Are you a coach or healer who has heard of ascension symptoms but are not quite sure exactly what it is, or how to help someone through it?  If you’re new to supporting others through spiritual development, you may be wondering what this is all about. 

“Ascension symptoms” occur when your clients reach a certain level of growth and begin to experience physical, mental, or emotional discomfort or resistance.This can happen suddenly or gradually, but either way, it can be a bit overwhelming!

On the other hand, “upper limiting” refers to a point where your clients achieve a certain level of success and then start self-sabotaging in order to remain at a lower level. (This term was coined by author Gay Hendricks)

In this post, we’ll share some tips on how to address upper limiting and ascension symptoms in your coaching or healing practice.

But first, let’s explore how these phenomena can manifest…

How Ascension Symptoms Show Up for Me

I recently noticed myself hitting an upper limit after a massive expansion in my life. The last couple of weeks has truly been amazing. I feel like I’m seeing the real-life manifestations of what I’ve been calling in, what I’ve been breathing on, what I’ve been meditating on, what I’ve been doing all of my energy work on – it’s been poppin’ up in my reality! SO EXCITING.

Except that I didn’t feel excited… I started feeling extreme anxiety. My heart was beating a little bit too quickly. I felt almost sick. Like a weird feeling in my body. But when I really tuned into it, I knew this was my body hitting its upper limit because my world was expanding in ALL areas.

My business is expanding. My relationship is growing. My friendships are growing. The things that I have desired to call in, even material things that I’ve wanted like real estate and things like that, have all been coming in, and I’m like, “Whoa, it’s just a LOT.”

All of this is amazing, and I’m so grateful for it – but it’s also a lot to handle. I feel like my body is just not used to operating at this level yet. It’s still getting acclimated to this new level of success and expansion.

As mentioned before, these symptoms of growth are also known as  “ascension symptoms” because they are literally your body and soul ascending to a higher level. They can show up as physical, emotional, or mental sensations that arise as we move into higher frequencies and levels of consciousness.

Some common ascension symptoms include:

– Fatigue

– Anxiety

– Insomnia

– Headaches

– Body aches and pains

– Digestive issues

– Irritability

– Mood swings

– And more

I’ve been through many of these symptoms before, but this recent wave has been particularly intense for me. And I know it’s because I’m hitting my upper limit in many areas of my life.

If you or your clients are experiencing any of these symptoms, know that they’re not alone. Many people go through similar things when they’re going through a massive expansion in their life.

Why ascension symptoms can happen

As coaches and healers working with clients, it’s crucial to understand that their bodies may not feel safe and secure at a new level of growth. Their bodies are not used to it yet, which can lead to resistance and fear of the unknown.

Your clients’ bodies are literally attempting to prevent them from ascending to the next level because they’re unsure if they can trust that they will be able to handle the change.

So, what can you as a coach or healer do to help your clients navigate this? Keep reading!

Practices to Ease Ascension Symptoms

Here are some practices that are supportive for ascension symptoms:

1. Invite them to ground & connect to safety

We know that one of the top reasons that ascension symptoms happen is because the body doesn’t feel safe, right? So creating a felt sense of safety and groundedness is key.

There are a few things that help me do this. Here are some examples of my favorite grounding practices:

– Getting my feet on the Earth

– Walking in nature

– Going surfing

– Being in water

– Being outside and feeling the vibration of Mother Nature

– Taking an Epsom salt bath

– Repeating the mantra, “It is safe to open.”

These practices can help because what’s happening with these ascension symptoms is that your clients are kind of spinning off a little bit. And what could be supportive is grounding the energy back down into the Earth so that they can feel stable and safe.

2. Encourage them to be around people who are stoked to celebrate them

Another reason your clients can hit an upper limit and experience ascension symptoms is that they may fear on some level that they will lose connection to people when they expand and change. A lot of unspoken things can happen when we grow. We may feel disconnected or misunderstood. We may start to feel like we’re being judged. 

Another fear that can happen is the fear of being ostracized or attacked. There’s a saying in Australia and New Zealand called the “tall poppy syndrome.” Basically, it means that when someone stands out and shines their light too brightly, people can get jealous and try to cut them down. It’s a way to bring them back down to the pack so that everyone feels more equal. 

This can happen on a micro and macro level. It might happen with our friends, family, or even in the workplace.

So it’s important to encourage your clients to be around people who are going to support their growth, not try to hold them back. It’s been really helpful for me to be around people who are just genuinely stoked and happy for my success. These people see my growth as a win for them, too. They’re excited to celebrate with me and help me expand even more.

