Inner Work 281: 5 Habits that BLOCK Your Spiritual Gifts & Growth (How to Recognize Them)

Every one of us carries innate spiritual gifts - intuition, healing abilities, multidimensional awareness, the capacity to sense what lies beyond the veil. But too often, without realizing it, we get in our own way and engage in habits or patterns that block the full expression of these gifts.  In this episode of INNER WORK, we explore five common (and often unconscious) habits that delay spiritual awakening and keep you from fully activating and living from your gifts... plus how to recognize each one with compassion, not judgment. This is a deep, honest look at the inner and outer obstacles that we often run into as humans on the spiritual path. There's no toxic shame or self-blaming here, just an open invitation to expand your awareness of these old patterns, release what doesn't serve, and reclaim your full, authentic power.  In this episode, we cover: Impatience & self-doubt — how fear-based doubt about your gifts (and your healing journey) can quietly sabotage your progress, and why meeting self-doubt with clarity — rather than believing it — is essential Slipping into unconsciousness or ego mind — the old coping mechanisms (overworking, people-pleasing, numbing out) that pull you out of presence, and how ego convinces you that you or your gifts "aren't enough" Spiritual bypassing — using spiritual tools, places, or practices to escape reality rather than integrating it, and why true growth requires grounding your spirituality in everyday human life Outgrowing or mismatching your support systems — how to discern when therapists, healers, or other guides are (or aren't) equipped to support you through a genuine spiritual awakening Energetic discernment — why being selective about who and what you allow into your inner circle and energy field directly impacts your ability to stay aligned and let your gifts flow Whether you're just beginning to awaken to your gifts or you're deepening your existing spiritual connection, this episode offers grounded, compassionate guidance for recognizing what's been holding you back... and reclaiming your full spiritual expression. For additional support, here's my "Activate Your Spiritual Gifts" Guided Meditation in the Akashic Records: https://youtu.be/Gdkqguu1kY0 I mentioned author, spiritual teacher, and psychiatrist Stanislav Grof in this episode. If you want to explore his work further, I recommend his books Spiritual Emergency and The Stormy Search for the Self. Thank you for being here, doing your inner work, and leading the way for others with your light. It makes a difference! **** Get the FREE Akashic Records Mini Course + weekly newsletter: https://josephinehardman.com/akashic-records-intro/ Explore YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@healer.josephine Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/healer.josephine Connect through my website: https://josephinehardman.com Contact: [email protected] **** Inner Work 2026 All Rights Reserved.

Are you ready to awaken and fully claim your intuitive, healing, and multidimensional gifts? In this powerful guided meditation, we journey into the Akashic Records to clear the blocks, self-doubt, and old fear holding you back... so we can activate your full spiritual potential. In this session, you'll be guided to activate: ✨ Clairvoyance (Clear Seeing) — receive messages through your spiritual sight & third eye, and be able to see beyond the veil of physical reality  ✨ Clairsentience (Clear Sensing/Feeling) — feel truth in your body and discern intuitive guidance  ✨ Claircognizance (Clear Knowing) — access deep inner knowing and multi-lifetime wisdom ✨ Clairaudience (Clear Hearing) — hear the truth beneath words, connect to the guidance of your Higher Self, and receive Spirit's messages ✨ Healing — awaken your body's full capacity to heal and your power as a Lightworker Carve out this sacred time, get as comfortable as you can, and let yourself be held in this journey. All you need is an open heart and a willingness to receive. 👉 If this meditation supports you, hit subscribe so you don't miss future sessions... and share it with someone who needs to reconnect with their gifts. Suggested guidance to get the MOST from this meditation: make sure you can carve out sacred time for yourself and won't be interrupted eliminate background noise and distraction as much as possible listen with headphones or on your favorite speakers set an intention to leave mental chatter, ego mind, unrelated to-do lists or thoughts, etc and any other form of resistance at the door (as much as possible) please release expectations or attachments about how this meditation "should" unfold, and stay open to wherever the Records take you. The Akashic Records always provide us with EXACTLY what we most need, every time we journey there (never more and never less) get as physically comfortable as you can. It doesn't matter if you do this meditation sitting up or lying down; whatever feels most supportive for your body is great. You can also experiment with closing your eyes to go deeply within, or keeping your eyes softly open please do not drive or operate heavy machinery while listening to this : )   Thank you for being here, doing your inner work, and leading the way for others with your light. It makes a difference! **** Get the FREE Akashic Records Mini Course + weekly newsletter: https://josephinehardman.com/akashic-records-intro/ Explore YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@healer.josephine Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/healer.josephine Connect through my website: https://josephinehardman.com Contact: [email protected] **** Music & editing by G. Demers Inner Work 2026 All Rights Reserved.

