When Spiritual Work Feels Stuck — What to Do Next

Grey weather has a way of turning the volume up on everything. When the rain keeps coming, the sky stays dim, and the clocks change, it is easy to feel like you are dragging your body through a season your calendar refuses to respect. We talk honestly about that push and pull: the pressure to keep producing during the holiday run up while your nervous system quietly asks for rest, warmth, and a little less noise.

We share a grounded approach for low motivation and seasonal stress: cut yourself some slack, give yourself credit for what you...

What happens when life stops feeling simply “hard” and starts feeling like chaos?In this episode, we explore what it means to find ourselves in “the deep” — those moments of overwhelm, trauma, illness, panic, or profound uncertainty when we feel like we’re losing our footing.

Our conversation draws on Bible scholar and professor Dave Nienhuis and his book And the Sea Was No More: Reading the Bible in the Deep, exploring the Bible’s powerful imagery of water and chaos — from the darkness of Genesis to Revelation’s vision that “the sea will be no more.”

We explore the im...

October arrives like a quiet turning of the page and it can change how we move through our days if we let it. We’re leaning into the “October magic” that isn’t about hype or hustle, but about reflection, gratitude, and coming home to ourselves. If your brain feels crowded with to-do lists and your energy feels split, this conversation offers a calmer way to find direction without forcing answers.  

We talk about October as a season of remembering: the people who helped shape who we are, the support we only recognise in hindsight, and the kind of g...

I’m recording from Dartmoor during a stretch of massive life transitions, the kind where you can feel something good forming but you cannot see the whole staircase. When a planned recording fails and the sound drops out, I take it as a sign to pause, breathe, and share what is real instead: uncertainty, gratitude, and what it means to keep moving with only the next step in view.  

A few moments out on the moor crack open bigger questions. Watching wild Dartmoor ponies from a respectful distance becomes a lesson in love and boundaries.

Fro...

Money feels tight for so many of us right now, and that pressure can quietly seep into our choices, relationships, social lives, and even our ability to enjoy ordinary moments.

In this episode, we talk honestly about the “cash-strapped” climate and what it feels like when salaries don’t seem to keep pace with the cost of living. We explore how financial stress can shrink our world — making us say no to social plans, worry about everyday spending, and lose some of the lightness and spontaneity that brings us joy.

But this isn’t a rant, and...

August can feel like a pause button you didn’t ask for, but might actually need. We’re in the last stretch of summer, and instead of pushing a new routine or chasing a “better version” of ourselves, we take a gentler route: reflection, release, and real rest. If you’ve been feeling tired, stretched thin, or quietly overwhelmed, this conversation is a reminder that you don’t have to fix your whole life right now. Sometimes the most powerful reset is deciding what you’re no longer willing to carry.  

 The episode ends with an August-inspired guided meditatio...

We talk with Chris Lippincott about building spiritual awareness without giving up religion, starting from his skeptical Wall Street past and the meditation practice that changed his life. We explore intention, evidence, and simple habits that help us feel calmer, more present, and more connected to spirit.
• Chris’s journey from finance to spiritual awakening through daily meditation
• A vivid out-of-body experience and the feeling of unconditional love
• Working with fear by focusing on intention and the energy you invite
• The difference between religion as structure and spirituality as direct connection
• How meditation quiets the “monkey...

A black sky in the middle of the day will humble you fast. After a week of intense UK heat, I get caught in a lightning storm so loud it feels like bombs in the clouds and so bright it turns my whole house into a strobe. It is frightening, but it also snaps me into the kind of presence we all say we want and rarely reach when life feels “normal.”  

From that moment, I follow the thread into resilience and uncertainty. When things stack up, from stressful surprises to health worries, what actually helps? I talk...

Craig Meriwether is the founder of Sacred Mystery Hypnotherapy, specializing in past life regression and spiritual hypnotherapy. His work is dedicated to helping individuals experience emotional healing, spiritual awakening, and profound personal transformation.

 The subconscious is built for safety, it may keep old pain like a smoke alarm that never got reset—firing anxiety, anger, or shutdown long after the original event has passed. In this episode, we unpack:

Six years of showing up has taught us something surprising: the biggest thing that limits our lives is rarely a lack of talent, it’s fear. Fear of judgment. Fear of getting it wrong. Fear that our gifts won’t be welcomed.

What happens when old hurts turn into a “protective wall” that slowly blocks your confidence and dims your light?

We get practical about overcoming fear and anxiety without pretending they disappear overnight. We talk about the trap of self-criticism, why you don’t need to “fix everything” to grow, and how to balance...

When life gets overwhelming, it’s easy to believe progress only counts if it’s perfect. In this episode, I share a personal reset from a tired, overbooked week and the mindset shift that helped me stop spiraling and start moving again.

