These are exactly the words I needed to help me understand more deeply this next round of awakening in my spiritual practice. This helps me see things so much more clearly when talking about decolonization of spiritual practice, the true meaning of bypassing and the damage it does, and the ways in which capitalism is rooted in that bypassing as well. Thank you so much for this.
Julia, this post has stayed with me since I read it last month. I have often felt the minority in online spaces because the voices that prevail are not like mine, and whilst I initially thought you were one of those voices I still consumed the full, rich and true words that you shared in this post.
It has stayed with me and subconsciously it has been instrumental in writing my most recent post on self-care as an act of social justice, if you get a chance I would love you to read and share your thoughts. I have also spent the day consuming all of your posts and subscribing to your newsletter and I am so, so glad that you are not another majority voice but have your own beautiful, powerful voice whose magic reverberates through your words.
Love this: To combat spiritual bypassing, we must strive to cultivate a spirituality that is rooted in awareness, authenticity, and social responsibility. This entails acknowledging and addressing our own biases, actively engaging with the uncomfortable truths of our world, and working towards creating a more just and equitable society.
This is one of the most brilliant articles I've ever read. I recognized errors I have made myself an errors that I have seen in other people when trying to avoid facing hard things. It bothers me so much that spirituality is commodified and I have never been able to succinctly put into words why but this sums it up completely
THIS! The imposition of spiritual bypassing by church leaders, in order for us to present as good quiet and obedient, is one of the biggest reasons I have needed to separate myself from my Christian upbringing in order to start practicing my spirituality with true authenticity. People try to talk me into staying and changing things from within, but the trauma aspect has been so deep that I can't view it as anything but colonial anymore. I fear staying itself would be an act of spiritual bypassing, and I am no longer willing to place my needs below other people's comforts or sacrifice myself for the sake of conformity. There is only room for authenticity now! ❤️
Thank you so much for writing this! I use to talk about spiritual bypassing a lot on my IG that I now no longer use because the amount of Mal de Ojo I received for speaking out about such things. I was shunned from a spiritual "community" and I honestly felt so exhausted that I took a long break from social media. It's so refreshing to also see allies agreeing and welcoming to this in depth discussion you have shared with us. Although I sadly no longer have the strength to fight this necessary revolution, you have opened up my eyes again!
Oh god, finally someone spoke up about this!!! Thankyou Juliet for bringing this to the surface. Spirituality has transformed to an aesthetic and no longer a process due to the consumerist ordeals. No one can feel worse than seeing their religion practices being sold off to an oversimplified consumerist aesthetic. I wish more people read this and become aware, very well written.
Thank you for taking the time to write this Juliet. First, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the time, effort, and courage it takes to create and share your words so authentically with the world. Secondly, I’ve seen spiritual bypassing happen in my own life with my father. Turning to positive/spiritual videos, books, and preaching about it yet still engaging in toxic behaviour and refusing to deeply address the trauma that it all stems from. His behaviour is a symptom of our sick society. Thinking we are making progress by going through the motions but avoiding the real issues at the root. Whilst I have compassion for him and others who have suffered trauma and feel lost (myself included), it is also an individual responsibility to deal with our stuff so we don’t project it and perpetuate cycles of abuse. The more we are able to clean our hearts, the more deeply we will be able to connect with one another and come together in unity. I wrote a letter to humanity a few months ago that I feel will resonate with you: https://open.substack.com/pub/soulwisdom/p/letter-to-humanity-2?r=a9uns&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Thank you for your words, they were a breath of fresh air. I have been on a spiritual journey for most of my life and realizing only recently that the systems and communities that I have been a part of that were predominately white and status quo holding were not doing so much of this beautiful work you spoke of! It’s why I would quickly recognize “this is not safe space” and work on continuing my journey! Appreciate you 🙏🏼
This article is spot on and explains how yt supremacy has hijacked spirituality. Thank you also for bringing the silence around the genocide to the forefront. Your article also led me to reflect on how yt supremacy is used as a means to justify colonialism and the genocides that goes along with it. Now it’s being used to justify looking away.