As you heal and continue awakening on your spiritual path, you'll often start doing things like: showing up as authentically yourself in the world, setting healthier boundaries, and saying NO instead of compulsively saying YES to things you don't really want to do. You'll also start outgrowing certain people, places, relationships, and situations. As you do all of this, some people will... freak out. Or react defensively. Or take it as a personal rejection. Or minimize the value of what you're doing. Or just not understand. Unconsciously, people might try to sabotage your healing and keep you from growing. Let's talk about WHY this happens, HOW it can show up, and what you can do to keep healing anyway. In episode #3 of "Navigating the Spiritual Crisis", we'll explore: how your spiritual growth and healing can feel threatening, uncomfortable, or inconvenient to other people WHY people might try to unconsciously sabotage your healing (where this impulse really comes from) specific ways in which people might try to derail you or stop your growth the language people might use to mock, minimize, or criticize your spiritual path... especially as you begin asserting and prioritizing yourself why intentional solitude can be a key part of spiritual awakening how to best support yourself through this kind of situation, and continue healing & growing anyway practicing discernment about when, where, and with whom to share your sacred spiritual experiences   Here's the previous episode on "When you feel invisible (or like an alien) around other people": https://youtu.be/-rPUSAXM7Ac In this podcast series, we explore what the spiritual crisis or awakening really is, how it can look and feel, and how you can best navigate it... without self-sabotage, fear, or feeling like you're "going crazy".  Ultimately, the spiritual crisis is your true Self calling you back home. It's a powerful opportunity to shed the old masks, identities, and roles you've been playing or wearing... so you can embody your FULL human & Divine self in this lifetime, and be authentically who you really are. Join me for a no-nonsense, grounded, transformative exploration of the spiritual awakening process and an empowering approach to the dark night of the Soul. Thank you for being here, doing your inner work, and leading the way for others with your light. It makes a difference! **** Get the FREE Akashic Records Mini Course + weekly newsletter: https://josephinehardman.com/akashic-records-intro/ Explore YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@healer.josephine Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/healer.josephine Connect through my website: https://josephinehardman.com Contact: [email protected] **** Music & editing by G. Demers Inner Work 2026 All Rights Reserved.

The Akashic Records are often misunderstood — seen as a static archive of information, reduced to past-life healing, gatekept by claims of special psychic ability, or treated as something you only access through one "correct" method. In this episode, I'm setting the record *about* the Records straight. We're breaking down the top misconceptions that keep people from connecting to the Records consistently and confidently, including: The belief that the Records are purely informational or static The myth that the Akashic Records are only for past-life work (and why "current lifetime relevance" is a core principle of how I teach this practice) The idea that you need to be "psychic" or able to "see" things to receive guidance through the Records The false notion that there's one right prayer, ritual, or method for opening the Records Misconceptions about connecting with spiritual beings and guides (including angels, archangels, Ascended Masters) within the Akashic Field And the #1 myth of all… make sure to catch that one at the end of the episode! The truth? The Akashic Records aren't meant to be reserved for ideal or perfect conditions that rarely exist in daily, human life. They're here to support you in the middle of real life — laundry, inbox, deadlines, kids, chaos, and all. Ultimately, bringing the Records into your everyday decisions, conversations, and emotional states IS the practice. If you're ready to move past the confusion & nonsense and start connecting to the Records with clarity and consistency, this one's for you. You can also watch this as a video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ezwRYkP-kfM Thank you for being here, doing your inner work, and leading the way for others with your light. It makes a difference! **** Get the FREE Akashic Records Mini Course + weekly newsletter: https://josephinehardman.com/akashic-records-intro/ Explore YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@healer.josephine Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/healer.josephine Connect through my website: https://josephinehardman.com Contact: [email protected] **** Inner Work 2026 All Rights Reserved.

