How to Be Spiritually Healthy

Are you religious or spiritual? Can you be both? Which is the better path to become part of that universal power, to find your own truth? Well, the simple answer is both! If it is religious rituals such as attending mass, kneeling down to pray, offering namaaz, or performing a puja that gives you peace of mind and makes you a better, more compassionate person, then that is the better path. If it is meditation or yoga, visualization, breathing exercises, chanting, or some other spiritual activity that enhances your spiritual health, then that is the better path for you!

Why spiritual health is important.

I think we’ve all heard about people whose cancers seem to spontaneously cure themselves. We’ve heard stories about someone in a wheelchair who expected never to walk but did, and even went on to climb mountains! Are these miracles? Well in a sense they are, but these are actually proof of the tensile strength within us – evidence of inner power that we don’t even know we possess.

Increasingly, we understand that our good health has not just a physical and mental component, but a vital spiritual component as well. Consider how healthcare professionals now include spiritual practices into their treatment plans. Yoga and meditation are seen to be effective in pain management and are also seen to improve cancer outcomes. Other forms of spiritual practice such as contributing to one’s community are not just rewarding but are seen to improve life span and even quality of life. Spiritually evolved people are seen to be better adjusted – more emotionally mature, calmer, healthier, and happier.

How spiritually healthy are you?

I find that my morning meditation and my ritual of giving gratitude each day are transformative and deeply spiritual experiences for me. And then there is my music! Just listening to beautiful music or singing can put me in a meditative state and make me feel at one with the universal power that binds us all together.

Spirituality can be deeply personal – it is your one on one connection with the life force of the universe – a spiritual conversation that can take one of many different forms. It can take many forms – such as learning compassion and being forgiving, not only of others but also of yourself. It is about overcoming fear and stress and difficult times, and about unleashing your creativity. Spiritual health is also about being true to yourself and your values, about being able to stand up for what you think is right and what you believe in.

So I ask myself certain questions about my spiritual health. For instance, how often do I take the time to just be out in nature; to appreciate a beautiful sunset, or just experience the joy of the warm sunshine on my skin? How often do I switch off all the gadgets and tune out to just be with myself? Check out this episode where I list out these and other personal markers of spiritual health.