What is spirituality? , It is difficult to separate religion from spirituality, that is until you realize that spirituality unlike religiosity lacks the dogma and the blind faith inclination.  The best part of being spiritual is that it gives you  a sense that life although largely meaningless in the long run, matters at least to you in this moment. It gives a sense of purpose to the constantly changing world and our impermanent mortality.  So how can we maintain a sense of spirituality even if we are not specifically religious and why is it important at all?

Exploration  

In my personal struggle with coming to terms with my own spirituality  I have come across the an effective way of dealing with the confusion. Exploration. As with everything else in the human experience awareness is key  to gaining a level of satisfaction. Read, watch, travel, meet people. Take action to understand what your purpose and the worlds purpose is, you might not find exactly what you were looking for, but it might turnout to be something even better.

Rituals

 What makes religions so impactful for those who choose to follow a specific faith are the rituals. the Therapeutic aspect of going to church, prayer, refraining from drinking or eating certain foods, are all rituals that in some ways cleanse the inner self. You concrete rituals such as meditation, talking a walk, and spending time with your pet. Rituals are important to tap into spirituality.

Acceptance of your mortality

Human beings, we detest the fact that we are just mortals, everyone we know will die including us. Death is the very reason we have had to turn to religion  and spirituality in the first place. But a great way of reaching a sense of purpose is letting go of having to have a purpose in the first place. Being too attached a the buddhists believe is a fast track to pain and suffering. Reminding oneself of death and dying is one way to accept it and live your best life.

Opening up your mind

Spirituality in its truest form is essentially expanding your consciousness. Ironically sometimes  religion  that was supposed to expand the mind instead indoctrinates some making them even more close minded. This is why it is important to explore spirituality more than religiosity. One cannot be spiritual without being open minded, as  the spirit by definition can make no judgements, it just is and accepts.

Building positive energy 

Energy is the essence of all life int the universe. Although I disagree that  one must ALWAYS be positive, as it is impossible and perfectly normal to be negative, there is no denying the importance of generating a sense of joy, kindness and excitement. Spirituality cannily thrive when the energy is one of love and peace. The flip side is hate and chaos. This is also a kind of spirituality that makes the boys and the mind sick. IN order to boost a sense of tru spirituality, cultivating a positive “vibe” is essential.  I will expand further on this aspect in a separate article.

 

 

Shanelle De Almeida

Clinical Psychologist