How do I know if I'm actually progressing on my spiritual path or just going in circles?

This question itself is the answer, friend. The fact that you're asking means you've already noticed something — maybe a pattern, maybe a stuckness. That noticing is progress. In my tradition, we say the path isn't linear. You spiral. You return to the same terrain but at a different altitude. What looked like a circle last year might reveal itself as an ascent when you look back. Progress isn't about constant forward momentum. It's about increasing awareness of where you actually are. Can you sit with difficulty longer than before? Do you catch yourself in old patterns sooner? Can you love someone you disagreed with yesterday? These are movements. The real trap is believing progress should look a certain way — that it's measurable, quantifiable, always upward. That's the ego talking. Spirit moves differently. Sometimes you need to go backward to release what's lodged in your bones. Sometimes standing still *is* the work. Instead of asking "Am I progressing?" try asking: "What am I becoming aware of that I wasn't before?" The answer will tell you everything.