Spiritual Wellness is expressed in so many facets of our lives, whether or not we anchor it to religion, philosophy, or an inherent connectedness to the universe or anything we see as greater than ourselves. In any of its forms, spiritual wellness is always profoundly personal.
Unlike physical or emotional wellness, spiritual wellness is difficult to measure because it is manifested in so many unique ways. But it is essential to creating a broader sense of stability, direction, and hope. In fact, as we crawl to the end of a particularly bizarre and testing year, spiritual wellness has gained traction in the race to maintaining an overall sense peace and purpose in our lives. But what does the core of spiritual wellness mean? Spiritual wellness can be found in the moment of contemplation in which we understand more clearly and more mindfully our purpose and how greatly we impact the world around us. Understanding purpose keeps us aligned with our potential to create and to affect change. It gives us the opportunity to extend ourselves with love and compassion and peace. When we feel connected to the world, we are more encouraged to unify it. We are more emboldened to protect it. No human being is an island. We are all part of a greater global community. Every life has significance and importance – to themselves, to others, to the world we live in and to the planet we live on. People who are spiritually well see and feel their connective impact inside and outside their sphere of influence. They are able to fully understand the importance of achieving a greater sense of mindfulness and are able to offer a greater sense of universal security and balance. Spiritual wellness means harmonizing with our surroundings and creating a balance of needs; a mindful obligation to recognize our own needs and those of others. We find harmony when the purity of our intentions are aligned with our world and everything within it. When we harmonize with our surroundings – when there is no difference between me and you – or you and them - then we inspire acts of kindness and compassion. Part of fostering a healthy and balanced relationship with the world around us requires us to see our personal needs as they relate to the needs of others. A developed and keen balance of spiritual wellness creates a structure of giving and receiving in which we can live in a way that neither benefits self-interests of becomes draining for the sake of other people. Awareness of needs outside of our own responds to the universal demands of fairness and balance. Spiritual wellness requires us to outline our personal values and beliefs and then act compassionately in accordance with them. Our values and beliefs may change throughout the course of our lifetime – ebbing and flowing through the influences of relationships, experiences and events, but finding a sense of spiritual wellness allows us to take notice of these shifts in real time, and either readjust them or acknowledge and galvanize their importance. Acting compassionately is an expression of spiritual intention that fosters a platform for spiritual wellness. Meditation, prayer, expressing love, offering understanding and empathy – these all create an environment of unity and compassion, and inspire spiritual maturity, balance and wellness. Like any journey we make to cultivates ourselves, spiritual wellness takes practice. Find some quiet time in your day – either early in the morning before activities begin, or later at night when they have ended. Creating a time of peace is both spiritually and energetically regenerating. Meditation, yoga, reading – even exercise can feel like quiet time. For me, running through the park in the morning connects me to myself and to the day and to the day ahead. It offers me a sense of routine in which I find the calmness and clarity I need to pursue a day of purpose. Speak your intentions – no, really - say them out loud. Reciting affirmations or intentions can really change our patterns of thought and can establish a more clearly defined intention for the day. There are so many faiths and philosophies that teach loud chanting or prayer as a path to manifestation. Commit your needs and wants out loud to the Universe. Finding our truth mean living authentically. When we honour ourselves holistically and authentically, we become stronger in adversity, better friends, better teachers and better leaders. Living in truth means living in confidence - it means we become the captain of our own destiny, reaping the benefits of mental clarity and a clear conscience. Don’t be afraid to ask yourself the big questions – and yes, you are also allowed to answer them. The path for truth and spiritual wellness begins with big questions that require big answers. Contemplating our life’s purpose, no matter how self-indulgent it might seem, teaches us the importance of living in the present moment, and opens our minds to the possibilities that lie ahead on our path. Find your framework. What do you believe? What are your set of values? Find what is important to you – love, tolerance, creation, acceptance, defending those who cannot defend themselves? Discovering our personal cornerstones – the very things that drive us and keep us in our light – is an important process toward spiritual wellness. These are far from rules; these are governing facets of your truth that, once defined, create the fabric of who you are in the world. Be mindful that spiritual wellness is amorphous. As we change, our spiritual markers change too. Checking in with ourselves and with our spiritual clarity stimulates evolution and allows us to practice spiritual wellness in real time. Nothing is permanent – not even your framework of values. Life is a process of response, learning and evolution, and all facets of our wellness should be too. As spiritually well people, we can expect changes in our life’s compass, but with a keen understanding of how our process relates to our core purpose, we can harness the benefits of change and evolution in a way that that finds meaningful solutions to a life lived in a state of conscious wellness – and we all should strive for a life lived in conscious wellness.
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