Table of Contents
Introduction
How would you rate your inner serenity? What techniques do you use to tap into your tranquility? What embodies a spiritual person or experience? These are some of the questions I will be exploring in this article.
Throughout my life, I have always been fascinated and curious about spirituality. However, I never really identified as or considered myself spiritual. As I matured, I became increasingly curious about the aspects of existence and transcendence.
My personal odyssey of self-discovery has escalated this interest and intrigue. Caring for your spiritual needs is identified as an essential form of holistic self-care. With my professional focus on holistic self-care my fascination and curiosity to this facet has escalated even further.
How comprehensive is your self-care routine? To read more about different types, tips, and techniques for developing an effective self-care schedule read 6 Self-Care Ideas to Create a Self-Care Plan That Works For a Healthier and Happier You (chloemephambsc.com). You are worth taking care of. Who better to take of yourself, than you?
Self-care is a fundamental practice that everyone will benefit from engaging in daily. It is the foundation of loving yourself. It is the beginning of the path to inner peace. This month embrace your inner serenity. Practice self-care. Love yourself a little more than you did last month. Make self-care an essential practice in every one of your days. Love yourself a little more than you did the day before. You deserve it. Everyone does.
How Do You Define Spirituality?
When I used to think of spirituality, I always believed it referenced mainstream religions. Many people do practice spirituality through organised religious practices. If this is what works for you, take advantage of the structures already in place. For many people, this supports numerous self-care needs including social, emotional, and spiritual.
It involves exploration. It involves self-discovery. It is finding out what works for you. This is your odyssey of self-discovery. It will be personal to your wonderfully unique self. The conclusion will be yours and yours alone.
However, spirituality does not have to include mainstream religious practices. Many people believe in the divinity of the universe. This could relate to astrology, connecting with the earth, or crystal magic. All of these practices have their own merit. Each can be embraced depending on what you believe in.
Your beliefs will be a personal preference. It is worthwhile exploring, researching, and questioning what your spiritual beliefs are. Only then can you meet them. So that you can satisfy your personal spiritual needs.
Others will identify with a spiritual practice of personal development. Introspecting within to discover their spiritual path. This will focus on prioritising their inner self. It will involve making themselves the best that they can be. Developing themselves will permit them to do the best that they can do for themselves and others.
Others will focus solely on selflessly supporting others to express their spiritual need. While worthwhile and magnanimous, this altruistic approach can be challenging. Generally, there will be some derivative for the self of supporting others such as pride or positive reinforcement. However, it is always a benevolent practice.
How you define spirituality will be personal to you. It is about discovering your path to inner peace. Your path to enlightenment.
What are Spiritual Needs?
A spiritual need is related to your beliefs and comprehension of sense in the world. It is the pursuit of discovering meaning beyond the tangible. Spirituality can elevate your psyche by embracing transcendent emotional states. According to Kelly Miller, BA, CAPP, “self-transcendent emotions include:
Compassion
Awe
Gratitude
Appreciation
Inspiration
Admiration
Elevation
Love”
I believe self-transcendent emotions could also include wonder. Although, this is closely linked to awe. Embracing such emotional states will evidently elevate your mindset.
Focusing on gratitude can shift your mindset from a state of lack to abundance. In turn, this can alter your entire perspective on whatever comes your way. Embracing gratitude and expressing appreciation can:
build your resilience
reduce stress
improve your mood
Cultivating compassion can deter you from negative states such as hatred and vengeance. It can alter your mentality into kindness, optimism, and hope. Hatred and vengeance are toxic emotional states. It is healthy to be angry. However, anger will harm you if it is not expressed safely and escalates. It will become internally toxic. Embracing kindness, optimism, and hope will alter your mindset. They will promote your positivity. This will in turn affect your behaviour.
Embracing inspiration can promote creative thinking and innovative original solutions. Whether that is creating art, writing poetry, or solving complex problems. Think about it. Everything you do involves creativity, from the way you move, to what you will cook, to how you will organise your personal space. It is all your creation.
As a human, you will tend to seek explanations and patterns behind what you cannot fathom. This is the essence of spirituality. It is about finding meaning for that you cannot explain. It requires faith and belief in something you cannot see or hear. It is about seeking understanding beyond sensory experience.
Types of Spiritual Paths
If you choose to embrace spirituality then you will put yourself on a spiritual path. The type of spiritual path that you choose to follow will be a unique journey individual to you. As a wonderfully unique individual, it will be according to your interpretation and your preferences how you decide to embrace enlightenment.
I have noticed numerous definitions and classifications of types of spirituality and the paths to embrace them. In the end, it is a highly personal choice. A decision only you can define. Your type of spirituality may be one, a combination, or a unique and original perspective. The decision is yours and yours alone.
Some types of spirituality I have noticed mentioned include:
Mystical spirituality. This form of spirituality is described as existing beyond the realms of sensory perception. It can encompass cosmic, esoteric, and transcendent elements of a higher power.
Authoritarian spirituality. Generally, this will involve a hierarchical system and a deity or transcendental being who is responsible for all that is.
