What Is Spirituality?
Benefits Of A Spiritual Life
Spirituality is a term that is used widely, yet its definition is often very difficult for anyone to fully define. One person’s perspective of what it means may change frequently depending on their outlook on life - which is uniquely shaped by their own personal, family, and cultural experiences. Spirituality teachings aren’t new to this world, yet they may be new to a lot of people.
Perhaps you are wondering, ‘What does it mean to be spiritual?’ or ‘What does spiritual mean?’ There are many different global teachings, understandings and religious approaches, which act as guides. But no different to your fingerprint, when it comes to the question ‘What does being spiritual mean?’, your definition of spirituality will also be just as unique to you. It’s shaped by your individual journey and how this connects back to your soul. In the simplest of terms, spirituality is about feeling and understanding the wisdom and maturity that lies within you, and only you, in this present moment.
I would encourage you to keep an open mind as you embark on your spiritual path, allowing space for you to define your own spiritual journey. Think of this blog as spirituality for beginners; a space to explore what spirituality might mean for you, with mistakes to avoid along the way. II will guide you in understanding the different types of spirituality, why it is not always based on religion, and how exploring spirituality within you can benefit your whole life.
Signs Of Spirituality
For many people, their spiritual journey begins by being a part of a religion that was introduced to them by the people around them at birth. For others, this journey has nothing to do with formalised religion - they are exposed to other spiritual teachers, spiritual practices and beliefs from alternative sources. Regardless of where the journey begins, it is inevitable that each person, at some point in life, will begin to have questions surrounding this area, that takes them on a spiritual journey for answers. So what is a spiritual person? Here’s some of the most common signs that a person is embarking on a spiritual life:
Rising awareness - perhaps you feel different to usual, are questioning life, or are suddenly noticing things that you didn’t before. You may experience a wake-up call which opens your eyes to possibility.
Changes in priorities and values - you’ve an urge to live more purposely and define what feels good for you. Is the life you are living aligned with who you are becoming?
You’re focusing on your inner world, tuning into your thoughts and emotions, feeling the urge to slow down and become more present.
You’re beginning to take personal responsibility, taking ownership of your thoughts and actions, instead of passing the blame to the external world.
The spiritual experience will look different for every person, because we are all unique beings with our own emotional and spiritual path to walk. The combination of the vast teachings of this world of spirituality will open up the equally vast and wonderful world within you - you just have to be willing to explore it.
The Difference and Relationship Between Religion and Spirituality
For many, their first experience and understanding of spirituality came from the religion they are a part of or exposed to growing up. From a young age, each person is taught the ‘rules, regulations & practices’ required to live by their religion’s definition of what it means to be spiritual.
There is no doubt that religion and spirituality are fundamentally based on understanding the meaning of life and connecting and building a relationship with a higher power to assist us on this journey. The practices on how this can be achieved in religion can vary widely and typically come with a lot of rules and guidelines that are to be strictly adhered to.
Religious spirituality could be viewed as a system of beliefs that have been around for quite some time and are deeply embodied into a community of people that share these beliefs. This community then supports each other on the spiritual quest to feel the peace and presence of the holy spirit in their everyday lives. It is often said that where there is religion there is spirituality, but where there is spirituality doesn’t necessarily mean there is religion.
Many people still enjoy and turn to their religious faith as it helps them feel spiritually in tune with themselves and their true nature, their community and the world around them. Religion provides people with structure, a sense of community and a worldwide network of like-minded people to connect with.
People often don’t question their religion when they are a part of it, unless an event occurs that makes them want to question it, or it comes into direct conflict with something they feel from within. Religion traditionally teaches compassion, forgiveness and gratitude but often these are only applied under specific conditions.
Many people feel that religions have not been updated for today’s modern age and therefore feel many of them include ‘outdated’ practices that can negatively affect people's emotional and mental health. Modern-day examples of this include when an individual goes through a divorce/separation or if they are a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Many religions and religious beliefs disapprove of these choices even if they happen to be the right choice for the individual, allowing them to feel closer and more spiritually connected to themselves. In these circumstances, it can be found that these organisations don’t practice the compassion, forgiveness, gratitude and spirit of god that they so often preach about. If someone feels they can’t be themselves within their religion for fear of being shunned or judged, then they most likely won’t be able to feel spiritually fulfilled in their human experience.
Often they will begin the quest of simply doing the spiritual journey ‘on their own’, free of the terms, conditions, rules and regulations that they were expected to follow. They lose their community but often they choose to do it in order to find themselves and their own spiritual awakening process.
An Individual Path To Spirituality
The individual spiritual journey doesn’t always involve leaving the religion you’re a part of. It can mean taking the elements of your own religious background that feel right to you and expanding and growing them with the assistance of other people, religions, teachings and understandings from around the world.
A person’s individual journey away from religion often follows the same motivations as the religious journey. The difference is that the person is now willing to question and experience elements that would have previously been seen as forbidden, sinful or opened a risk of judgement from others. When they find freedom and inner peace, and fully know themselves, this is known as having an untethered soul.
They are still in search of a purpose in life and a feeling of peace from within. They continue to search for answers and are free to question other people, study other religions and explore other spiritual teachings. This exploration might give them an insight into themselves that their original religious teachings couldn’t provide for them, opening the door to spiritual growth.
The spiritual live to discover what it means to be a part of and connect with this world, and not just a single religion that can be seen as having a limited or even narrow-minded view. Over the course of a lifetime, a person may explore the teachings of many different organised religions within their spiritual practice, and pick and choose what feels comfortable and correct for them and their own spiritual journey.
The individual spiritual journey often includes exploring other healthy practices that continue to assist the growth and development of the mind, body, emotions and soul. While there is beauty in both religious practices and in the individual journey, the solo path often builds the person's confidence as an individual in the world. Over a period of time, they feel empowered to practice and live in accordance with what feeds a sense of connection to their soul.
Instead of practising prayer and focusing on scripture, they may decide to meditate and spend the time reflecting on themselves instead. Often they begin to feel connected with nature, music and other forms of literature as a pathway to self-expression and finding their place in the world.
Exploring Your Own Spiritual Journey
Spirituality can’t be owned by any one person or religion or explained by a single philosophy. Living a truly spiritual life comes from exploring your own personal experiences & challenges and leaving no questions within yourself unanswered. Spiritual books and an understanding of positive psychology can be a great way to open yourself to new thoughts and ideas. But if you are ready to take the next step in unpacking the many realisations and wisdom within you, then spiritual coaching will provide you with a safe space to begin your journey home to who you have always been. You can find out more information about how we can support you in exploring spirituality here: The Best Spiritual Coaching Services — Gareth Michael
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