What are the benefits of spirituality? Why do we need to embrace it more than ever? Before we head on to explore the answers to these questions, let us ask ourselves:
Are we happy?
Are we content?
Are we at peace?
Are we?
We often find ourselves questioning about the “bigger purpose” in our lives; and most of the time we don’t seem to have an answer for it. Unfortunately, we live in an age and time where our happiness quotient depends on the number of materialistic things we possess!
No wonder people now desire “things” more than ever.
The thirst of having “everything” and achieving a certain level in the society has grown so much that we have forgotten to enjoy the little things in life and relish each moment as it comes. But, no! A stress-free life is a thing of the past.
Today, we spend more time at work, drag ourselves to impress our boss and, earn incentives and adulation of our superiors and peers. We want to wear the best of clothing, dine at fancy hotels, vacation at exotic locations – all at the cost of losing sleep and peace of mind.
Oh, and we are constantly comparing ourselves with each other and this further traps us in a vicious cycle of materialism.
This is where spirituality enters the picture.
What is spirituality?
Spirituality may entail the likes of meditation, chanting and praying silently but it can also be defined as a practice one does every day to draw deeper into who he or she really is by connecting with the divine self.
This means a spiritual practice can be anything – painting, baking, running, gardening, writing, house-cleaning and even hitting the gym! The benefit of spirituality is not bound by any specific activity, as long as it makes the person happy and gives a feeling of contentment.
Here are the top seven benefits of spirituality:
1) Keeps the logic intact
Of course, there are days when a person feels emotionally overwhelmed and mentally exhausted. It could be because of a deadline at work, a misunderstanding with a friend, a family dispute, etc. In such a case, practicing spirituality helps clear the head and enables the person to look at the troubling scenario with tact and logic.
Spirituality keeps the person afloat in even the most emotionally treacherous circumstances and stops him or her from taking an impulsive decision that could be harmful later.
2) Strengthens attention
When a person undertakes a spiritual activity such as doing yoga or painting on a regular basis, the mind becomes uncluttered. This improves the attention span of the person and helps him or her complete tasks quickly. Who wouldn’t want that?
3) Elevates the mood
Of course! Spirituality takes the person into his or her happy, safe bubble. It relaxes the person. The mood is bound to get better and chirpier. That is perhaps the best benefit of spirituality!
4) Creates a sense of steadiness
Life has a habit of throwing some massive surprises and challenges our way that can severely affect our mental well-being and happiness – no matter how hard we try not to let that happen. Spirituality helps the person gain strong grounding and assess a new challenge properly before making a decision. A spiritual person would turn a negative strain in life into something beautiful and positive.
5) Helps gain perspective on all levels
A benefit of spirituality is that it helps the person to take a step back and retrospect on the broader picture in life. It helps in better assessment of things that value more in long term, and not fret in those situations that will lose relevance faster.
Besides, spirituality opens the door to a much quieter and deeper relationship with the internal self. It ensures internal examination of characteristics and provides a platform to the person to reflect and make changes.
6) Gives the strength to keep going
Spirituality converts a person into a much stronger being. It gives him or her the power to take each task, each challenge head on and find solutions to win over all problems – big or small – of life. If a person has truly embraced spirituality, he or she is more likely to smile inward with the assurance of the spiritual power being there at all times.
7) Assists in embracing simplicity
Ours is a materialistic world, and all of us seek the riches of life in some way or the other. Simplicity is an afterthought now. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Of course – the definition of “keeping things simple” is different for different people, but simplicity is the core of spirituality.
There’s nothing better than regular practice to bring the person into the now, and to keep him or her from getting lost in the past or trapped in the fears and “what if’s” of the future. A benefit of spirituality is that it helps the person live life to the fullest.
Conclusion
Spirituality is not something one can learn overnight. It is an everyday task that requires grit and determination. One can only expect to notice the benefits of spirituality over the course of time. But when it is completely embraced, life certainly gets better, and much simpler.