Intellectual spirituality references the pursuit of knowledge to seek the meaning that the seeker seeks. This is both a path and a form of spirituality. It could be that the seeker will not know what they are seeking until they discover it.
Service spirituality. This form involves performing selfless acts for others. It could involve charity work, volunteering, and prioritising the needs of others.
Social spirituality references that the desire behind seeking spirituality is to connect with like-minded communities. Social self-care is a need all in itself.
Some spiritual paths to embrace enlightenment have been identified as:
The path of knowledge. This relates to gathering information about the answers you are seeking.
The path of devotion requires task repetition that commits you to something you believe is greater than yourself, a higher power.
The path of meditation focuses on connecting to a higher power through stillness and introspection.
The path of service. This path focuses on performing selfless acts for others. It is warned not to derive selfish reasons for these acts such as pride or reinforcement. It is warned these could be counterintuitive to your path to inner peace.
The path of energy combines meditative and intellectual paths through performing ritualistic practices.
Whichever type of spirituality you select to pursue will be your choice. The path that you travel to your selection will be unique to you. Use these suggestions as a guide only and follow your instincts. Your inner self will know where you need to seek answers. Your intuition will guide your odyssey.
6 Spiritual Practices Examples
Whichever form of spirituality you seek, whether it is predefined, a combination, or an original concept or notion that you believe in, research has indicated that it is beneficial for your holistic well-being. Many seek spirituality to derive meaning and purpose to existence. They yearn to make sense of themselves and their lives. Research has indicated that this pursuit has additional benefits for managing stress, improving mood, and enhancing resilience. Here I will outline six practices you can use to connect spiritually and enhance your inner serenity.
Moving Your Mind With Meditation
I am a massive advocate for meditation. It can inspire, motivate, or relax you depending on your focus for this versatile practice. All you really require is a safe, comfortable, quiet space, and your own mind.
Guided meditations are a great way to begin practicing. Even with extensive experience, there is something special about allowing a guide to take you through the practice depending on your preferences. Select a meditation guide that you can trust. It involves detaching from your thoughts, focusing on your breathing, and succumbing to the process. It is reported that even if you lose awareness of your guide’s directions your subconscious mind will still receive the words. Your inner self will still pursue the messages.
Alternatively, you can just focus yourself on these principles. Coupled with powerful visualisation techniques you can envision what you want to create. Visualisation is a potent practice for clarifying goals and intentions. This is why many use vision boards for planning their objectives. It can solidify your thoughts into images. These can be a fantastic reference tool for boosting motivation and inspiration. Think of your mind as your vision board.
Meditation can connect you with your inner self to identify your needs and wants. It can connect you to your purpose. It can encourage ambition. It is also reported to promote neuroplasticity. This can rewire negativity into positivity among a myriad of other benefits. The power of your mind is wondrous.
Journaling for Self-Reflection
Capturing your thoughts in a journal can be revealing. It will allow you to access and dissect your own thinking patterns, emotions, and behaviours. Such information is valuable. This is especially powerful when you want to develop self-awareness and change habits. You can even document your path to spirituality. It is an intellectual pursuit of yourself.
In today’s world, you are not restricted to keeping a written journal. You can record audio and visual documentaries of your journey through personal development, spiritual enlightenment, or both. It may be that you want to keep mementos from your path such as tickets to retreats or notes of appreciation you have received.
Connecting With Nature
Many if not all spiritual practices employ an element of connecting with nature. Whether this is connecting with the cosmos, embracing the earth, or practicing crystal magic. Nature is the tangible foundation from which spirituality is derived. Spirituality is seeking beyond sensory perception, but nature is what you can perceive with your senses. It is a perfect starting point. A foundation to bind you to the tangible as you explore mysticism.
You will discover many spiritual retreats and ceremonies held within the natural environment to gain proximity to this tangible source. Many also believe in meditating in nature to ground themselves and their roots to Mother Earth. Others will believe in performing more ritualistic practices close to the element of earth such as burials.
Stay curious about what you believe. Ask yourself questions. If the moon can influence the tides, what effect can it have on you when you are mostly water?
Taking Control of Your Internal Dialogue
Most spiritual practices promote compassion. Compassion for humanity, wildlife, and the earth itself. All of these are related and practicing compassion to others will be restored to you. If you enter an interaction with hostility, anger, or vengeance, you will likely receive a comparable reaction. If you enter into an interaction with empathy and compassion, you will likely receive a more favourable response. It will increase your chances. This does not equate to naivety or oblivion, it does equate to awareness and understanding with kindness.
When you commit to a spiritual journey it is also important to practice self-compassion. Asking esoteric questions and seeking mystical answers will be a daunting and sometimes arduous task. It is vital that you give yourself the grace that you would bestow on others during trying times. This applies to all areas where you may think negatively of yourself.
If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts about your curiosity, your progress, or your path remind yourself why you initially began your journey. Challenge your negative thoughts with more curiosity. Why do you think this negative thought about yourself? Was there a trigger to it? When were you triggered? How were you triggered? Who will this negative thinking benefit? Most importantly, will thinking this serve you well? If not, what thoughts will serve you?
