Though we’ve spent our lives blinded by the rules of society, recapturing our inner spirit can feel as simple and natural as waking up in the morning.
How do we take care of ourselves spiritually? Spiritual self-care is the activity we engage in to find and nurture a sense of connection to a Higher Power and meaning for our lives.
Just as it is essential to nurture your body with food, it is necessary to nurture your soul with spirit.
There are many spiritual paths and spiritual support systems. Some of us may find that one particular spiritual path feels right and helps us find meaning and understanding for life.
Others may find spiritual meaning through an eclectic blend of different spiritual traditions. Still others may blaze their own path.
Regardless of where you find spiritual meaning, a certain amount of effort and discipline are necessary for establishing and maintaining spiritual nurturance.
Higher Power
Perhaps spiritual self-care begins with feeling connected with a greater energy source, with God, a Higher Power, or Universal Oneness.
All of us have a vital life force within that animates and brings meaning to life. When we feel this presence, we are connecting to our Higher Power.
When you are moving along nicely in your life you don’t usually think as much about your Higher Power.
Yet, when times become challenging, when you most need support and reassurance, you often lose a sense of connection to God or your Higher Self.
It is not uncommon to feel as if you have been cut adrift and you are not sure of how to proceed in life. You may even think that you just cannot go on.
Whether you are in the midst of a life crisis or experiencing a time of peaceful growth, there are a few practices that can help you on your spiritual journey, no matter what the path you are following.
Two of them are meditation and contemplation.
Meditation
One common thing that many folks say is that their key to balance and inner harmony is meditation.
If you have a daily meditation practice, even if it is for fifteen minutes a day, it can be amazingly effective. Meditation is so simple that you might think it couldn’t possibly help.
Meditation is a simple, natural part of life. Scientists have found that children naturally meditate.
Every hour or so a child’s eyes will glaze over as his or her gaze turns inward for ten to thirty seconds. The child is present, yet detached, and usually will not respond right away if you speak to him or her. This is a natural phenomenon.
As we grow up our society teaches us to be more engaged in doing or accomplishing, and we lose this natural tendency.
We learn that we should constantly focus on everything outside of ourselves, and we forget how to look within.
If we sit in meditation for just fifteen minutes a day, we can recapture the feeling of refreshment and restore a sense of harmony to our lives.
Those who meditate on a regular basis say that their lives seem more manageable.
After meditating you feel refreshed, you are able to detach from worries and concerns and you are usually restored to a sense of balance.
Contemplation
Another important part of spiritual self-care is contemplation. When we contemplate, we review an event or a question and we study it with our minds and hearts.
It is a way to help us to find higher meaning with the daily events of life. The word contemplation itself shows us its meaning: “con” means with; and temple is the root of “templation”. It means being with the temple within you, or seeking inner spiritual wisdom.
When you contemplate, it is like meditation, only you invite your mind and your heart to be equal and active partners. You may contemplate especially difficult or challenging events in your daily life.
Or, you may contemplate the especially easy things that happened in your day. Through contemplation you invite the truth of your heart to show you a deeper meaning to the mundane events of life.
When you take time to sit and reflect and contemplate on life’s journey so far you have the opportunity to pull yourself back and look at the overall picture.
Contemplation and reflection are important elements of personal development and improving your life.