Last month we were looking at the part money played in our lives. Now we’re rushing into the arms of deeper feelings. To kick-start the process have another go at your Balance Chart, becoming aware of the influence spirituality has on each area. And if you don’t feel that spirituality plays a part in your life read on and see if we can persuade you otherwise.
Spirituality is often confused with religion, and although many people discover their spirituality by following a religious path, there are an infinite number of ways we can connect with this intrinsic part of our nature.
So what is it exactly? Spirituality is the part of us that wants to transcend the ordinary everyday world. It’s our search for the sacred and very personal. Each of us will experience and express our spirituality in our own way. For some it will be communing with nature, listening to an exquisite piece of music, or appreciating a beautiful work of art. For others it may be sitting in meditation and experiencing inner peace and stillness. In these heightened states we can feel an incredible sense of joy, aliveness and being at one with everything. For that moment in time our everyday thoughts and preoccupations fall away and we are fully able to be in the present moment.
A simple way of embracing spirituality is by getting caught up in something you love and wholeheartedly enjoy – something you can be totally absorbed in and that engages all of your being. This enables you to be in the moment, free of thoughts and judgements, and feel the joy of being at one with the experience. We often forget to make room for the spiritual aspect of life. We are so busy we don’t take the time to nourish our inner lives or nurture those around us. A big part of spirituality can include practices such as meditation and prayer. Even sitting quietly in front of candles can hush our busy minds and connect us to a feeling of stillness and inner peace.
We also connect with our spirituality when we are feeling lighthearted, whether it’s walking along the beach or laughing with friends; whatever makes you feel joyful and enlivened is good for your spirit. When we start to feel good just being who we are we instantly feel an empathy for what is around us; whether that is nature, other people or the great unknown.
The more we feel connected the deeper we want to delve into our true selves, and the more we want to be a bigger part of the world around us. We are being spiritual when we feel our life grounds us and links us to something greater than ourselves. Once we acknowledge that perhaps there is a bigger pattern at work we can stop trying to control things and life can start to unfold in ways we couldn’t imagine.
Two tasks for October to enable you to become more spiritually aware:
1. Do you feel grateful?
Ask yourself ‘what’s the best thing that happened to me today?’ That simple question helps you become aware of your day and how you felt about it, so keep asking it and feeling grateful for each best thing.
2. Would you like to find rituals that support you?
Many are supported through mindfulness, meditation, yoga and general morning and nightly routines. Focus on what your routines are and notice how they serve you.
Nina Grunfeld is a self-help and wellbeing guru, and founder of self-improvement workshops Life Clubs
