Spirituality is an expansive topic that covers many facets of one’s life, and it’s a knowledgeable pursuit one can study for a lifetime. One such topic that exists within the sphere of spiritual education includes spiritual health.
Attention is often focused on the importance of physical and mental wellbeing, but what about spiritual health? What if you understood that mind, body, and spirit are all intertwined?
While spirituality may not be able to cure a common cold, it can help you cope with the difficulties of life and navigate them from a place of peace and understanding.
But what is the concept of spiritual health? Does it require a certain set of religious ideals and beliefs, church services, and other traditions? The truth is, there isn’t one path a person needs to take to obtain spiritual health – everyone experiences the process differently.
According to the National Library of Medicine, spiritual health refers to: “having a purposeful life, transcendence, and actualization of different dimensions and capacities of human beings. Spiritual health creates balance between physical, psychological, and social aspects of human life.”
Here are three suggestions to help promote better spiritual health.
Connect with a community
Connecting with a spiritual community can help you feel more connected with your own spirituality. You can do this by attending church, meetings, groups, or even connecting with digital communities or mentors that share and provide education on your own unique belief system.
Here are some recommendations for spiritual education available online:
John de Ruiter is a spiritual guide, philosopher, and author. He provides spiritual teachings in-person and online, including Mixcloud.com, where he regularly uploads.
Real Life Dharma is a podcast that explores many topics related to Buddhism as well as meditation. The author of the content is Martin Aylward which is available on Soundcloud.com.
Tara Brach, Ph.D., is a meditation teacher, psychologist, and bestselling author. She offers teachings through online courses on her website, as well as on YouTube.
Volunteer to help others
If you haven’t found your faith community yet, don’t fret. Another way to feel connected to spirituality is to find a cause that means something to you and find a way to give back. You can volunteer your time at a soup kitchen, offer to tutor a child in need, or even offer to foster an animal. Doing this can help you grow your own community and connect with like-minded people. By helping others and offering service, you can find a greater sense of purpose and gratitude.
Meditate
No one needs to be an expert in order to meditate. Meditation is one of the best practices to help you clear your mind and maintain spiritual health. Meditation has been proven to produce a deep state of relaxation, as well as a tranquil mind. It’s suggested that during meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate distractions and racing thoughts that crowd your mind. It’s suggested that this practice, even if for only a few minutes a day, can help enhance physical and emotional well-being.
If you need help with meditation, you can try apps such as Calm or Balance to help guide you through the process.
Continue to explore your spirituality and the pursuit of better spiritual health. Your mind, body, and spirit will thank you.
