Signs You Are Out of Alignment & How to Get Back On Track

One thing you'll hear people talk about a lot in the Spirituality space is about being in alignment. But what does this mean exactly?

The woo-woo answer is that something is said to "be in alignment" when it coincides with your life's purpose and highest good.

Here's an example from my life recently that may help better illustrate how we know when something is not in alignment.

I was seeing a guy who seemed really nice, we enjoyed each other's company and we had a lot in common. On paper, we seemed like a good fit. Energetically, however, something was way off. I was tired all the time. And not just tired but need an energy drink to get through the day level tired. This was not normal for me. I am not someone who usually even drinks a cup of coffee in the morning, and I have not had more than two energy drinks since finishing graduate school two years ago. Something was definitely off.

But, even this far into my Spiritual journey, do I often remember to stop and check in with my body? No. I kept trucking along, sucking down outrageous amounts of caffeine, B vitamins and whatever else they put in those things just to make it through the day and still feeling like I got run over by three Mac trucks by 5 p.m.

After a couple of weeks things were obviously not going well between us so I cut things off. Within a day (and this is not an exaggeration) my energy was restored to its normal level and I felt more rested than I had in weeks.

This is the difference between what being in alignment and not being in alignment can look like. Here are some other ways being out of alignment can manifest:

• Anxiety

• Illness

• Insomnia

• Relationship issues

• Skin issues (acnes, psoriasis, eczema)

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Lack of appetite

• Dizziness/lightheadedness

• Guilt

• Need for attention or approval

• Emptiness

• Feeling "stuck" or like you need change

• The fixation on obtaining material things without fulfillment

• Feeling that something is "off"

• Feeling disconnected from the "real" you

• The need for constant distraction

• Irritability

So how do you decide if something you are feeling is because something is out of alignment?

You will often hear this phrase "drop into your heart space" or "drop into your body."

But what does this mean?

It simply means to take a moment and focus your attention on your heart chakra - that space in the middle of your chest where your heart is situated. When you focus your attention on that spot, ask your Higher Self and the Universe what you are feeling and what is meant for you. Are you in alignment with your purpose in that moment? Then take a minute and really feel into what the Universe is telling you.

This takes practice and you may find it challenging at first, but I promise, it will get easier. You will learn to connect to your body and your Higher Self. You will become more aware of how the Universe speaks through your body and how misalignment manifests through you.

The most important part is remembering to take time to recognize it. Even nearly a decade into my journey, I tend to have the human instinct to ignore what the Universe is telling me, thinking I know better, doing what I want to do, rather than listening to how the Universe is guiding me.

I caution you that if and when you do this (because you will do this, too) the Universe will continue to warn you and will continue to put lessons and obstacles in your way to push you back onto your Divine Path. But that, friends, is a story for another time. A story I will write very soon.