Do you sometimes feel invisible (or like an alien) around other people, maybe even your own family? Like everyone else is speaking English, or Spanish, or Japanese, or some other "native" language... and you're speaking alien gibberish that no one can understand?? If so, you're not alone! In this bonus episode of "Navigating the Spiritual Crisis", we'll explore: why spiritual awakening can create an energetic mismatch between you & your old life (including relationships, places, situations, people you used to be ok with) what's really happening, beneath the surface, when you feel invisible even in a room of people why "performing normalcy" or trying to "fit in" can be so exhausting for intuitives, Highly Sensitive People, Starseeds, and Lightworkers examining honestly which relationships & connections are worth keeping in your life post-awakening (and which need to be released) learning to use the present moment - including the feeling or belief of being invisible - as a mindfulness practice & way of being with yourself unconditionally becoming a curious, non-judgmental observer of other people's behaviors personal story from my own life and family dynamics, and how I've been navigating all of this!   In this podcast series, we explore what the spiritual crisis or awakening really is, how it can look and feel, and how you can best navigate it... without self-sabotage, fear, or feeling like you're "going crazy".  Ultimately, the spiritual crisis is your true Self calling you back home. It's a powerful opportunity to shed the old masks, identities, and roles you've been playing or wearing... so you can embody your FULL human & Divine self in this lifetime, and be authentically who you really are. Join me for a no-nonsense, grounded, transformative exploration of the spiritual awakening process and an empowering approach to the dark night of the Soul. Thank you for being here, doing your inner work, and leading the way for others with your light. It makes a difference! **** Get the FREE Akashic Records Mini Course + weekly newsletter: https://josephinehardman.com/akashic-records-intro/ Explore YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@healer.josephine Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/healer.josephine Connect through my website: https://josephinehardman.com Contact: [email protected] **** Inner Work 2026 All Rights Reserved.

In this Akashic Records meditation, we'll carve out sacred time to slow down, retreat from the external world, and return home to your natural inner rhythm. In our modern, fast-moving, often chaotic world, we've gotten lost in the weeds of external noise & chatter & endless stimuli... which also means we've disconnected from the pace of nature and from our own natural, healthy, aligned, inner rhythms. In this guided Akashic Records experience, we'll slow everything down so your body, cells, mind, and Spirit can be restored, refreshed, and inevitably find their way back to balance and wholeness. Join me for this profound journey where you'll receive healing and light directly from the Records (and from Divine Source). Suggested guidance to get the MOST from this meditation: make sure you can carve out sacred time for yourself and won't be interrupted eliminate background noise and distraction as much as possible listen with headphones or on your favorite speakers set an intention to leave mental chatter, ego mind, unrelated to-do lists or thoughts, etc and any other form of resistance at the door (as much as possible) please release expectations or attachments about how this meditation "should" unfold, and stay open to wherever the Records take you. The Akashic Records always provide us with EXACTLY what we most need, every time we journey there (never more and never less) get as physically comfortable as you can. It doesn't matter if you do this meditation sitting up or lying down; whatever feels most supportive for your body is great. You can also experiment with closing your eyes to go deeply within, or keeping your eyes softly open please do not drive or operate heavy machinery while listening to this : )   Thank you for being here, doing your inner work, and leading the way for others with your light. It makes a difference! **** Get the FREE Akashic Records Mini Course + weekly newsletter: https://josephinehardman.com/akashic-records-intro/ Explore YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@healer.josephine Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/healer.josephine Connect through my website: https://josephinehardman.com Contact: [email protected] **** Inner Work 2026 All Rights Reserved.

What's really happening during a spiritual crisis, and what is "ego death"? In this second installment of my "Navigating the Spiritual Crisis" series, we'll explore: what is the spiritual crisis or spiritual awakening? how the spiritual crisis tends to dissolve or break apart the ego, and how this can feel as you're going through it the problem of ego identification: when you feel & believe you ARE your ego, and nothing more why we resist or get stuck in the process of ego death the psychospiritual practice of dis-identifying from ego as a form of powerful self-liberation allowing & welcoming ego death to happen, so you can re-align with your most authentic Self (and get out of suffering)   In this podcast series, we explore what the spiritual crisis or awakening really is, how it can look and feel, and how you can best navigate it... without self-sabotage, fear, or feeling like you're "going crazy".  Ultimately, the spiritual crisis is your true Self calling you back home. It's a powerful opportunity to shed the old masks, identities, and roles you've been playing or wearing... so you can embody your FULL human & Divine self in this lifetime, and be authentically who you really are. Join me for a no-nonsense, grounded, transformative exploration of the spiritual awakening process and an empowering approach to the dark night of the Soul. Thank you for being here, doing your inner work, and leading the way for others with your light. It makes a difference! **** Get the FREE Akashic Records Mini Course + weekly newsletter: https://josephinehardman.com/akashic-records-intro/ Explore YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@healer.josephine Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/healer.josephine Connect through my website: https://josephinehardman.com Contact: [email protected] **** Music & editing by G. Demers Inner Work 2026 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome to your Akashic Records Guidance & Forecast for June 2026! We'll tap into the energy, potentials, and main themes for the upcoming month. The Akashic Records are a flexible, transformative, overarching modality that can be blended with many other tools and approaches - including the Tarot. I often hear from students just how much the Records supercharge all of their other spiritual tools or ways of doing healing work. For our June energy forecast, I did just this: combined the powerful, high-level perspective of the Akashic Records with additional insights, imagery, and messages from the Tarot deck. My intention is for this to serve not just as our monthly forecast, but also as a "demo" of how to combine these two potent modalities. Specifically, I opened the Akashic Records (always to establish that connection FIRST) and randomly pulled 4 Tarot cards for these prompts: overview of incoming energy in June what are we letting go of in June? what are we stepping into in June? Akashic Records message to continue expanding this month   You can watch this as a video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/usExcbKvIok Thank you for being here, doing your inner work, and leading the way for others with your light. It makes a difference! **** Get the FREE Akashic Records Mini Course + weekly newsletter: https://josephinehardman.com/akashic-records-intro/ Explore YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@healer.josephine Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/healer.josephine Connect through my website: https://josephinehardman.com Contact: [email protected] **** Music & editing by G. Demers Inner Work 2026 All Rights Reserved.