When I start to collect this evidence that I am celebrated in my expansion, it really starts to help me move through these fears and remember that the more I expand, the more I have to offer the world. So support your clients in making a plan to spend more time with people who are in alignment with their expansion and will support them on their journey.

And if there’s someone in their life who can’t celebrate their expansion? Well, maybe it’s time to let them go. I’m not saying tell them cut them out completely if that doesn’t feel in alignment for them, but explore what it would look like for them to create some distance or even “demote” them on their relationship list.

The most important thing is to be around people that remind them that they are safe, loved, and belong in ALL of their expansion.

3. Expand their awareness outside their body

When your clients start to experience ascension symptoms, one of the things that can happen is they start to feel really contracted in their bodies – kind of like a clam that’s just snapped shut suddenly.

The reason this happens is that our bodies are trying to protect us from what it perceives as danger. And when we’ve hit an upper limit, our bodies can feel like they’re in danger of being overwhelmed or even destroyed.

One way to help your clients ease the tension in their bodies is to expand their awareness outside of it. Invite them to start to focus on their energy field and the space around them.

By bringing their awareness outside of their body, they can start to see that they’re not just this physical form – they’re an infinite being made up of energy and light.

And as an infinite being, they have the power to create anything they want in this life. They are not limited by their body or their circumstances. They are both human AND divine.

Remembering this duality can help ease the tension in your clients’ bodies and remind them that they are safe, even when it doesn’t feel like it.

This practice is really about holding that DUALITY as we’re growing. As the body freaks out and all our inner protectors come to the surface, we can expand our energy to hold it all with love, acceptance, and compassion- because the only other option is to collapse into our humanness when triggers come up. But everything becomes much more fluid and easeful when we choose to expand and hold it with our Infinite Self instead.

4. Invite them to release the meaning they’ve attached to their ascension symptoms

When clients start to experience ascension symptoms, it’s easy for them to attach all sorts of meanings to them. They might think that something is wrong with them or that they’re not doing something right.

But the truth is, there is no right or wrong way to experience these symptoms. They are simply a sign that they are in the process of expansion.

It can be helpful to remind your clients that ascension symptoms are just like any other symptom – they are simply a sign that something is happening in the body. They are not a reflection of their worthiness or spiritual progress.

The most important thing your clients can do when their bodies are freaking out is to simply be with it. Encourage them to be gentle with themselves, and don’t try to push through the symptoms.

Invite them to allow themselves to experience whatever is coming up without attaching any meaning to it. This doesn’t mean that they have to like the symptoms – but try to support your clients to observe them with curiosity and compassion.

Also remind them that just because this is happening, doesn’t mean they’re meant to stop going after the things that they desire in life. In fact, it’s quite the opposite!

The more we can move through these symptoms with grace and ease, the more we can show up in our lives as the powerful creators we are.

5. Use breathwork to help them release stuck energy & reconnect to their spiritual essence

One of the best things you can do to support your clients when they start to experience ascension symptoms is to use breathwork to ease the tension in their bodies and help them reconnect to their spiritual essence.

Breathwork is amazing at helping your clients break the illusion that all they are is human. It takes us out of the mind, out of our limitations, and into the infinite possibilities of the present moment.

When we connect to our breath, we connect to the life force energy that is within us and all around us. We remember that we are so much more than this physical form.

The breath is also a powerful tool for helping us move through uncomfortable emotions and sensations. When we’re feeling anxious or stressed, our breath can help us find a sense of calm and ease.

And when we’re feeling pain or discomfort in the body, the breath can help us move through it with more grace.

If you’re not sure how to add breathwork to your business, you can get started by watching this FREE Training: Get Your Clients Lasting Results. 

Even just guiding your clients through 10 minutes of breathwork can make a huge difference. If you want to learn 3 powerful practices to add to your next coaching session, download the FREE Guided Breathwork Cheatsheet to get started right away.

And remember…

If your clients are feeling isolated and alone in their experience, remind them that this is a normal phenomenon on the path of growth and that they are not alone.  There are so many other people going through similar things.

If they are craving additional connection and support, they can join our free Facebook group, The Pause Breathwork Global Community. It’s a safe space for heart-centered people who are navigating their own personal and spiritual growth (who also love using breathwork).

No matter what, always remind them that they are loved, supported, and not alone.

And next time they’re experiencing ascension symptoms, try offering them one of these practices; grounding into safety, connecting with people who celebrate them, expanding their energy, letting go of any stories, and breathing through it.

If you do, I promise that you’ll start to see a shift in your clients energy and transformation.  Things will start to flow with more ease, and they’ll remember just how powerful they truly are.