Unlocking Your Inner Self: Taking Care of Your Spirit
“When you come to the spiritual needs, the emotional needs, the needs of our inner life, then politics and business and technology are completely impotent. They are completely unable to meet and address the needs of human beings.”
- Satish Kumar
Did you know that humans have spiritual needs?
I know, you might be thinking ‘whoa, whoa, whoa, I don’t believe in that stuff, I don’t go to church, I don’t believe in God, I don’t practice religion.’
But I’m not talking about whether or not you believe in a specific set of beliefs, though for some, those beliefs are directly related to spirituality. What I’m talking about are the needs that we have in our deepest inner self. Things like the need to belong, to love and be loved, to have a sense of meaning and purpose and life, and the freedom of self-expression.
In other words, spirituality means connectedness. Connection to our deepest authentic self, connection to others, and connection to something bigger than ourselves. Ever felt that tug for connection?
You can find it in God, in yourself, in other people, in nature, art, or kindness. Whatever you focus on, spirituality offers many possible benefits, including better mood, less anxiety and depression, and even fewer aches and illnesses.
According to Mental Health America, spirituality can provide:
A reassuring belief in a greater force or being
A sense of purpose and meaning
Focus on your own or universal wisdom
A means to understand suffering
Connection with others
Reminder of the good in the world
More than that, there is science to back the importance of spirituality in wellness. Studies have shown that:
People who meditate have increased activity in a "feel-good" area of the brain: Alpha waves are the scientific term, and they help increase creative thinking and decrease depressive symptoms.
People with strong religious beliefs recovered faster from heart surgery than people with weaker faith. This could be because most belief systems place an emphasis on hope and faith and provide a sense of reassurance.
People who didn't attend religious services died significantly younger than those who attended more than once a week.
The bottom line is spirituality is an important part of overall wellness. It helps us to feel connected and have a sense of belonging, meaning, and purpose, which have crazy good benefits for our mental and physical wellness. It follows then, that caring for our spirit would also be really important.
But how in the world do we do that??!?!
Caring for our physical and emotional wellness seems somewhat obvious. Eat some veggies, move your body, hydrate yourself, get good sleep, and see the doctor all are very clear ways we are told to care for ourselves.
But society doesn’t often teach us about how to care for our spiritual needs. In fact, it straight up ignores them most of the time and encourages us to be distracted from what we really need at a deeper level.
Spiritual Practice
The good news is you can nurture your spirit and cultivate your spirituality. Much like other forms of self-care, this looks different for everyone. We introduce just a few paths to cultivate spirituality here, and many of these overlap with paths to achieve mental and physical wellness.
Connecting With Your Deepest Self
With all the time we spend plugged in, tuned in or online, it's easy to get disconnected from our inner selves. Since this is the key concept of spirituality, try to find time daily to self-reflect. Figuring out what's really important to you can lessen the frustration and stress that often come with life’s everyday tasks and requirements.
Try some of these paths to your spiritual side:
Focus on your goals, values and beliefs. What brings you hope, joy and comfort? What do you care about most? What brings meaning to your life?
Keep a journal to help you express your deepest thoughts and feelings.
Read inspiring stories or essays to learn new insights and perspectives that may help you thrive.
Be open to new experiences. Nurture your spirit with nature, music, art, movement, adventure or whatever sounds appealing that feeds your inner self.
Look at what's good in yourself and others. Notice the good and sacred in and around you. Yes, there’s negative, everywhere, and it’s often easy to spot. Try to also notice the positive things too and allow those to become ‘happy triggers’.
Organized Religion
Spirituality isn't like taking a medicine - "pray/meditate 3x daily for positive side effects". But if you are drawn to organized religion, your spirit may get a boost from more active involvement.
Join a religious institution. People who attend an organized service regularly are happier and healthier, research shows. That's likely because of the social connection involved. It may also be because religious groups tend to support healthy lifestyle choices, like reduced smoking and drinking.
Pray or focus on your notion of God. You can worship from a prayer book at a specific time each day. Or you can pray from your own heart when you need some solace. Uttering a prayer of thankfulness may be particularly good for your mood. Reflecting on and calling out to the higher power you believe in can bring comfort and clarity to your spirit.
Read religious texts. Take time to reflect on what they mean to you.
Talk with others who share similar spiritual beliefs and learn from each other.
Volunteer with a religious group or another community-focused organization. Not only does it provide social connection, but there are also studies that show that our brain releases endorphins when we are serving others out of compassion and love.
Meditation
If more traditional prayers and practices are not for you, you might try meditation. Research shows that meditation offers not only calm but help with anxiety and depression, cancer, chronic pain, asthma, heart disease and high blood pressure.
Meditation doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be just a few moments a day. It can be guided and filled with imagery, or it can be silent and still. The goal is to ground yourself to the here and now, and to connect with your inner self. Try one of the following the next time you are looking for a way to nurture your spirit. If one doesn’t work, take a deep breath, say a prayer if you believe, and try another!
Types Of Meditation
Deep Breathing. Sit or lie down comfortably. Rest your hands on your stomach. Slowly count to four while inhaling through your nose. Feel your stomach rise. Hold your breath for a second. Slowly count to four while you exhale, preferably through pursed lips to control the breath. Your stomach will fall slowly. Repeat a few times.
Mindfulness Meditation. Focus on your breath. Notice anything that passes through your awareness without judgment. If your mind starts to tackle your to-do list, just return to focusing on your breath.
Visualization. Close your eyes, relax and imagine a peaceful place, like a forest. Engage all your senses: Hear the crunching leaves, smell the damp soil, feel the breeze.
Repeating a mantra. Sit quietly and pick any meaningful or soothing word, phrase or sound. You can repeat the mantra aloud or silently. Experts say the repetition creates a physical relaxation response.
Like other forms of self-care, caring for your inner spirit doesn't have to be complicated or expensive, but it is important! Take time every day to do the things that care for your inner self, and notice what shifts happen in your life! Whether it's participating in the traditions and rituals of a specific religion or belief structure, journaling to connect with your deepest self, or spending time in meditation or prayer, the habits you begin to build today will shape your future!
To Your Whole Health,
Missy Jane