In this ongoing podcast series, I interview Akashic Records Practitioners who completed my Akashic Records Certification Program to explore how working with the Records has transformed their lives. We discuss topics such as: what it means to "hear the call of the Records" (and answer that call) the vast healing, personal evolution, and growth that happens when we activate the energy of the Akashic Records in our lives how the Akashic Records can help us fully awaken our intuitive, multidimensional, and healing gifts - both for ourselves and to serve others how tapping into the Akashic field can help us release outdated, long-standing patterns, beliefs, and attachments that aren't serving us the Akashic Records as a potent tool for psychospiritual development and to align fully with your highest purpose as a healer or lightworker   In this episode, I speak with Erin Heisel, PhD, a certified Akashic Records Master Practitioner (through my Certification Program), coach, writer, and founder of Aligned Insight Coaching, where she helps thoughtful, growth-minded people reconnect with their inner wisdom and move forward with clarity, confidence, and intention. Before entering the coaching space, Erin was a professional classical singer, performing on 4 continents, a researcher in the fields of play theory, postmodernism, and mindfulness, presenting research in 3 languages at conferences in the U.S. and abroad, and a college professor. Blending reflective practices, creative frameworks, and intuitive tools, Erin guides clients through meaningful transitions, purpose exploration, and energy-aligned action planning. Additionally certified in life coaching, entrepreneurship, meditation/mindfulness, astrology, tarot, and Reiki (master/teacher), she uses a holistic, heart-centered approach to help clients connect to their own inner wisdom.  Erin holds her PhD in music performance and composition from New York University and completed additional graduate work in psychology and the arts at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University. You can learn more about Erin's work by visiting her website: https://alignedinsightcoaching.com You can also watch this as a video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uJLfwYAn_KA Thank you for being here, doing your inner work, and leading the way for others with your light. It makes a difference! **** Get the FREE Akashic Records Mini Course + weekly newsletter: https://josephinehardman.com/akashic-records-intro/ Explore YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@healer.josephine Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/healer.josephine Connect through my website: https://josephinehardman.com Contact: [email protected] **** Music & editing by G. Demers Inner Work 2026 All Rights Reserved.

What is the spiritual crisis or "dark night of the Soul" - and are you in one right now? (If you are, you're not alone.) Some aspects of the spiritual crisis can include: connecting to dimensions, experiences, realities beyond the 3D, linear, human dimension - can include connecting to "invisible" beings such as Spirit Guides, angels, archangels, ascended masters, mythological figures, etc feeling like you're moving beyond the "world of material things" shifting your orientation from a horizontal perspective (ego-to-ego) to a vertical one (connection to Divine Source) feeling like you no longer (or never) fit into the human reality all around you experiencing a dismantling or breaking apart of relationships, situations, jobs, friendships that aren't aligned with your Soul and don't fulfill you anymore undergoing a persistent questioning about "what is all this for?" or "what's my true purpose?" experiencing an identity crisis, where the old "masks" or personality aspects you used to wear no longer fit   In this new "Navigating the Spiritual Crisis" podcast series, we'll explore what the spiritual crisis or awakening really is, how it can look and feel, and how you can best navigate it... without self-sabotage, fear, or feeling like you're "going crazy".  Ultimately, the spiritual crisis is your true Self calling you back home. It's a powerful opportunity to shed the old masks, identities, and roles you've been playing or wearing... so you can embody your FULL human & Divine self in this lifetime, and be authentically who you really are. Join me for a no-nonsense, grounded, transformative exploration of the spiritual awakening process and an empowering approach to the dark night of the Soul. Thank you for being here, doing your inner work, and leading the way for others with your light. It makes a difference! **** Get the FREE Akashic Records Mini Course + weekly newsletter: https://josephinehardman.com/akashic-records-intro/ Explore YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@healer.josephine Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/healer.josephine Connect through my website: https://josephinehardman.com Contact: [email protected] **** Music & editing by G. Demers Inner Work 2026 All Rights Reserved.