Living in the In-Between: Integration, Masks, and the Messy Middle
There’s a special kind of discomfort that hits after the spiritual awakening.
You’ve had your breakthrough.
You see the world differently now.
You’ve figured out you’re an empath—maybe neurodivergent too—and the world feels brand new.
The old ways of living, working, relating… they no longer fit.
You’re shedding the skin that never really felt like yours.
But only sometimes…
Sometimes, when you are with the right people, or maybe only when you are alone, you feel 10x lighter having shed the weight of an identity that made you uncomfortable.
The rest of the time? At work, with your friends, your family, it feels like nothing has changed at all.
You’re caught in the middle. Living two lives–two identities.
Welcome to the In-Between
This is the sacred, messy space called integration.
It’s the part nobody warns you about what happens AFTER the spiritual awakening.
The part where you can see the mask you used to wear—but you’re still wearing it.
The part where you know what doesn’t work—but you don’t yet know what will.
Where your nervous system and conditioning still whisper: “Be careful. Don’t get too weird. Don’t take up too much space.”
It’s strange, right?
To have all this clarity, all this inner truth bubbling up…and still find yourself playing small at Thanksgiving.
Still nodding politely at work when someone says something that makes your skin crawl.
Still ghosting your own creativity because being fully seen feels…risky.
Integration Is Not a Setback—It’s What Happens After the Spiritual Awakening
Part one of awakening is insight.
It’s the rush of truth, the books and podcasts, the “Oh my god, it’s not just me.”
It’s learning about energy, about trauma, about your own sensitivity.
It’s the fire.
Part two is integration. It’s the application of all you have learned.
And that’s where the real work begins.
Integration is where you start to ask:
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What do I actually believe?
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How do I say that out loud?
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What do I do when my values and my life don’t match up?
You’re not asleep anymore.
But you’re not quite free either.
If This Is Where You Are, You’re Not Alone
You’re not doing it wrong.
You’re not going backward.
And you’re not broken.
This liminal space between knowing and embodying is sacred ground.
It’s not a delay.
It’s the bridge between the person you were and the person you’re becoming.
And yeah—it’s awkward.
You might feel more sensitive than ever.
More emotionally raw.
More aware of where you’ve been code-switching or contorting yourself just to belong.
But there’s also this spark.
A quiet joy in discovering who you really are beneath all the noise.
You’re learning to recognize your voice. Your rhythm. Your no. Your yes.
You’re building trust with yourself.
And that? That is everything.
Integration Takes Time, Support, and Small Brave Acts
Integration asks for:
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Time
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Spaciousness
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Nervous system awareness
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Boundaries
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And support—so much support
It’s texting “I actually can’t make it,”
It’s hitting publish on something vulnerable,
It’s saying no even when your hands shake.
This work is sacred.
It’s slow.
And it’s absolutely worth it.
So, What Happens After the Spiritual Awakening?
You start to live awake.
Little by little.
One breath, one truth, one boundary at a time.
You take the mask off, even when your hands shake.
You get curious about the life you want—not just the one you inherited.
You begin to build relationships, work, and a self-concept that feels like home.
A warning, awakening can stall out. Your fear of change and your uncertainty about your future can shut down the process. Integration doesn’t just happen.
It requires your commitment to your authenticity and alignment.
Your willingness to choose your best interest over comfort.
Your courage to change or remove any part of your life that doesn’t honor and support your change and growth.
Integration requires your action.
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
If you’re in this space, I see you.
And I’m creating something just for you—a yearlong journey called When Empaths Integrate.
It’s for empaths who’ve awakened, and now need a brave space to practice living awake.
With community, guidance, and deep alignment.
Be among the first to know, join the waitlist.
Do You Need Support Now?
- When Empaths Integrate is coming this fall, until then, remember your tools.
- Find 1:1 support with me, book a session.
- Download the Awakening Toolkit and subscribe to my mailing list.
- Find community with other empaths and share your experiences at Aligned Journeys Empath Community.