We explore the power of small wins, why five to ten minutes a day can protect your momentum, and how mindfulness, breath, and gentle movement can help you feel calmer, clearer, and more focused. We also reflect on Ikigai — the Japanese philosophy of purpose — and the quiet truth that your value doesn’t have to be huge...

Your mental health does not always need a dramatic breakthrough. Sometimes it needs a small reset you can repeat, especially when the world feels intense and your mind will not stop replaying everything at once.

We start by grounding ourselves in May’s seasonal energy, whether you’re moving through spring brightness or an autumn shift toward letting go. From there, we share five practical mental health tips that are simple and realistic.

The episode closes with a spring-inspired guided meditation and visualisation. If you’ve been craving direction, calm, and a doable next step...

Men’s Mental Health: Why It Matters and How to Help. We’re joined by Stefanos Koutsoumpis, a PhD who left physics and multinational IT after realising success doesn’t guarantee happiness. We talk openly about how depression can hide behind a “good life,” and why many men don’t notice it until it shows up as stress, numbness, or shutdown.

We explore what actually helps—moving beyond surface-level self-help to deeper needs like meaning, values, and emotional awareness. Stefanos shares why therapy works when quick fixes don’t, and how to better support the men in your life by cre...

We are joined by  Positive Psychologist & Creator of Psychosomatic Intelligence Max Weigand.  He helps us to break down the science of decision fatigue and the deeper truth behind self-control. In this episode, we unpack some of the biggest misconceptions around stress, motivation, and willpower—and why pushing harder isn’t always the answer. We explore Psychosomatic Intelligence™ (PSQ) and what it really means to work with your nervous system instead of against it.

We talk about how your emotional state shapes your focus, decisions, and performance, and why even high achievers can still find themselves stuck in cycles o...

Resistance can be sneaky. It shows up right before the things that actually make us feel better, like rolling out the yoga mat, lacing up running shoes, sitting to meditate, or picking up a pen to write. On an Easter weekend with that early-spring buzz in the air, I talk through what resistance feels like in real life and why it doesn’t mean you’re failing. Sometimes the “I don’t want to” moment is the practice.

I share how I work with it using small, practical steps instead of willpower speeches: getting the gear ready, making the...

Healing doesn’t have to start by ripping open old wounds. Sometimes the most honest first step is simpler: notice what your body is already doing to help you, then let that support grow.

I’m joined by Steven Hoskinson , founder of Organic Intelligence and a leading voice in post-traumatic growth. We explore why the standard “dig into the trauma” model can backfire for some people, and what it looks like to build real capacity instead. Stephen explains how your biology constantly sends signals of regulation, comfort, and reorganization, small shifts in breath, posture, attention, and memo...

The spring equinox doesn’t ask you to hustle harder, it offers something rarer: balance. I’m the Gentle Yoga Warrior, and today I’m sharing the quiet moment that sparked this reflection a tangerine early sky, birds moving through their morning, and that calm space before the human world gets loud. That pause becomes our entry point into the meaning of the spring equinox, a seasonal transition honored across cultures for centuries.

We break down what the equinox is in simple terms: the point when day and night are equal in length, rooted in the idea of “eq...

We explore why constant stimulation makes it harder to create, think, and feel present, and why a little “boredom” can be the doorway back to curiosity. 

Your best ideas might be hiding in the exact place you’ve been trained to avoid: quiet. We talk about why modern life pushes us to fill every gap with noise, scrolling, and constant “doing,” and how that endless stimulation can dull creativity, weaken presence, and leave you feeling oddly disconnected from your own day.  

We unpack a simple reframe: boredom isn’t a flaw, it’s a form of contemplation...

What if the problem isn’t people who don’t fit, but the idea of “normal” itself? We sit down with Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana—pastor, coach, author, and parent—to rethink how we measure worth, design community, and navigate seasons of change. With warmth and candor, MaryAnn shares how her family’s journey with anxiety, depression, and neurodivergence reframed success from fitting in to living fully. Instead of treating difference as defect, she invites us to widen our shared spaces so diverse minds and tender hearts can belong without shrinking.

We unpack the subtle pressures of productivity c...

Some patterns feel older than our memories. When recurring symptoms, looping breakups, and nameless dread don’t match our life story, we start asking different questions. I sit down with author Chris Nielsen to trace a decade-long journey from chronic, unexplained illness to holistic healing and past-life regression—and why the most powerful answers arrived when she stopped chasing labels and listened for origins.

Chris Nielsen's website

https://chrisnielsenbooks.com/

Chris opens up about early health struggles that defied clean diagnoses, the teacher who first linked body, energy, and emotion. We explore how a se...