Thanks for this article on spiritual bypassing Juliet! I remember 1st encountering this and not understanding (but knowing something was off) back when I did yoga teacher training in 2015 at a studio that didn't have 1 BIPOC person teaching. Along with the major cultural appropriation, the spiritual bypassing went hand in hand. I remember feeling like I was back in high school trying to hang out with the "cool kids" and just not fitting in. Since then I stopped attending any studios and continued my practice at home and connecting with people online who I learned more from then the TT. I've since completely disconnected with everyone I was in TT with because of the unwillingness to see what they have been doing is harmful even though it's right there in front of their faces. Anyhooooo it's nice to know that my instincts and gut feelings were right and the road to decolonizing my mind and practice is so much more fulfilling then pretending everything is sunshine and rainbows and to stuff those feelings down. So happy to be here learning/unlearning more on this platform with all of you! Thanks Juliet 🙏🏼💜
This article is wonderful! I've been doing so much unlearning and I look forward to continuing the work, getting uncomfortable, and building true community 💜🌬️💫
This is so on point! Thank you for bringing this all together here and demonstrating how Spiritual Bypassing is one of the main longstanding casual tenants of yt supremacist delusion. In the past decade, I’ve seen more Black folks harmed and abused at the hands of the yt wellness and spiritual coaching industrial complex. I’m sending this article to my list and everyone I know that works in that space. Thank you Juliet!
Thank you so much for this! I've been looking for a way to bring up the conversation with some "spiritual" friends and had no clue how to do it without seeming like I was attacking them but this article definitely seems like a good way to start that conversation so I'll definitely be sharing with them!
These are exactly the words I needed to help me understand more deeply this next round of awakening in my spiritual practice. This helps me see things so much more clearly when talking about decolonization of spiritual practice, the true meaning of bypassing and the damage it does, and the ways in which capitalism is rooted in that bypassing as well. Thank you so much for this.
💕
Julia, this post has stayed with me since I read it last month. I have often felt the minority in online spaces because the voices that prevail are not like mine, and whilst I initially thought you were one of those voices I still consumed the full, rich and true words that you shared in this post.
It has stayed with me and subconsciously it has been instrumental in writing my most recent post on self-care as an act of social justice, if you get a chance I would love you to read and share your thoughts. I have also spent the day consuming all of your posts and subscribing to your newsletter and I am so, so glad that you are not another majority voice but have your own beautiful, powerful voice whose magic reverberates through your words.
I am so glad that I found you here.
Link to my post - https://florenceukpabiokwusogu.substack.com/p/radical-self-care
Love this: To combat spiritual bypassing, we must strive to cultivate a spirituality that is rooted in awareness, authenticity, and social responsibility. This entails acknowledging and addressing our own biases, actively engaging with the uncomfortable truths of our world, and working towards creating a more just and equitable society.
This is one of the most brilliant articles I've ever read. I recognized errors I have made myself an errors that I have seen in other people when trying to avoid facing hard things. It bothers me so much that spirituality is commodified and I have never been able to succinctly put into words why but this sums it up completely
THIS! The imposition of spiritual bypassing by church leaders, in order for us to present as good quiet and obedient, is one of the biggest reasons I have needed to separate myself from my Christian upbringing in order to start practicing my spirituality with true authenticity. People try to talk me into staying and changing things from within, but the trauma aspect has been so deep that I can't view it as anything but colonial anymore. I fear staying itself would be an act of spiritual bypassing, and I am no longer willing to place my needs below other people's comforts or sacrifice myself for the sake of conformity. There is only room for authenticity now! ❤️
Thank you so much for writing this! I use to talk about spiritual bypassing a lot on my IG that I now no longer use because the amount of Mal de Ojo I received for speaking out about such things. I was shunned from a spiritual "community" and I honestly felt so exhausted that I took a long break from social media. It's so refreshing to also see allies agreeing and welcoming to this in depth discussion you have shared with us. Although I sadly no longer have the strength to fight this necessary revolution, you have opened up my eyes again!