Refocus your frame of mind to a more positive mindset. Once you have realised that negative thinking will only serve to amplify negative emotions and behaviours, reframe your thoughts to what it is you want to achieve. Adopt a constructive, growth mindset.
Alternatively, if you decide that this journey is not for you, listen to your intuition. Your inner self will guide you where you want to go. Only you will know what is right for you.
However, your critical inner thinking can derail you from success. Develop awareness of it. You are in control of you.
Forgiveness For Your Benefit
Many, if not all spiritual practices promote the practice of forgiveness. This is a challenging act. The very nature of forgiveness means that you have suffered a wrong in some way.
However, holding on to negative emotions such as anger, hatred, or ruminating over vengeance will only be toxic to you. They may not care. They may even derive satisfaction from it. Some people are strange. Think of the adage, “Hurt people hurt people.” It may help you to view things from a different perspective.
You do not need to communicate your forgiveness to them. You will benefit from accepting whatever it is. You will become stronger and more resilient by practicing understanding their circumstances and perspective. It will enhance your empathy skills. Forgiveness can stop you from ruminating over negative events and thoughts related to it. This can alleviate your suffering and enhance your inner serenity.
The most important person to forgive for any perceived wrongdoing is yourself. Self-forgiveness is the start of the path to self-love. You are human. You will make mistakes. You can use these as lessons to learn from. Take accountability for your actions. Use your mistakes as an opportunity to personally develop, to evolve. Permit yourself to grow. Practice self-compassion.
Cultivating Your Acceptance Criteria
Practice acceptance. Acceptance of others. Acceptance of circumstances, and situations. Acceptance of yourself. What are your acceptance criteria? What standard does something have to meet for you to accept it as it is?
Newsflash. You do not have control over anyone. You cannot control all circumstances. You cannot control all situations. You do, however, have control over how you respond internally and externally to what is out of your control.
Internally, you can focus on self-care to regulate your mood and emotions. Self-care can build your resilience. It can promote a healthier and happier you.
Externally, focus on responding thoughtfully to situations rather than reacting off emotion. Listen. Observe. Learn. Breathe. Take time if necessary. Then respond with what will benefit the situation best. Remain in control of yourself. Do not give control of yourself to outside influences.
Generally, what is good for others will be good for you. This can prevent situations from escalating. It can avoid or resolve conflict. It can elevate your inner tranquility.
Most importantly, practice self-acceptance. Accept yourself for who you are. Develop self-awareness of your authentic self. Learn to love yourself. You are wonderfully unique. Everyone is. If there is a part of you that you don’t align with, you can change it. You are in control of you.
Do not compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday and the day before. Appreciate the wonderfully unique individual that you are. Love yourself and your potential. You can be who you want to be. You can be who you want to become.
Use the practices mentioned in this article to embrace self-love. Forgive yourself. Challenge your inner critic. Love yourself. You are worthy of it. Everyone is. It will enhance your inner peace.
What is Spirituality to You?
What does spirituality mean to you? Are you seeking answers inside yourself or believing in a higher power? Whichever path you pursue on your spiritual odyssey, the path will benefit from beginning within. Practice self-care, self-forgiveness, self-acceptance, and ultimately self-love. Your inner self deserves love, especially from yourself.
Curiosity about existence is natural. Curiosity about yourself will be beneficial. Seek the spirit within before you embark on an arduous path of enlightenment. It will strengthen you. It will improve your insight and intuition. It will make you more resilient.
Conclusion
Existence is about balance. Balancing our self-care. Balancing our thoughts between ambitious and practical. Balancing our emotions. Balancing our work and rest.
On a larger scale, it could be about balancing the impact you have on the environment with the restoration of what you have consumed. Balancing the impact of your beliefs with the beliefs of others. Consider the impact of compassion on humanity.
Within your unconscious lies the answers you seek for personal development. Performing shadow work with a professional may support you here. Within the universal unconscious may lie the answers about spirituality. It is about appreciating the process of the personal odyssey you embark on.
It is embracing your unique path to discover the wisdom you seek. What you will find will likely be your authentic self and the impact you have on all things. Make that impact positive.
References
Davenport, B. (June 7, 2022) Spirituality For Beginners: 15 steps to Start Your Spiritual Journey Mindful Zen Spirituality For Beginners: 15 Steps To Start Your Spiritual Journey (mindfulzen.co)
Gupta, S. (September 13, 2022) Self-Acceptance: Characteristics, Importance, and Tips for Improvement Very Well Mind Self-Acceptance: Characteristics, Importance, and Tips for Improvement (verywellmind.com)
Miller, K. BA CAPP (April 16, 2020) Science of Spirituality (+16 Ways to Become More Spiritual) Positive Psychology Science of Spirituality (+16 Ways to Become More Spiritual) (positivepsychology.com)
Scott, E. PhD (May 6, 2024) Spirituality: Definition, Types, Benefits, and How to Practice Very Well Mind Spirituality: Definition, Types, Benefits, and How to Practice (verywellmind.com)
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