Ever feel like you have to apologise for slowing down? After an unexpected laptop failure forced time away from screens, I found an unexpected gift: presence. That pause became a teacher, revealing how attention returns when noise falls away and how rest can be a strategy, not a setback.

 We open the door to a softer way of living through February’s in-between space. To ground this shift, we guide a short, accessible meditation. Sit tall on a cushion or chair, breathe slowly, and say: I trust the timing of my life. 

 If you’re ready t...

February offers a different path: quiet power. We lean into the month’s subtle energy and unpack how to stop forcing outcomes and start trusting what’s forming beneath the surface. Instead of chasing momentum, we build it by stabilising our bodies, our routines, and our nervous systems.

We walk through the shift from January’s idea storm to February’s integration phase. 

Since February often is associated with the heart, we explore self love as fertile soil for all relationships. 

To anchor it all, we guide a three minute grounding...

What if the voice you keep sidelining is the one built to lead you? We sit down with Dr. Toni LaMotta to trace a brave arc from a vow of obedience to a life rooted in discernment, self-trust, and inner authority. Through lived experience and gentle, repeatable practices, Toni shows how to hear the guidance that’s already there—and how to act on it with courage.

We unpack fear as information, not a flaw, and explore a playful model where your “barking dog” (anxious mind) and your spirit (calm knowing) both speak—but only one deserves the final...

January can feel heavy after Christmas: routines resume, bills arrive, and the cold bites harder than we remember. We wanted to offer something warmer than a pep talk—a mix of practical money calming and sensory richness that helps you feel abundant even when funds run low. Together we unpack why the post-holiday dip hits so hard and how to replace panic with a plan you can actually follow, then layer in small rituals that make ordinary days feel spacious and kind.


We guide you into a forest meditation recorded with birdsong and the hush of wa...

We start by reframing January from a sprint to a season of setup. You’ll hear how a playful mood board clarifies what you want to invite this year without turning goals into punishment. From there, we outline a one-habit-per-month strategy that keeps focus sharp and progress steady—think fewer grand gestures, more consistent steps. If the gym is on your list, we map out how to start small, observe your energy and schedule, and only then add intensity. The same approach applies to reducing sugar, drinking more water, reading more, or exploring a job change.

Alon...

We've rebranded and this message to explain why! Previously we were called: Awakened Consicous Conversations Podcast but we have rebranded to: When Spiritual Work Feels Stuck- What To Do next.

Feeling spiritually stuck can feel lonely, confusing, and strangely noisy—like you’re trying every practice you know but none of it lands. We’re changing that. Our newly named show, When Spiritual Work Feels Stuck, What to Do Next, zeroes in on the exact moments where growth plateaus and offers clear, compassionate steps to regain traction without burning out or overthinking.

We walk you throug...

Holiday peace isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about noticing what’s real, caring for yourself, and choosing timing that supports your nervous system. Old triggers, and past experiences can distort the present. Chart a gentler path through winter: trade harsh resolutions for “changes” that start in February, and use December and January as a sanctuary for reflection, planning, and financial reset.

To anchor calm, we guide a cozy holiday meditation: a fire-lit room, the scent of pine and spice.

 If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a gentler Jan...

What if the person you needed years ago is the person you are now? I take you through a candid self-interview on growth, spirituality, and the quiet work of becoming.

 I share how small, ordinary moments—like a hot cup of tea during loss—can become anchor points, and how noticing them keeps us from bypassing real feelings. We dig into the difference between performing spirituality and practicing it: not lofty labels, but how we treat others, ourselves, and the world when no one is watching.

 What no longer fits? What tiny habit helps...

If you’ve felt stretched thin by December’s pace and everyone’s expectations, this conversation is your reset button. We look at how to treat your time as sacred, why good people can still resist your growth, and what it takes to protect dreams without burning bridges. The goal isn’t to retreat from life; it’s to design it—five quiet minutes at a time.

We dive into the subtle ways we abandon our path: constant accommodating, busywork that feels productive but isn’t, and the fear of being seen trying. You’ll hear practical scripts for boun...

The calendar may be crammed, but December itself invites a different pace—slower, quieter, deeply restorative.  We lean into that invitation and map a soulful December that helps you release the weight of the year, reflect with clarity, and prepare for the returning light. From a simple five‑minute journaling ritual to a gentle dusk‑to‑dawn guided meditation, this conversation offers grounded practices that fit real life and bring your nervous system back to calm.

As the solstice approaches, we focus on preparing foundations for a brighter year without the pressure of brittle resolutions. Think mindful transitio...

