Rising Through Muddy Waters: A Guide to Spiritual Growth and Healing When Life Feels Murky
There are seasons when life feels unclear—when the path forward seems clouded by uncertainty, grief, or fatigue. In those times, it can help to remember the quiet wisdom of the lotus: it doesn’t wait for perfect conditions. It grows through the mud, reaching toward light that it can’t yet see.
These “muddy waters of becoming” are not a sign of failure; they’re part of the process of transformation. Healing—especially spiritual wellbeing—is rarely about escaping difficulty. More often, it’s about learning how to breathe and listen while we’re in it.
Begin by Listening as a Meditation for Spiritual Growth
When emotions swirl, our first instinct is often to fix or flee. Instead, try listening.
Close your eyes. Feel your feet on the ground.
Inhale through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth.
Ask quietly: What is trying to be heard right now?
This is the essence of meditation for spiritual growth—creating a small space of stillness where clarity can rise on its own. You don’t have to force meaning; simply listening and noticing what comes up is enough.
If you struggle to settle, try anchoring your attention in a rhythmic sound—a heartbeat, gentle drumming, or even your breath. Rhythm helps regulate the nervous system and opens the door to insight.
Let the Rhythm Move You
In many traditions, rhythm is medicine. The steady pulse of a drum can help quiet mental noise and reconnect us with our body’s natural wisdom.
During Sonic Induction Drum Journeys at The Lotus Center, our Spiritual Care Director, Dr. Jude O’Higgins, Ph.D., guides participants to use sound and breath as gateways to deeper awareness. You don’t need prior experience—just a willingness to surrender to the drum beat and connect with yourself on a deeper level. You can learn more about Jude’s upcoming drum journeys here.
Even at home, you can experiment:
- Tap gently on your heart or legs with your hand or tap to the beat of a metronome and try to align your breath to a chosen rhythm.
- Listen to soft drumming or ambient music while journaling.
- Listen to rhythmic ocean waves while you are falling asleep.
- Listen to your favorite song and focus in on the rhythm of it.
Do you notice how rhythm helps thoughts loosen and emotions soften? Does it feel calming in your body? Over time, rhythm becomes a form of psycho spiritual therapy—a way to bridge body and spirit, intellect and intuition. It can even create alternate states of consciousness.
Honor Grief and Growth Alike
Muddy waters often hold loss—of a person, a dream, or a version of ourselves. Grief can feel heavy, but it is also fertile ground for renewal.
If you are grieving, try setting aside a few minutes each week to honor what you miss. Light a candle, write a letter, or sit quietly with an image that reminds you of love. Grief transforms when it is witnessed with compassion. Read more about managing grief with breath work here.
At The Lotus Center, Jude’s grief groups and spiritual care sessions provide safe space to explore this transformation. Exploration might look like story, silence, or just connection. Group participants in our grief groups and in our Death Cafe often share that being seen in their sorrow helps them rediscover a sense of sacred balance. Here is a link to these groups and upcoming dates for them.
Gentle Curiosity is a Good First Step toward Spiritual Growth
The path to spiritual wellbeing is not about perfection. It’s about curiosity or staying open to what each experience is offering you. When you feel stuck, ask:
Is there something to learn from this discomfort?
How can I soften, even slightly, around what I cannot change?
What helps me feel grounded or connected to something larger than myself?
Sometimes these questions are best explored with support, whether in counseling, spiritual direction, or an integrative retreat. Healing is personal, but it’s not meant to be solitary.
When You’re Ready for Support
If you’re moving through your own muddy waters, know that help and community are available. At The Lotus Center, our spiritual care offerings—including drum journeys, one-on-one sessions, grief groups, and ketamine-assisted spiritual retreats—are designed to nurture the whole person: mind, body, and spirit.
Each experience is guided by Jude’s compassionate presence and grounded in practices that restore meaning and hope. You are not alone in your becoming; the path may be murky, but it leads toward light.
A Short Guided Meditation for Spiritual Growth
Sit or stand in a place where you can be still for a few minutes.
Take one slow breath in… and one long breath out.
Repeat a few times as you notice your balance settling in.
Imagine roots stretching downward from your feet or seat, through cool mud, reaching deeper for strength. Send them as deep as you like.
Imagine your head is a lotus flower, slowly softening, opening, and blooming. What color is it?
How does it feel to become the lotus: rooted, opening, and growing?
For more information on receiving spiritual support, tapping into spiritual growth, or meditations for spiritual growth, please schedule a FREE 15-minute consult with our Spiritual Care Director, Jude O’Higgins, by calling 385-272-4292 or filling out this form.
