you really want to go deep into studying and experiencing the chakras, my Soul Rebel’s Guide to Activating your Chakras course can help.

5. Work some visualizing/manifesting into the mix.

Spiritual practices raise our vibration and put us in deep communion with the magical side of ourselves; that side where we can reach into nothingness and create whatever wild thing our heart desires. This is an empowering process. You and the universe can work together to manifest the life you want. I reserve my deep manifestation practices for three specific times — as I’m falling asleep, during the new moon, and during the full moon. Oh, and: When I do my morning ritual, I will also do a quick 30-second visualization of what I want my day to look like, and what one ultimate goal would look like somewhere down the line. It’s a very inspiring way to begin the day! Work a little manifesting into each day. It will step your game way up, and spur you to take action.

6. Write out the steps of your daily practice and post them up in your sacred space.

This will help to make it real and tangible for you. All you have to do is jot down step-by-step what your ritual will look like. It could be one exercise, or even several. I will leave that part up to you. But you must determine exactly what your ritual looks like, so that there is no wasting time trying to figure out what you should be doing. Have a plan, and stick to it.

7. Also: Know that your plan is going to change and evolve.

It’s a natural part of the process. Your body, heart, and spirit are going to have different needs from time-to-time. Adjust accordingly. But start somewhere, in the beginning. Make a set ritual that feels good to you right now, and get moving on it. Repeat it, again and again. You can make adjustments, whenever you feel you’re ready to switch things up a bit.

8. Schedule your ritual into your calendar every day.

So that it’s staring you in the face. This shows that you take it seriously. And it will help you make your daily commitment happen!

The biggest thing to remember is: Be intentional and consistent.

Plan out your daily ritual, so that your mind clearly knows what’s in store. Set aside a special time to practice in your sacred space. And don’t take on too much like I did in the beginning of my journey. Focus your energies. If you want to awaken kundalini, focus on kundalini. Don’t throw ten other practices into the mix. It will just take longer for you to truly master any aspect of your practice. So devote yourself to one thing at a time. And if you ever get anxious and feel as if you’re not experiencing enlightenment quick enough, just breathe. Let your expectations go. You are exactly where you need to be, always.

Many Blessings on your journey!