The Aspects of Spiritual Wellness

Spirituality allows us to interpret our world, organise our day-to-day living and assess our way of life. It is a personal quest for understanding answers to ultimate questions about life, meaning, and relationships to the sacred.

Spiritual wellness is the sense of meaning, hope, comfort and inner peace in our lives. It is the part of you that develops values and rules that provide you with a sense of who you are and why things work the way they do. A spiritual centre can allow you to answer tough questions like “Am I on the right track?” and gives you something to turn to during hard times.

There are many aspects of spiritual health, which include, but are not limited to:

Prayer and meditation. Prayer is the communication with a higher power. People pray for a variety of reasons and to many different higher powers. Researchers believe that prayer and meditation induces relaxation responses, much like other relaxation techniques

Contentment. Contentment means to be satisfied and happy. Many people are dissatisfied with their life. They often look to external sources as ways to control their satisfaction. People who are spiritually healthy are content with their inner self and don’t rely on external sources of happiness

Forgiveness. Forgiveness is extremely powerful. It is the ability to overlook and release all past wrongdoings and hurt. People often want retribution for wrongdoings. In order to forgive, you must give up this desire and accept what has happened without resentment either towards other people or yourself

Religious attendance. Religion is an organised system of belief and worship. There are many types of religions practiced throughout the world and though most people follow the religion they were brought up in, it remains a personal choice. You don’t, however, have to be religious to achieve spiritual wellness

Altruism. Altruism is the giving of one’s self or volunteering without the expectation of something in return. Altruistic people tend to have certain characteristics. For example, generally speaking, altruistic people don’t consider others inferior, are concerned about others’ welfare and wellbeing, and are “connected” to others. Besides volunteering, another way to express altruism is through random acts of kindness

Faith. Faith is the belief and trust in a higher power and something unseen. Someone who has faith believes that things will work out for the best. People who have faith tend to be honest and loyal, reliable and dependable

Hope. Hope is the positive expectation that good or what is desired will happen. It is being optimistic and thoughtful. Hope can greatly impact physical and mental health

Various studies have shown that spiritual wellness enhances physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Spirituality buffers stress, making us better able to resist and fight disease. A deep sense of spirituality causes a physical relaxation that reduces blood pressure and slows the heart rate. People heal more quickly and completely. These are just a few of the benefits of being spiritually well.