Have you ever asked someone what religion they practice and heard something like, “I’m not religious, but I’m very spiritual.” You may be a little bit confused about exactly what that means. Does one have to believe in a holy spirit to be spiritual? No. In fact, so long as you make it a point to be in communication with yourself about your needs, desires, and behavior, and you find that taking the time to unplug from the rest of the world and tune into yourself is something that makes you a better, happier, more peaceful person, then you are definitely a spiritual person. If this is all still a little bit unclear, here are a few ways to be spiritual without being religious.
- You don’t need to go to church or temple or even a mosque – you could be a part of a spiritual community like theOranum Spiritual Community and still be curious about finding your spiritual self. Some spiritual communities are made up of large groups of people who practice religions that have spanned the globe over hundreds of years. Other spiritual groups consist of small communities who happen to live near one another and find solace in communicating their personal struggles and philosophies with one another.
- You don’t need to believe in God to boost yourspiritual health – being spiritually healthy is more about having faith and feeling centered and balanced than believing in an omnipotent god. Some people feel calm and reassured by their faith that there is a god with a plan for them. Other people feel more reassured by the idea that they are the masters of their own fate and have the power to carve their own path in life. Whatever your belief may be, having faith in it is what’s important.
- You could simply meditate – if you simply meditate each day, you can find spiritual balance without having to be religious. Meditating is simply the process of tuning out the rest of the world and letting your thoughts and emotions wash over you. There are myriad ways to meditate, mantras on which to concentrate, and positions in which they can be performed. No matter how you choose to meditate, you will inevitably find yourself in a more calm and harmonious place when you start to make a habit of it.
- You can read about different religions and find out what some of their beliefs are – just being curious in these beliefs can boost your spiritual health and make you a more centered person. Most people who follow any particular religion, follow that religion because it is the practice that they were raised with. Most people who claim to not be spiritual or religious feel disconnected with themselves spiritually because the religion they were raised with didn’t really speak to them. However, if you study a multitude of religions, you will find that there are great similarities between most of them, and there are vast differences as well. Simply understanding the origins of all of these beliefs can help you to find the ones that speak to you.
- You don’t want to pray, but you can meditate – meditation is not necessarily religious, but it can help keep you spiritually in line and it can enhance your spiritual health.