Beauty doesn’t start at the mirror; it starts in your energy. We sit down with Nina Gan—BBC‑trained makeup artist, commercial veteran, and sound healing practitioner—to trace how resilience practices like gong baths and kundalini yoga can reshape confidence, soften self‑judgment, and make makeup feel like self‑expression instead of self‑erasure. From Red Dwarf prosthetics to island shoots with Elizabeth Hurley, Nina’s career spans high art and hard days, including injury and personal upheaval that forced a full reset and a new philosophy of care.

Together, we unpack what really changes after 40 and why...

It's our 250th episode and a milestone deserves meaning, so we invited mystical comedian and author Justin L. Shaw to help us rethink trauma recovery with curiosity, humour, and a grounded spiritual toolkit. Justin’s story moves from an affection‑starved childhood to addiction, jail cells, and the grind of “just functioning,” then pivots into a profound awakening he calls a bliss attack—an experience that reframed reality as a persistent illusion and taught him how to plug into source on purpose.

Justin's contact details: https://www.awakenthesourcerer.com
We dig into his book Sorce...

When the Halloween nights draw in, we look for light—on our porches, in our memories, and in the people who raised us or perhaps didn't. This conversation steps into Samhain, the Celtic end of summer and midpoint between equinox and solstice. Bonfires, pumpkins and daily moments of gratitude for our ancestors.

The heart of the episode is emotional validation—how to listen without agreeing, how to reflect feelings with simple, caring language, and how to reduce defensiveness so real dialogue can happen. You’ll hear practical phrases you can use today, guidance for pausing before you react...

The nights are a little darker, and your mind a touch louder—perfect conditions to meet your truth with calm focus. We step into Scorpio season with a gentle, practical path: ground the body, quiet the noise, and let clarity surface through simple daily rituals that actually fit a full life.

By the end, you’ll have a toolkit for honest self-inquiry without overwhelm: a journaling habit you’ll keep, an evening routine that protects your rest, and a visualisation that turns inner noise into quiet direction. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs a rese...

A simple walk through Kew Gardens became a doorway to wonder. Wandering past Victorian glasshouses and autumn leaves, I stumbled into a rare moment of stillness: a young deer foraging in the quiet. That encounter wasn’t just beautiful—it reshaped how one can think about courage, grace, and the way the unexpected can interrupt a tired routine and hand us back our attention.

That poise inspired a guided meditation that carries you into a moonlit forest: crystalline trees, a humming river, silver light, and a warm blanket of belonging. The imagery isn’t fluff—it’s a m...

Forget balancing acts—the more we try to separate “work” from “life,” the more exhausted we feel. We sit down with Heather Stewart—former corporate finance executive turned yoga teacher, coach, and host of Illuminate Your Worth—to explore a bolder approach: integrate everything so your health, relationships, work, money, and spirit pull in the same direction. Heather shares the moment that reshaped her lens and birthed her Thriving Life Method and a simple truth: resilience is built before the crisis.

We dig into midlife realities—menopause, shifting identities, and careers that no longer fit—and how small, honest choi...

The wind was fierce, branches snapped, and yet the trees offered a lesson: let go with dignity and trust the season. That image sparked a conversation about grace—not as niceness or passive compliance, but as elegant strength and a workable alternative to judgment, outrage, and control. We share why grace is the heartbeat of the soul, how anxiety hijacks our best intentions, and what it looks like to “show, don’t tell” your values when the world is loud.

We talk about the difference between dogma and lived faith, why the most grounded people rarely need to persu...

Have you ever considered that your anxiety isn't trying to hurt you, but actually trying to save you? This perspective-shifting conversation with author and pastor Cody Deese challenges everything we've been taught about anxiety and offers a revolutionary approach to healing.

Cody shares his remarkable 40-year journey with debilitating anxiety that began in childhood. From unexplained retching episodes at football games to panic attacks during everyday conversations, his condition remained misdiagnosed until age 40 when a therapist finally identified it as a panic disorder. This revelation marked the beginning of his healing journey and led to the insights...

When tiredness hits – not the everyday kind, but the bone-deep exhaustion that occasionally visits – it's often a message worth listening to. I share my recent experience of honouring these signals instead of pushing through them. There's profound wisdom in distinguishing between procrastination and genuine self-care, between "should do" and "need to be." This isn't about abandoning responsibilities, but approaching them with greater attunement to our authentic needs.

Nature offers us the perfect model for this balanced approach. Just as trees release their leaves in autumn—not as failure but as strategic conservation of energy—we too can lear...

The paradox of modern life is that we've never been more connected yet never felt more disconnected. This profound tension sits at the heart of our latest episode, "To Be or Not To Be," where we explore how reclaiming the lost art of simply being might be our most revolutionary act.

Have you noticed how the world seems to be contracting rather than expanding? From political systems that appear misaligned with public welfare to the tangible decline in biodiversity (remember when country drives meant insect-splattered windshields?), something essential feels like it's slipping away. What's being lost is...