Have you ever walked into a wellness space or spiritual circle, seeing all the women in their flowy dresses, flower crowns, guys with long hair and intricate tattoos, everyone sipping cacao, giving each other long ass hugs and discussing manifestation and the secrets of the universe – and you just felt out of place? Seeing all the smiles – but something just didn’t sit right with you?

If yes, you are not alone and that subtle sense of discomfort or disconnection - what I call the spiritual ick - is often a sign that something deeper is being avoided rather than truly met.

Today, I want to talk about something that makes a lot of people squirm: spiritual bypassing, and why I believe it’s one of the main reasons yoga spaces can sometimes feel unsafe, dismissive, or even retraumatizing.

What is Spiritual Bypassing

In essence, spiritual bypassing is when spirituality is used as a way to avoid uncomfortable emotions, responsibility, or the messy, human parts of ourselves. It’s a way of running from shadow, grief, fear, or those “low vibe” emotions that are part of life. And in yoga spaces, even when intentions are pure, it can show up in ways that are subtly unsafe.

You hear it in phrases that have become clichés in the wellness world – and honestly most people are sick of hearing already like:

“Trust the universe” - often used to avoid taking responsibility.
“Everything happens for a reason” - minimizing real pain.
“Just let go” - a shortcut around the real work of processing emotions.
“Trust divine timing” - procrastination disguised as spirituality.
“You should be over this by now” - ignoring that healing has no timeline.
“What happened to you made you stronger” - oversimplifying pain and complexity.
“Non-attachment” can become a rejection of our very human needs.
Constant gratitude is sometimes used to dismiss suffering.
And “kill the ego” can end up denying the very part of us that protects, guides, and grounds us.

Even more subtle, fear often gets labelled as an illusion. Discomfort or boundaries mistaken for resistance. Grief is framed as attachment. Expressing pain is called victim mentality. And the blame disguised as spirituality - “you manifested this” - can quietly undermine self-compassion.

The Consequences of Bypassing

When we bypass, we don’t create healing. We create suppression.
We ignore reality.
We silence pain.
And in yoga spaces, that means students leave class feeling unseen, unsafe, or even ashamed of their own humanity.

The truth is: no amount of mantras, cacao ceremonies, or positive affirmations can replace the slow, courageous work of actually sitting with our nervous system, feeling what we don’t want to feel, and allowing space for integration. Spiritual bypassing doesn’t just keep people stuck, it can actively retraumatize, because it mirrors the same kind of dismissal many people already experienced growing up: “Don’t cry. Don’t be weak. Just get over it.”

Reflection on My Journey

When I first started attending high-vibe workshops, and other spiritual spaces and events, it used to light me up. But over time, it all started to feel hollow. The things that once inspired me now made my eyes roll. I realized I was ready for something deeper: integration, embodiment, somatics, leadership, and true humanness. I wanted to ground myself, meet my shadow, and reclaim my power, rather than chasing transcendence or outsourcing it to guides, tarot, or “signs from the universe.”

This isn’t about judging anyone else - everyone is on their own path - but for me, the spiritual ick became a signal that my practice needed depth, presence, and real work.

And yes, this makes me distance myself from certain spiritual communities, especially here on this island where “high vibe only” is still the norm and spiritual bypassing is a fertile breeding ground of abuse.

And for those of you nodding right now, feeling that same “ick” – you’re my people.

So what’s the solution?

Integration, not avoidance.
Facing what hurts instead of glossing over it.
Embodiment, not transcendence.
Coming into the body and nervous system.
Grounded spirituality, not fluffy affirmations.
Owning our humanity.
Owning our shit.

Integration doesn’t mean we give up hope, faith, or spiritual practices. It means we use them in service of reality, not as an escape from it. Meditation can be a space to meet grief, not deny it. Yoga can become a practice of holding discomfort, not bypassing it. Affirmations can be rooted in truth rather than fantasy.
And maybe most importantly: integration makes room for paradox. We can feel gratitude and grief at the same time. We can trust the universe and still set boundaries. We can honor divine timing and still take aligned, practical steps forward.

Why This Matters in Yoga Spaces

This inspired the creation of my courses, where we learn how to hold space where emotions are welcomed, not dismissed. Where “high vibe only” is replaced with “all of you is welcome.” We dive into understanding trauma, nervous system responses, and how to stop perpetuating harm with well-meaning but bypassing language.

Because real growth isn’t about “just letting go.” It’s about sitting in the messy middle, facing shadow, and integrating wholeness.

If you’ve ever felt the “spiritual ick”, if you’ve rolled your eyes when someone told you to “trust divine timing” while you were in the middle of a breakdown, if you’re tired of yoga spaces that dismiss instead of support, you’re not alone. And you don’t have to play along.

Let’s create safer yoga spaces together!


If this resonates and you feel called to this work, I invite you take the first gentle steps:

Download my free eBook: Meridians & Emotions and Yin Yoga

Try the free Emotional & Nervous System Yin Reset, designed for you to experience how my integrated signature approach The Meridian-Emotion-Nervous System Yoga Method works

Watch my free Trauma Awareness Webinar - Trauma Informed Yoga Foundations

Join my next live 100HR Trauma Informed Yin Yoga & Chinese Meridians Teacher Training in Thailand:

14-23 Dec
20-29 Jan 2026
2-11 Mar 2026

Join the waitlist of my online self-paced 100HR Trauma Informed Yin Yoga & Chinese Meridians Teacher Training launching December 2025

Join the live 30HR The Art of Trauma-Informed Space Holding course in Thailand:

4-8 Oct 2025

Join the waitlist of the online self-paced 30HR The Art of Trauma-Informed Space Holding course launching in early 2026

Check out what my previous graduates share about their experience:



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