Be Spiritual Without Being Religious

Religion provides a useful moral and spiritual guidance to many people. But perhaps the rigid moral codes or outdated gender roles of certain major religions do not fit into your worldview, and you want to feel genuine meaning outside of these systems. Spirituality is a belief in a universal essence that flows through everything. However, unlike religion, spirituality does not necessarily define what that essence is. Spirituality without religion is possible, and crafting your own path can be as valuable as following another’s trail.[1]

Steps

Engaging in Meditation

  1. Learn how to meditate. Try to meditate. It can be a great way to relax and organize your thoughts. Once you know how to do this properly, you will be able to potentially access a side of yourself that you didn’t know existed.
    • Clearing your head will give you the space to think about your place in the world. The spiritual nature of existence is not always apparent in our day to day activities. You are giving yourself this space by meditating.
    • Meditation has physical benefits as well! It can potentially lower your blood pressure and stress level.[2]
  2. Take a solitary walk. Find a place, like a forest, and take a walk there by yourself. Give yourself at least an hour for this activity. Notice the trees around you and the wind on your face. Center your thoughts on the simple act of walking. This action will place your mind in a contemplative zone.[3] Engaging with nature in this way allows you to think about its effect on your life.
  3. Enjoy art. Read a book. Watch a film. Listen to an album. Go to a museum and look at paintings, sculptures, and videos. All of these activities are meditative in nature. Art allows us to feel another’s experience of the world. Immerse yourself in these images, sounds, and words! Analyze the individual details that make up these works. This concentration will lead you to realize that each person shares the desire to express what is inside of them.
    • Maybe you don’t understand visual art, this is fine. The importance of these activities is that they take you to a place outside of your comprehension.
  4. Grow a plant. This can be an incredibly affirming way to meditate. It's not difficult to grow a plant. Taking care of a plant involves focus and love, which are both building blocks for a personal spirituality. If you never take the time to notice the world, then it will be impossible to hold affection for it. Every day you watch your plant grow, you will be observing the intricacies of the world.

Learning from Others

  1. Read memoirs and biographies. Go to the library and look up books about people you admire. You will find that they also struggled when they tried to live lives with meaning. Politicians, scientists, writers, and religious leaders have all doubted that their path was the correct one.
    • Some of the most impressive people have felt spiritually empty. This is natural. One must doubt life's inherent meaning, in order to hope that life has significance.[4]
  2. Talk to spiritual people. You probably know one or two people in your life who you think have found inner peace. You should engage them in conversation. Ask them for advice. Sure, they may not have the perfect answer to your problems, but they might have struggled with the same questions that disturb you.
    • You could ask: "How did you find meaning in your day to day life?"
  3. Remember your experiences. When you were a child, you probably did not struggle with connecting with the universe. You were a different person then. You should meditate on that time in your life. You can also focus on more recent experiences of serenity. Try to understand how you managed to enter those spaces of tranquility.
    • We are each made up of past selves.[5]They still live within our memories. These previous versions of ourselves can teach us lessons if we let them.

Helping Others

  1. Take care of animals. Consider Adopt a Pet from a Shelter. Or, if that seems like too much of a burden, you can try pet-sitting for a friend. You can also volunteer at a local animal shelter. Simply focusing on another being’s needs can allow you to recognize how important each living thing is.
  2. Volunteer. Hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices are always looking for help. You are not only being generous by aiding the sick and elderly, but you are also making a significant difference in the world. These concrete actions strengthen your bond to the universe.
    • Don’t feel limited by the suggestions above. Food pantries, mental health clinics, and community centers are all places that need help as well.
  3. Aid your friends, family, and neighbors. Speak to your neighbors, and ask if they need help with a project. Help your nephew with his homework. Take your friend out to lunch and ask them about their problems. Figure out if they need help by asking questions like:
    • You seem stressed out, is there anything I can do?
    • We haven't talked in a while, do you have time to grab a coffee?
    • How have you been feeling lately?

Tips

  • Self-knowledge is a process, so don't be discouraged if you don't feel spiritually aware immediately.
  • Don't be afraid to doubt, this means you are thinking.
  • Simply looking at birds in the park can be meditative activity. You don't necessarily need to have a pet to gain fulfillment from animals.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/purpose/spirituality/what-spirituality
  2. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/meditation-heals-body-and-mind
  3. ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danny-and-katherine-dreyer/walking-meditation_b_1790035.html
  4. ↑ http://www.worldculture.org/articles/Unamuno%20Philosophy.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/s_z/whitman/song.htm

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