Meditation for soul growth is something I’ve been trying (and mostly failing at) for like almost three years now, sitting here in my tiny apartment outside DC with the radiator clanking like it’s personally offended by winter.
I used to think soul growth meditation was gonna be this beautiful, Instagram-worthy thing—soft candlelight, perfect posture, suddenly understanding the universe. Yeah… no. Most days it’s me sitting on a yoga block because my hips hate me, phone on airplane mode but still somehow vibrating from a notification that snuck through, and my brain screaming about the email I forgot to send last Tuesday.
Why I Even Started Chasing Soul Growth Through Meditation
Three years ago I was having what my therapist politely called “a prolonged period of dysregulation” (translation: I was losing my damn mind). Work was soul-crushing, my relationship was circling the drain, I was drinking too much oat milk matcha lattes at 9pm like that was gonna fix anything.
Someone on reddit (of course) said “try meditation for soul growth, it’s not just calming down, it actually changes who you are at the core.” I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my own brain. But I was desperate so I tried.
First week I lasted 4 minutes before I checked Twitter. Second week I made it to 8 minutes but spent the whole time planning my revenge fantasy against my old boss. Month two… okay something started shifting. Not dramatically. Just… quietly.
What Actually Happens When You Stick With Soul Growth Meditation (The Ugly Parts)
Here’s the real list nobody puts in the pretty Pinterest quotes:
- Your shadow stuff comes up FAST. Like, hi, remember that time you were mean to your little brother in 2007? Yeah we’re processing that today at 6:12am apparently.
- You’ll cry. A lot. Sometimes for no reason. Sometimes because the way the light hit your coffee mug felt too beautiful and it made you sad that everything ends.
- Your ego HATES this practice. My brain literally yells “THIS IS BORING YOU’RE WASTING TIME” every single day like clockwork at minute 9.
- Weirdly… you start noticing love in stupid places. The way the barista drew a little heart in my latte foam. The homeless guy who still said “have a blessed day” even though it was pouring. Stuff like that starts hurting in a good way.
My Current (Very Imperfect) Routine That Somehow Kinda Works
I’m not gonna pretend I’m enlightened. I’m really really not.
But this is what I’m doing in 2026 that actually seems to move the needle on soul growth:
- 11–18 minutes. That’s my sweet spot. 20 feels like torture, 10 feels like cheating.
- I sit on the floor even though my back complains. Something about being closer to the ground feels less… performative?
- No music most days. The radiator and the neighbors yelling at their dog is my white noise now.
- When thoughts come I say “hey buddy” out loud sometimes. Makes me laugh and takes the power away.
- After I finish I write one honest sentence about what I felt. Some days it’s literally “I hate this and I’m doing it anyway.” That still counts.
The Contradictions I’m Currently Living With
I meditate for soul growth and I still yelled at my DoorDash driver last week because my burrito bowl had too much cilantro (I’m sorry Pablo, I was wrong).
I feel more connected to “something bigger” and also more annoyed at small talk than ever before.
I’m kinder to strangers and harsher on myself some days.
It’s messy. It’s human. I think that’s the point maybe.
Final Rambling Thoughts (aka I’m Done For Today)
Look… meditation for soul growth isn’t gonna fix your life. It’s not a personality upgrade download. It’s more like slowly turning the volume down on the bullshit story you keep telling yourself, so sometimes you can hear what’s actually going on underneath.
