What is Spirituality?

Some associate spirituality with religion, going to church, mosque, synagogue or praying in any other temple, but actually it doesn’t necessarily mean practicing a religion.

Spirituality is a vast concept, with different perspectives, but generally it refers to the feeling of connection to something bigger than us, transcendental, sacred, or simply a state of profound physical, intellectual and emotional consciousness of our core Self, of our essence.

As Polly Campbell (blogger, author and speaker who specializes in spirituality, positive psychology and personal development) writes in her book “Imperfect Spirituality: Extraordinary Enlightenment for Ordinary People”:

Spirituality is about living with this awareness (of spirit) in deep relationship with yourself, the self that is both created by and connected to the Universal Source of all that is. From this place you recognize that everything is interconnected. We are all one”. (…) “When you touch your spirit from this place of knowing, you are then guided by this higher energy, instead of Ego. This energy is fueled by love and compassion, gratitude and expansion. It is not about gossip, or image, or control. It isn’t about being right or better than.— Polly Campbell

From this passage by Polly Campbell we learn that Spirituality isn’t something that we develop or learn, Spirituality is our identity. We just need to unravel our Spirituality and remember who we really are.

Deepak Chopra (doctor, speaker and author), following the same line of thought, comments:

At the level of spirit, everything is always unfolding perfectly, and you don’t have to struggle or force situations to go your way. It is only your ego-mind that believes you are an isolated individual trying to survive in a hostile world. In truth, you are a spiritual being in a material world. When you surrender to Spirit and listen to the voice of your deeper intelligence, you end the struggle. You free yourself from fear and doubt and release the obstacles your ego has created.
— Deepak Chopra

As Polly Campbell, Deepak Chopra tell us that in the search of the meaning of life and our identity, through spiritual moments, we are trying to reconnect with ourselves, with our Universal Source. But how to get these spiritual moments?

The contact with Nature, contemplating a work of art or listening and appreciating a piece of music can be considered spiritual experiences if done with conscious knowledge. Depending on the level of immersion when we’re in these situations, and from which we get pleasure, we connect directly to the Creator and Creation.

Our health can only be considered holistic and balanced when includes our spiritual health.
— Anita D’Ambrosio, Holistic Health Coach

But how can we include Spirituality into our routine? What changes can we make in our day-to-day life so that we can achieve spiritual balance and health?

The secret is to start with small practices that will become our daily rituals. I’m talking about Rituals of SpiRITUALity, because it’s with rituals that we become disciplined through repetition and we create consistence to achieve alignment with our spirit.
— Anita D’Ambrosio, Holistic Health Coach

It’s only when we’re aligned with our Nature, through these practices that become our rituals, that we feel more complete and happier.

I’m sharing with you some practices of SpiRITUALity that you can incorporate in your daily life, in order to achieve spiritual balance and health:

1. Make Time for Yourself: it may be by listening to relaxing music, reading a book that inspires you, meditate or through any other activities. Find the activities that are more aligned with you and a moment to dedicate to yourself;

2. Connect to Nature: there’s no more harmonious and stronger force that the force of Nature. Being surrounded by Nature reminds us to breathe deeply and consciously, makes us calm down and connect with ourselves. Nature is imperfectly perfect and reminds us our beautiful “Nature”. When we feel worried and anxious, it is a clear sign that we are disconnected from our spirit, our Nature, and only in the natural environment we can find cure;

3. Connect to Others: if you’ve been living isolated in your “bubble” because of work and the rest of the countless commitments, it’s time to re-connect to your friends, family and to meet new people. We’re social beings, all interconnected, and the relationship with others contributes to our spiritual health;

4. Help People in Need: when you help others, automatically you connect yourself with the rest of humanity. You can participate in volunteer programs or donate money to charity. Any small action is already a big help;

5. Practice Gratitude: there are lots of things in our life which we should be grateful for and feel lucky. Having legs for walking, arms for hugging, eyes to appreciate what surrounds us and a mouth to taste are just some examples of how we should feel thankful! Being alive is a gift!;

6. Become Aware: become aware of your environment and yourself in your environment. Appreciate the colours and the smells of Nature around you. Appreciate the feeling of the rain on your face or the wind blowing in your hair. All these actions will revitalize you and put you in a state of pure consciousness;

7. Express your Emotions: Develop your creativity with artistic or expressive activities such as dancing, playing an instrument, painting or writing. All of us need to balance our rational and logical left brain with the creative right brain;

8. Practice Meditation, Yoga or Pray: all these rituals help you connect to your more profound essence and the Universe, and relieve stress and anxiety of our daily routine,

9. Write Affirmations that Inspire you: inspirational affirmations written daily in a notebook are a powerful tool to remind you that you’re moving in the right direction to become the person you want to be. Once written, read them loud to become fully aware of them and to allow your brain to absorb them. Affirmations like “I’m healthy and intelligent”, “I have energy and abundance of joy” are some examples of what you can write. Listen to your inner self, be creative and create your own affirmations!

Do you already practice some of these rituals? Which other rituals do you practice to nourish your spiritual health?

I’ll be waiting for your comments and hope that the rituals I’ve shared in this article help you feel more complete and happier!