What Do We Mean By “Spirituality”?
Whenever you look up the properties and qualities of various crystals you will find a heading about spiritual health benefits, alongside physical and mental/emotional health. You may also find references to looking after your spiritual health in more mainstream literature about coping with a variety of mental health issues. Some people are naturally drawn to the concept of Spirituality, others immediately dismiss it, assuming that it is a synonym for “religious”, and yet others have a vague notion that this may be something they would like to explore, but do not really know where to start.
Faith and Religion
This section is very short! No discussion about what we mean by Spirituality would be complete without mentioning faith and religion, but in truth the three things are quite separate. You do not need to be a member of a faith group, or to attend a place of worship, or to follow any doctrine in order to be “spiritual”, although many people find that the concepts enhance one another, for them.
Spiritual Health
You spiritual health is important because it is one aspect of your emotional health. As humans, we are much more than a collection of bones held together by skin and tissue. We all know that we think, feel, create, talk, and experience the world through more than the five outward senses, but many of us would not describe ourselves as being “spiritual”. It is no co-incidence that we have phrases in the English language like “high spirits” and “lift your spirits” to mean happiness and contentment.
Your spirit is the true essence of who you really are, regardless of the roles you assume on this Earthly plane. You are more than your name, your job, your relation to others, and even more than your mind and brain. It is a difficult concept for many to grasp when they hear the statement “You are God”, but the central idea of this concept is that you, the real, true essence of you, is indistinguishable from the whole of the rest of creation and the known Universe. Once you accept that you are no more, or less of a right to be here, to exist, to live, breathe and experience life than any other entity, you are close to understanding what “spiritual” and spirit actually mean.
Is Everyone Spiritual?
The simple answer is “yes”. If you think about all the different people you know you will find a spark in every single one of them that marks them out as more than just a physical body. People who work on and with the land tend very often to be patient, slow to anger, philosophical and often extremely comfortable to be around, especially when you yourself are feeling agitated or overwhelmed. Their natural connection to the spirit, or energies, of the earth and the landscape keeps them in the here and now and enables them to see the “bigger picture” on a daily basis.
Do you, or does anyone you know seem to have a special bond with animals? How many people do you know who show empathy and compassion as a matter of course? All of these qualities are aspects of spirituality. Do you enjoy watching the sunrise or sunset? Do you like being near the ocean or high on a mountain? In a forest, by a stream, gathered around the fire with your friends and family?
These feelings and experiences are all part of your spiritual being, and you can see how they enhance your emotional and mental health without further explanation.
Take care of your spiritual nature, express gratitude, and revel in the fact that you are alive.
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