Oh god, finally someone spoke up about this!!! Thankyou Juliet for bringing this to the surface. Spirituality has transformed to an aesthetic and no longer a process due to the consumerist ordeals. No one can feel worse than seeing their religion practices being sold off to an oversimplified consumerist aesthetic. I wish more people read this and become aware, very well written.
Thank you for taking the time to write this Juliet. First, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the time, effort, and courage it takes to create and share your words so authentically with the world. Secondly, I’ve seen spiritual bypassing happen in my own life with my father. Turning to positive/spiritual videos, books, and preaching about it yet still engaging in toxic behaviour and refusing to deeply address the trauma that it all stems from. His behaviour is a symptom of our sick society. Thinking we are making progress by going through the motions but avoiding the real issues at the root. Whilst I have compassion for him and others who have suffered trauma and feel lost (myself included), it is also an individual responsibility to deal with our stuff so we don’t project it and perpetuate cycles of abuse. The more we are able to clean our hearts, the more deeply we will be able to connect with one another and come together in unity. I wrote a letter to humanity a few months ago that I feel will resonate with you: https://open.substack.com/pub/soulwisdom/p/letter-to-humanity-2?r=a9uns&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Thank you for your words, they were a breath of fresh air. I have been on a spiritual journey for most of my life and realizing only recently that the systems and communities that I have been a part of that were predominately white and status quo holding were not doing so much of this beautiful work you spoke of! It’s why I would quickly recognize “this is not safe space” and work on continuing my journey! Appreciate you 🙏🏼
Thank you for sharing, Jessica. We have something special in this community and I know it it going to be impactful for us all. 🙏🏽
This article is spot on and explains how yt supremacy has hijacked spirituality. Thank you also for bringing the silence around the genocide to the forefront. Your article also led me to reflect on how yt supremacy is used as a means to justify colonialism and the genocides that goes along with it. Now it’s being used to justify looking away.
You’re welcome and thank you so much for taking the time to read and process. Appreciate you.
Thanks for this article on spiritual bypassing Juliet! I remember 1st encountering this and not understanding (but knowing something was off) back when I did yoga teacher training in 2015 at a studio that didn't have 1 BIPOC person teaching. Along with the major cultural appropriation, the spiritual bypassing went hand in hand. I remember feeling like I was back in high school trying to hang out with the "cool kids" and just not fitting in. Since then I stopped attending any studios and continued my practice at home and connecting with people online who I learned more from then the TT. I've since completely disconnected with everyone I was in TT with because of the unwillingness to see what they have been doing is harmful even though it's right there in front of their faces. Anyhooooo it's nice to know that my instincts and gut feelings were right and the road to decolonizing my mind and practice is so much more fulfilling then pretending everything is sunshine and rainbows and to stuff those feelings down. So happy to be here learning/unlearning more on this platform with all of you! Thanks Juliet 🙏🏼💜
Appreciate you sharing with us, Angie! Thank you so much. 😮💨🙏🏽🖤
This article is wonderful! I've been doing so much unlearning and I look forward to continuing the work, getting uncomfortable, and building true community 💜🌬️💫
Getting uncomfortable breaks the box we have been sitting in. 🌹🌹
This is so on point! Thank you for bringing this all together here and demonstrating how Spiritual Bypassing is one of the main longstanding casual tenants of yt supremacist delusion. In the past decade, I’ve seen more Black folks harmed and abused at the hands of the yt wellness and spiritual coaching industrial complex. I’m sending this article to my list and everyone I know that works in that space. Thank you Juliet!
Appreciate you, Meg. Truly I do, and thank you for your thoughts on this and for reading this through. It’s a long one 😮💨
Thank you so much for this! I've been looking for a way to bring up the conversation with some "spiritual" friends and had no clue how to do it without seeming like I was attacking them but this article definitely seems like a good way to start that conversation so I'll definitely be sharing with them!
Thank you! It is always important to have these conversations and bring up point that are factual and relevant with today’s events. Thank you🙏🏽🌹
This is very eye opening and a crucial article 🖤🔥🔥🔥🔥
Grateful to you, Dan 🌹🌹🌹
Thank you so much and I am grateful to you for all your activism and casting light on important topics 🖤