What is spirituality

Every individual has their own meaning of spirituality. For some it is about participating in religious activity and for some it is person practice. Well, it can have many other aspects in it but underlying concept is that it includes a sense of connection to something higher than oneself, and it typically involves a seeking for meaningful life. It is importance for us know what is spirituality.

Oxford defines the spirituality as “The quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things”

In the Bhagwat Gita, Shri Krishna explains to Arjuna about what is spirituality —

“परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते “|  (paramam swabhavo’dhyAtmamuchyate)

“Spirituality is to know, to realize and to see that supreme reality of inner consciousness (or true self).”

In ordinary life we are mostly associated with mind (thoughts, emotions, conditions etc) or better to say we become what we think but self is higher than mind. Spirituality helps in transcending the mind therefore we can disassociation with mind and establish connection with our true self which is essence of spirituality. Hance spirituality and mental health is strongly connected.

Why to take care of mental health

In my opinion Mental health is core of all kind of health. Mental health includes our psychological, emotional and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices in daily bases. In every stage of life, we need to have good mental health. Being mental healthy can improve our productivity and effectiveness in our professional life and build health relationship in our personal life.

Spirituality and Mental health growth are closely intertwined. It hard to achieve spiritual health with achieving physical and mental health but at the same time if we incorporate some basic practice of spirituality in our daily life, it can help in achieving good mental health.

Mental health should not only be understood as just the absence of mental illness, but it is a state of well-being where an one is able to cope with the daily stress of life, work productively, and contribute to their society.

How spirituality can help in achieving mental health

Spirituality has the capability to benefit mental health in numerous ways. It gives a greater meaning to induvial of their life. Spirituality practices helps in coming out of the victim mentality, leading into being in state of appreciation and acceptance towards oneself and others. Spirituality gives sense of connectedness which service to our mental health because it is in direct opposition to the illusions of isolation and loneliness that often go hand-in-hand with psychological issues.

The whole idea of Spiritual Development is about understanding the fundamental problem of the mind because than you easily transcend the mind. Mind is condition therefore it conditions our unconditional self with various materialistic pleasures, wealth and fame expecting that will give us constant satisfaction. But when you deeply look into it, you will understand it is all momentary. It is the main reason behind constant suffering in our today’s life. Therefore, spirituality and mental health is strongly connected.

Here some the important aspect of spiritually which leads to a good mental health condition.

• Spirituality priority self-healing through increasing the self-awareness.
• The path of spirituality also brings up moral and ethical values in our daily actions.
• It allows individuals to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationship with the divine
• Spirituality increases the ability to reflect on our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours so we can make conscious choices and decisions.
• Helps to feel and be grateful for the things we have.
• It can help them to cope with changes and uncertainty
• Spiritual process makes us realise us one’s true nature is completeness and limitless.
• It develops more positive outlook on life, be more resilient, and have a greater sense of purpose and meaning.

These are the few fundamental aspects spiritually throws light on, once we address these things there is a tremendous transformation of our lifestyle and mindset.

Spiritual practices to achieve mental health

Spiritual practices do not have to be stone crushing task. Our very small to big action must take us close to our self and that is the essence of spiritual practices. Here are some of basic daily life practices to bring more juice of spirituality.

• Start with small and easy steps
• Develop the positive outlook towards life
• Choose Sattvic food and balance diet
• Include reading and journaling
• Do some asana practices such as – Surya Nasamskar (Sun Salutation)
• Pray or do affirmation everyday
• Learn to take responsibility of our own action
• Do reflect on your reaction and accept the things as they are
• Meditate every day

Spiritual practice is crucial component of mental health because all these leads to strong and peaceful mind. They also help to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression and other mental struggles that many people face. But also, it is important to prioritize mental health as a means of achieving spiritual growth. Spirituality and mental health both should be our priority.

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Spiritual development: 6 simple tips to begin

You must make it clear that without the proper understanding of process, you cannot actually progress. Similarly here your understanding of what is spirituality and what is foundation of spirituality must be clear.

What is spirituality?

Spirituality is a journey towards the pure consciousness (true self). But there are many ways given to understand spirituality according to different traditions and masters. In spite of being different they have lot of similarities and almost same goal. You must avoid distractive theories regarding spirituality because they will delude you form actual path of self-journey. Therefore you must have clear understanding of spirituality but at the same time you always must make efforts towards refinement in your understanding of Spirituality.

In the Bhagwat Gita, Shri Krishna explain spirituality in this way –  

“परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते “| ( paramam swabhavo’dhyAtmamuchyate)

“Spirituality is to know, to realize and to see that supreme reality of inner consciousness (or true self).”

Click here to read more about -what is Spirituality

Foundation of spirituality

The ultimate practice to increase spirituality within is ‘Meditation’. Lot of people knows it and they do meditate based on whatever their understanding is but they are not able to gain much with it. Why so? Are they missing something? Yes they are! They are missing ‘ability to focus’. One thing you must understand that without the ability to concentrate, you will never be able to achieve the real state of Meditation. So first you need to learn the art of Concentration.

There are many aspirant of spirituality trying to enhance their ability to concentrate but cannot attain noticeable success. Why so? Are they lacking something? Yes they are. They lacking a pure mind because a pure mind can only fully concentrate and then only the state of meditation can be achieved.

So I would say that foundation of Spirituality is a pure mind. Without a purified mind one can never be fully qualified for spirituality. Even if we analyze the teaching of great sages, they all have mentioned Chita-shudhhi/Chita-parikarma/Chita-prasadanam means purification of mind is required to build a strong foundation for spiritual journey. An unpurified and wandering mind can never help you to realize or see that supreme reality of inner consciousness (or true self). 

