SPIRITUALLY, YOURS

Spirituality needs to be a part of everyday life.

A person’s life has several aspects that constitute a healthy whole. Some feel their physical health is the most important. Hence, they spend a lot of their time working out and eating healthy. Those who prioritize their social life meet with friends. But what about the people who believe that the spiritual aspect supersedes all others? How do they get time and energy to attend prayer meetings or other religious activities during the weekend after working through the week from 9 to 5?

SCIENTIFIC WAY OF LIVING

Often, spirituality is mixed with religion. Psychiatrist Dr Rajiv Anand says, “Your spiritual life has little to do with religion. Rather, it is scientific and very systematic. Being spiritual does not mean only chanting, meditating and reading scriptures. All these may be a part of it but not the whole. Being spiritual is far beyond all this.”

An individual may not do any of these things and still be spiritual. “It is a scientific way of living, where your whole existence is in sync with the universe. You are constantly in deep communion with powers greater than yourself, which take care of you and nourish you in a sustained manner,” adds Dr Anand. Psychiatrist Dr Jyoti Sangle agrees. “It would be fallacious to consider spirituality to be synonymous with religion. Acts of compassion and selflessness, altruism and the experience of inner peace and self-awareness could all be facets of spirituality. These are virtues that are inherent and practiced in our daily lives. These originate from a belief deep within us that something, somewhere is taking care of us,” she says.

Psychiatrist Dr Anjali Chhabria says, “Spirituality is that non-materialistic path that connects people to a universal superior force. It allows them to discover themselves and the spirit of their being.” Why is it that as time passes, more people choose to follow the path of spirituality in their lives? How different is the life of a spiritually-inclined person to that of someone who isn’t?” she asks. This can be answered with just a single word — health.

MISTAKEN NOTION

There is a mistaken notion that those who are busy with their 9 to 5 jobs cannot find time for their social and spiritual lives. Both of these complement each other.

Research has shown that people who manage to attend spiritual events and meditate despite their busy schedules, do so because of their strong faith.

This faith increases their

• self-confidence,
• self-esteem,
• motivation and
• positivity in life,

hereby improving their mental health.

An elderly person with a spiritual bent of mind, is more satisfied mentally as it acts as a support system. This helps them feel less lonely and more motivated after retirement.
Spiritual beliefs form an important part of coping with life’s joys and hardships. “They help foster feelings of optimism and hope, restore meaning and order to life situations, and maintain mental poise,” adds Dr Sangle.

Body-building exercises help us build muscles and increase our stamina, enhance our suppleness, flexibility and weight-bearing capacity. Similarly, through spiritual practices an individual attains a healthy attitude, tolerance, patience, equanimity, inner stability, resilience and acceptance for whatever is happening in life. Consequently, there is less room for angry outbursts.

NATURAL PAINKILLERS

We need to keep ourselves mentally and physically fit in order to function and carry out our daily routines. “Our spiritual lives impact both our mental and physical health. It is not necessary to adopt spiritual habits to have a healthy mind and body. But, being spiritual definitely improves one’s overall health in several ways,” adds Dr Chhabria.

Meditation and spirituality have a powerful influence on one’s mind making them more calm and collected. A person who meditates is more composed, relaxed and tolerant toward other people. They will be able to manage stress and depression better than the people who do not. They will also be able to release pent-up frustration, anger and negativity in the process.

Studies also show that meditation helps improve concentration to a great extent. “A person who meditates regularly will have better concentration, attention and focus than a person who does not,” says Dr Chhabria.

Medical studies indicate that spiritual practices stimulates the brain to release chemicals that act as natural painkillers and mood enhancers. Spiritual people exhibit fewer kinds of selfdestructive behaviour (suicide, smoking, and drug and alcohol abuse) and display healthier behavioural patterns. They are also less vulnerable to stress, and score higher on total life satisfaction assessment.