SPIRITUALITY & WELLNESS helps us to create a more meaningful life . It puts us in touch with the courage , strength , wisdom and compassion that reside within us that influence how we live our lives and interact with others .
SPIRITUALITY & WELLNESS helps us to create a more meaningful life . It puts us in touch with the courage , strength , wisdom and compassion that reside within us that influence how we live our lives and interact with others .
Spiritual Wellness
We may each define spirituality differently ; however , spiritual wellness is considered to be a willingness to transcend the ego in order to contemplate the meaning of our lives . Doing so involves a process of examining how our way of being affects our involvement in life . Such intentional examination provides the wisdom and perseverance needed to help us navigate the challenges that come our way .
Many of us seem unable to stay grounded and remain poised when faced with the trials of life because we give little attention to our physical and emotional health and even less to our spiritual well-being . People experience loss , aging , retirement , divorce and illness , and feel great concern about such matters as global instability . When we are disconnected from our centre we often find ourselves without the tools to help us cope and survive .
Spiritual wellness is essential to our overall well-being because it puts us in harmony with body and mind and contributes to the physical and emotional stability required to manage the difficult and heartbreaking situations that disrupt our lives . Spiritual wellness reduces stress and generates positive energy . It promotes a strong sense of self , spontaneous kindness and an increase in one ’ s capacity for compassion .
The Journey
The path to spiritual wellness is a journey of awakening that calls for an inevitable movement into the shadowed centre to endure the sharp pains of self-discovery in search of the true self .
When you spend intentional time reflecting on you in your life , you notice how pain , anger , prejudice , fear , guilt , and loss hold you prisoner . As you courageously befriend your negative attitudes , debilitating emotions and challenging problems you are able to move through them and beyond . The journey is not easy but essential if you wish to embrace your inner wisdom . Such spiritual endeavour brings a profound sense of openness and expansion allowing for growth and clarity to emerge .
Spiritual wellness requires practice ; therefore , it is essential to engage in spiritual practices such as spending time in silence , learning to let go of the past and not dwelling on the future , being open to pain and struggles , listening to your heart , being as curious as a child , and making choices for happiness and fulfilment . We must strive to be less judgmental and critical and to start the day by giving thanks for another new beginning . We must also learn to take breath breaks during the day and to be optimistic , to laugh and to play .
This journey allows us to come to understand that we are a spiritual beings immersed in a human experience so that we may awaken to who we already are and align with the truth of our being . Everything becomes alive ; every moment is our teacher ; all people and creatures become our family , and we come to notice that our lives are part of a much greater whole . Most importantly , we are able to stay calm in the turbulence of life .
Take a moment and be in touch with your amazing , beautiful inner presence and let it awaken you to the wonder of life .
Peggy McDonagh , Minister of Worship at St . David ’ s United Church in Calgary , shares reflections on body , mind and spiritual wellness — important elements in her own life . news & views SPRING 2015 | 17