Sage Patanjali says about Chita-Prasadan in yoga sutra that through cultivating attitudes of friendliness towards happy, compassion towards the miserable, joyfulness/gladness towards virtuous and indifference towards the evil, the mind becomes tranquil. In Buddhism also we find the same concept which is known as ‘Brahma-vihara’.  

Friendliness

When somebody is happy, feel happy, feel friendly towards them. Because then you also open a door towards happiness for you. In a subtle way, by cultivating friendliness towards who is happy, you immediately start sharing his/her happiness; it has become yours also – immediately! By being friendly towards happy people, you become attuned to happiness.

Compassion

You need to understand that compassion is not about co-suffering, means you feel the pain and suffering of others and you also become the same. Compassion means when you see a person in misery you feel his misery therefore you would like to help the other person to come out of his misery; you would like to do whatever can be done. You are not happy about it, but you are not miserable also.

Gladness/Joyfulness

MUDITA means gladness/joyfulness/ sympathetic joy. Mudita is the feeling of joy and appreciation towards those who are virtuous, doing something useful for society. If you always criticize and find the faults in others that simply mean you more focus on negative and you unknowingly slowly start to poison yourself.

Indifference/Forgiveness

Indifferent must be towards their no-virtues deeds but not to them because indifference does not mean apathy. When you see someone doing wrong deeds or non-virtue acts, you must make them understand about their acts and how they are inappropriate. But remember don’t involve in it too much. You must forgive them so they can be motivated to do good deeds.

Conclusion

In our spiritual journey there are many challenges but one of them is emotional imbalance. You must learnt to transcend your emotions by cultivating attitudes of friendliness towards happy, compassion towards the miserable, joyfulness/gladness towards virtuous and indifference towards the evil because these attributes helps you in purifying the mind and mind becomes tranquil.

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Why life has become a chore?

Have you seen children they always live in the moment, remain honest with them self, doesn’t stop playing, ask the question and ready to forgive and forget.

No doubt we were also child and this use to be our nature. But where is this all now in the pace of being adult and mature we have left this child somewhere and our lifestyle does not nourish and heal inner child.

To answer this question in simple words i would say that“because inner child has been lost somewhere in the pace of life”

The inner child is that child who is part of us that represents innocence, playfulness, wonder and joyful nature. If we see our personalities and many of our beliefs are formed by the time we are child (3 to 9 years approx.)

“We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing”

Lack of the understanding of true spirituality, that inner child has lost in materiality. I would say whole idea of spirituality is to reconnect with inner child which all have within.

Here are some suggestions to get connected with inner child  

• Quite often I have seen and listen to many people they keep blaming to someone or something but no need to blame anyone (parents, teachers or friends) for where you are now. Blaming is like sticking in life. Life is a beautiful gift to be enjoyed.
• Now being adult is an opportunity to choose to heal the past wounds and release all the negativity which has been carrying.
• Forgiveness is the path of self-healing, which opens the door to lovingness and begins to love the life.
• Look at the world with new wonder and awe like always child does so must enjoy inner child- love, laugh Play and smile.
• When a child loves, it gives all the love it has. The inner child never suppresses feelings, instead of showing the maturity to others learn to enjoy, whenever get something amazing dance, celebrate share it with the world. With no boundaries, holds no expectations, and loves unconditionally that’s how inner child live the life.
• What is the point of life, if we don’t take time for joy and laugh and share it with the people around us.
• Meditation is the best way to letting go obstacle in reconnecting with inner self.

Nourish your inner child. Laugh, play, travel, write, celebrate, eat, share, meditate and repeat.

Please do share this with your loved ones, to let them know that never stop playing, be happy, keep laughing and share your smile with all.

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“The quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things” is the definition of spirituality by oxford.

In the Sanskrit language the word Adhiyatm translated as spirituality. But before going more into the topic need to be clear about spirituality and religion. Very often Religion and spirituality are both understood synonym because both are trying to understand the meaning/root of life. No doubts religion and spirituality have similar foundation but yet practically different.

Religion is an organized, community-based system of beliefs, performing ceremonies and worship of a superhuman controlling power and follow curtain type of life style rather spirituality is about inner journey and their personal believe.

Yet widely it has been understood that performing ceremonies (rituals), study of the nature of divine (theology) or believing on something is spirituality but it is not the whole scenario, more it can be understood as different aspect of the religion and not the actual spirituality.

You can be religious and spiritual at the same time but if you are spiritual you don’t necessarily have to be religious. But according to different understanding and belief people have adopted spirituality in their daily life differently. Feeling and emotions of each other need to understand and appreciate by us.

If I want to explain in simplest words spirituality is “studying of the self”. Spirituality is a journey of us from being mechanical to conscious being.

In the Bhagwat Gita, Shri Krishna says to Arjuna-

 “परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते “| ( paramam swabhavo’dhyAtmamuchyate)

“Spirituality is to know, to realize and to see that supreme reality of inner consciousness (or true self).”

Why ones should to be in the path of spirituality?

Why should I be in the path of spirituality? What spirituality can offer me? These are the some common doubts which some time must have come in our mind.

• Being Spiritual helps us to clean buried stress and emotions.
• It creates more positive feelings and superior ability of handling the hard time.
• Excellent psychological health so we can manage all the aspect of life.
• Spirituality helps us to be non-dependent on anything which is non self (outer objects and situations).
• There are many meaningless issues and things in our life that we usually give unnecessary importance. 
• Spirituality opens the doors to ocean of supreme bliss, peace and unwavering stability.

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