Wellness encompasses the totality of the human experience.  We want to understand true health as body, mind, and spirit. As such, the spiritual component is an integral part of wellness. Before you go running off, scared that spiritual wellness means you’re about to get a long lecture about religion, hold tight! 

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What is Spiritual Wellness?

Whereas religion is certainly one avenue to spiritual wellness, it is not the only way.  Rather, think of spiritual wellness as the journey you take to find your true self.  It is the discovery of your life’s purpose, and the passion you bring to fulfilling that purpose.

For some people, spiritual wellness is cultivated in community.  Feeling part of something larger than yourself is a meaningful element of spirituality.  As communal creatures, humans are bolstered by the interactions with others in times of plenty as well as in want. Some people find great joy in volunteer work, which gives them both community and positive action.

It is this web of interconnectedness that more easily helps us hold on to hope and optimism for the future. When we can see that the greater part of humanity is working for peace and progress, it makes it easier to endure times of hardship.  We are buoyed knowing that there are others around us who will carry us in times of trouble. It allows our anxiety of being alone to fade, and we can move confidently through our lives.

Creating a Daily Spiritual Wellness Practice

Your spiritual practice may be as simple as greeting the day with an optimistic outlook and speaking an intention for your life that day.  While simple, these practices send a message to your brain and parasympathetic nervous system to relax.

Other calming practices are meditation or prayer. These acts change your outlook and the way you will experience your entire day. It will set you up to interact with a sense of optimism and positivity.

An element of reflection on your day is another way to grow your spiritual practice.  Many people find keeping a daily gratitude journal a helpful spiritual practice. It takes less than five minutes a day!

Being mindful of those good things in life resets your brain to look for the positive. The more consistent you are with a gratitude journal, the more your mind looks for things to write in it. You can rewire your brain to more easily gloss over the trials of life because it now wants to focus on the positives.

Whatever helps you cultivate a sense of connection to others and makes you more aware of your place in the world adds to your wellness. Thus some people may find that helping others is a key element to their spiritual practice.

So rather than retreat to the couch for some soul-numbing television, reach out to others. Forge the community you wish you had! Your local volunteer resource center is a great place to start. True, deep self-care develops and nurtures these bonds so that you create systems of support in your everyday life.

Click here to read my other ideas for quick and easy ways to nurture your true self.

Resources to Nurture Your Spiritual Wellness Everyday

If you feel that you understand physical wellness and mental wellness but are still struggling to nurture your spiritual wellness, check out this self-assessment regarding your spiritual health.  

Just like improving your physical and mental health, dedication to consistent spiritual practice(s) is necessary for complete wellness.  And while it may be challenging, to discover your true purpose and carry it out with passion invigorates you and everyone you meet.

Also, I highly recommend The Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu as a work to spark thoughtful reflection about spiritual wellness and how we practice it in our lives.  Although the two men are from very different spiritual traditions, their wisdom is often quite similar. The final section of the book offers practical exercises for increasing spiritual awareness, so if you struggle with where to start this is a beautiful guide. It underscores the humanity in all of us, regardless of which spiritual path we trod.

If you are a person who lives very much in her body, Christine Valtners Paintner’s book The Wisdom of the Body would be an excellent resource. It includes the writings and ideas of various spiritual wellness thought leaders. She connects very clearly the spirit and the body, taking the reader through a series of exercises or movement patterns that express each spiritual idea. The subtitle of the book “a contemplative journey to wholeness for women” speaks to the way it can help readers find soul and purpose.

Science is only just beginning to appreciate the interplay between spiritual health and physical health. The more we study, the more we realize that our outlook and connection to others has very real ramifications on our physical bodies.  Strong physical health allows us to pay attention to those parts of life that have deep meaning for us.  And when we live with intention, we are more likely to take care of our physical body so that we can continue to carry out that which fulfills us. It’s a cycle of positivity!