For some, the idea of spirituality can feel too far removed from reality to hold any weight. Many people need things that are tangible with scientific reasoning and proof to be worthy of their consideration. However, the whole concept of all things spiritual means that there isn’t anything proven about it. People put faith into religions, belief systems and spiritualism to bring them comfort in their lives and to help them make sense of the world around them. Most people gravitate towards all things spiritual when going through a trauma or seeking more meaning to life.
When you consider spirituality, you may think about chanting dreadlocked hippies in a darkened room surrounded by jasmine incense sticks meditating. This stereotypical version of spirituality is far removed from the truth. If you want to get in touch with your spiritual side, follow these four simple steps.
Find your calm
Everyone has coping mechanisms to help them calm down and feel peaceful. It’s vital that you can find yours. For some, it could be as simple as being outdoors surrounded by nature. It may not sound spiritual, but being near trees, smelling the scents of the pines, and being able to breathe in fresh air, can be a great way to free all of your stresses from your mind. The added Vitamin D from sunlight can be beneficial to our mental health as we crave natural light to help regulate our body clocks.
You might not be an outdoors bunny and your calm may be found elsewhere. Put on a soothing sounds CD of panpipes melodies if it helps, have a massage or enjoy your baking rituals. By finding an activity that helps you to ground yourself, you will feel more content with your place in the universe.
Seeking meaning
If you are struggling with the meaning of your life, you need to find a support network to help relieve your anxieties. Some people have a religion to rely on. This faith enables them to seek solace in scripture or by saying a prayer. Those without faith, often look elsewhere to astrology or psychics to help guide them through their lives. The zodiac is seen as wishy-washy nonsense by many, but the origins were highly scientific with Greek philosophers, mathematicians and the ancient Babylonians basing their entire life’s decision making on star charts. You could check your aries horoscope and allow it to help inform your decisions for the following month. They may appear vague and non-commital when you read them, and they should never be relied upon at the expense of your feelings, but they can be a sound crutch to help those people who are struggling with the meaning of their lives.
Meditate
When you need to find some inner calm and lower your blood pressure, meditation can be a worthwhile activity. Don’t think you have to chant or fill your room with herbal aromas. Instead, find some time and space to sit and think about nothing. Try to clear your mind, focus on your breathing and just be. Just being and doing nothing doesn’t come easy to us in the fast pace of the twentieth century, but it can be necessary to help us feel like ourselves. Couple this with mindfulness and you can tap into your spiritual side. Close your eyes and complete some mindfulness activities such as visualizing a burning candle or viewing yourself from above.
Listen to your gut
For many, that little voice inside of them rarely gets listened to. Call it your soul or your conscience, it is what we need to listen to in order to help us make decisions, learn from mistakes and own what we do. This can empower you. Forget about finding others to blame for your faults and don’t worry about making mistakes. You are a human being and you are fallible. Your place in the universe isn’t reliant on how well you do at work or the sort of relationships you enter into. To listen to your gut means taking back control of your life and having the confidence to do what you think is right.
It can be challenging to find the time to focus on our spiritual side. However, if you do, you can be sure of a more calm, content and happy existence.