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These days, it seems like plenty of people throw around the word spirituality, especially when looking at younger generations. By now, who hasn’t heard someone say, “I’m not religious, I’m spiritual.”
Indeed, a Pew Research survey demonstrates that millennials have less attachment to religion than their grandparents. Interestingly though, the younger generation feels just as strong a sense of spiritual peace, well-being, and gratitude.
What does spirituality really mean then? The dictionary defines it as “the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.” Of course, spirituality will take on different meanings for each person. Perhaps spirituality can mean looking at the larger picture and asking the bigger questions in life: What is my purpose? How can I serve the greater good? How do I attain inner peace? How do I overcome negative emotion and obstacles?
One can look at spirituality like a mountain summit in which each person takes a different path to the top, but all arrive at the same destination. While millions of people still find answers to life’s most difficult questions through traditional religious law and prayer, others have taken new approaches, fusing ancient spiritual customs from different faiths into their modern lifestyles. As global communities interact more and more with each other, new practices emerge, giving birth to a beautiful blend of spirituality from around the world.
Finding answers to the big questions is no small task. Daily spiritual practices might not provide the explanations we want today, right now, or possibly ever in entirety. Still, daily spiritual practice has many positive benefits on health and well-being. Small, everyday rituals can bring comfort, create better lifestyle habits, and set positive intentions while also to slowly uncover a deeper purpose.
1. Start the Day With a Short Meditation or Prayer
Many successful people like Tony Robbins, Charlamagne Tha God, and Oprah Winfrey begin their day by meditating or praying. Whether that means reciting a prayer, practicing a quiet moment of mindfulness, or listening to a guided meditation, setting aside a few minutes in the morning to connect with ourselves and set positive intentions will encourage a peaceful, grateful mindset for a successful day in line with your spiritual values.
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2. Go for a Walking Meditation
Spiritual practice doesn’t necessarily have to mean visiting a temple or performing a complex ritual. Walking in a purposeful and conscious way can also become a spiritual practice. It gives a chance to clear the mind and reflect. In fact, religions around the world practice walking meditation. You can use it as an opportunity to take a break from the hustle of bustle and reconnect with yourself.
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3. Take Short Spirit Breaks Throughout the Day
Regular breaks throughout the day help improve health, wellness, and performance in work. They also provide an opportunity to have a short, calming meditation or prayer. That can mean a simple yoga stretch with deep breathing, sitting outside of the office in the sunshine for 5 minutes, or simply mentally recounting a prayer.
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4. Count Your Blessings
While a saying like “count your blessings” sounds cliche, it does send a powerful message. Many teachings prescribe gratitude as the antidote to negative emotions like greed, anger, and envy. Keeping a regular gratitude journal or simply reflecting on the good people or things going well in your life represents a simple daily spiritual practice that can help to harness the many benefits of gratitude.
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5. Read Books About Spirituality
These days, you can grow up in the United States and have access to ancient spiritual wisdom from Tibetan monks. Reading books introduces new spiritual practices and ways of thinking. Often monks, mediums, and other types of spiritual leaders write books sharing inspiring ideas, for example, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Many Lives Many Masters, The Dhammapada, Dao De Jing, or The Book of Knowing and Worth. Reading before bedtime can teach new wisdom each day. (plus, it can help get a better night’s rest!)
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6. Find a Spiritual Community
One of the reasons religion and spirituality can have so many positive effects is because it tends to bring together a community of people who support each other. This can prove especially powerful in an age of increasingly more isolation and disconnection. So how does this fall into a daily practice? It doesn’t have to necessarily, but it can mean attending a yoga class once or twice a week, visiting a local temple or spiritual organization, or attending a spiritual festival every so often. You’ll likely make friends with like-minded people who share your values and feel more socially connected.
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7. Incorporate Spirituality Into Your Daily Routine
Many religions teach people to find meaning and meditation in everyday life, whether it means working hard to support a family, helping others at home or work, or appreciating every meal. That can even mean finding joy in the mundane, like walking to the bus stop or cleaning the house. Celebrating even the smallest things can bring meaning to your life every day and help to live with a sense of vitality and connectedness.
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8. Have Patience and Dedicate Yourself to Finding Your Path
Everyone has a busy schedule, but as the Zen saying goes, “You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day, unless you're too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.” That may sound frustrating at first, but it doesn’t have to be taken quite so literally. You could interpret that, instead, as to say: If something is easy for you, work on it a little. If it’s hard for you, work on it a lot. Dedicating the time to spirituality may not feel easy at first, but staying dedicating can bring many benefits in living a joyful, meaningful life.
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