Infograph: The 5 Stages of Spiritual Development - The Unfolding of a Flower

I believe nature holds the secrets to life. In some ways, the path to spiritual enlightenment is similar to the blossoming of a flower. People who find themselves lost or insecure must start somewhere, from the acts of planting the seed to growing the roots, discovering who you are, and blossoming your soul, takes time.

The path to spirituality comes when one opens their mind to the opportunity of change. Staying rooted with fear, and being scared for something new, will not allow a flower to grow. People fear change because they know they will detach from old things, people, habits or ways.
 
Many people refrain from spiritual change because of fear, but also because of skepticism, logic or chronic self-judgment.  The biggest barrier to spiritual development is the need to change habits, specifically mental and emotion habits, breakdowns and anxiety attacks.

It’s about changing one’s mindset and balancing the thoughts between the head and the heart. Based on my life experience, and what I was taught via theEight Limbs of Yoga and the Yoga tree, I believe spiritual development is similar to the growth of a flower.
 
Humans love flowers. Nature needs flowers and they are some of the most beautiful creations on this planet. In order to blossom and be beautiful inside, you must take the road less traveled, which looks a lot like the flower’s growth.
 
Stage One – The Seed
Planting the seed is the first step to growth. If we want to grow flowers we must plant the seeds. People who are lost may think about change. They also think about what they need to do in order to change or break patterns. This may go through the avenues of seeing a therapist, signing up for a yoga course or visiting a healer.
 
Thinking is planting the seed into one’s mind about change. Much energy spent in this stage revolves around thinking and researching options.

Seeds are hard and tough and the ego and darkness wants to hold you back, but through listening to one’s higher self they evolve to seedlings. 

 Stage Two – Seedling
In nature, a seedling is a young plant birthed from a seed. A seed is actually planted into the ground and the seedling is the first sign of life sprouted from underground. Gardeners may cover seedlings, but if left covered for too long, the seedling dies. In order to thrive, seedlings require air and light. 

I equate this stage to the actions taken toward spiritual change. This stage takes time and is not easy for most. A person may find talking to a psychologist works for the first weeks but then realizes this type of therapy is not right for them. A person may switch therapies, but the actual commitment towards getting help is the first sign of life for the soul to sprout from the underground and bask in the riches of potential and the light.
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Seedlings are delicate. This represents the vulnerability some feel by exposing themselves and releasing the darkness from within. Seedlings are in a development stage, and this is exactly what stage two represents – development and growth. And the person has two choices, to continue the path of growth or to remain covered and rooted in old ways.
 
Stage Three – Leaves and Stems
Seedlings grow and develop leaves, stems and roots. It’s a vegetative stage where the stem thickens, the leaves grow taller and the roots spread.

Spiritually, this stage occurs through breaking patterns and allowing one’s soul to grow and breathe. Someone who’s been doing meditation or yoga “religiously” for six months will feel, look and think differently than they did six months prior.

Stage three occurs when people let in more light than darkness. They may struggle, but each time they do something for their soul they are thickening their backbone, growing their wings and staying grounded. 

Stage Four – Flower Buds
The budding stage occurs immediately when the flower bud forms. The flower then goes through a stage called heliotropism, which means the leaves and buds move to follow the course of the sun throughout the day.
 
It takes a while to bud, but a person is budding when the therapies are working. Like a flower, they follow the light. They are seeing progress and results and are nearly independent. They start to expose the light from within and their mindset has switched.

The person may have doubts, as that is normal, but they are almost in bloom.
 
Stage Five – Bloom
Once a flower blooms, the flower is independent from heliotropism and blossoming can take several days, which happens from the outside toward the middle point. Once the flower blossoms, it eventually ripens, which allows the seeds to fall to be planted.
 
The blooming stage occurs when a person is in check with his or her emotions and mental state. The mindset changed and the old ways of doing things, or over-reacting, are in the past.

The person feels, sees and breathes in the light. Their roots are so deep that they stay grounded in times of chaos. Their backbone (stalk) is as strong as a tree, so the branches may sway but are rooted and cannot be swayed back into old ways of doing things.

Externally, the person looks different and most claim they feel different internally.

The bloom stage is spiritual liberation. It’s the “end” of the journey from darkness to light. The person knows that learning, wisdom and change never has an end, but knows how to remain strong during tough times.

Once they continue this path, their seeds fall into the earth, helping other souls to find their way to the light. Replanting those seeds also aides them on their future problems. They know problems will never go away but are equipped with the strength, knowledge and tools on how to better handle life's problems. 

Elizabeth Rae Kovar M.A. is a trainer, health coach and author of Finding Om: An Indian Journey of Rickshaws, Chai, Chapattis and Gurus. Kovar has undergone various spiritual experiences throughout her life and now shares her experiences with the world to inspire people to break patterns, reach their potential and cultivate a thoughtful life. 

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