You may be wondering why you should focus on spiritual growth, even when the world is in turmoil. A focus on spiritual growth matters more now than ever. Here's why.
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From the dawn of time, the need for spiritual growth has been an integral component to feeling an overall sense of wellbeing. This dates to times even to times before mankind even thought up that phrase and figured out all of the many splendid ways to practice existing methodologies and build forward upon them.
It covers all of the facets that may come to mind – meditation, yoga, reiki, karma, reincarnation, crystals and on and on.
If you're on a spiritual journey, you'll discover so many different spiritual practices that range from extraordinarily mystical to super duper practical. There truly is something to call everyone's hearts out there.
Whether you're already taking a journey down your very own spiritual path, or you're in dire need of a sense of fulfillment that can only come from finding yourself, uncovering a deep spiritual understanding can be helpful in many areas of your life.
If you want to fully understand what spirituality really is all about, it's essential to start by discussing what the root word itself – spirit – means. If you Google, “define spirit,” you'll come up with the definition:
“The nonphysical part of a person that is the seat of emotions and character; the soul.”
One of the most famous scholars and physicists of all time, Albert Einstein, alluded to spirituality with these words:
“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious – the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.”
So that brings us around to the two things he called out – art and science. These two disciplines have monopolized human consciousness with the desire to uncover the answers to the mysteries of the universe. These two disciplines, while complete opposites, have opened a brave new path with advancements in both technology and human awareness.
The search for answers to our origins in the universe is deeply rooted to our hard-wired need to acquire knowledge about ourselves and how we truly are connected to everything and everyone around us each and every day. Boring every day activities like working on a car or staring at an ant hill are unconscious manifestations of the need to seek, and therefore is rooted in spirituality.
If you've read Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance like I had to in high school, you'll understand where I'm coming from. While many people initially think this contradicts the ideals behind spirituality not being bound in the physical world, these everyday material encounters help us tune into the moment, which is important in learning to see through the veil and achieve transcendence.
Many people find they can achieve spiritual awareness through the practice of meditation. Meditation is a practice of focused contemplation where you clear your mind and turn inward to reach a profound state of focus, peacefulness and awareness.
Meditation has its origins from the traditional Eastern cultures and religions. The people in the Western cultures adapted meditation in the form of prayer, but don't tell them that! Buddhist monks are firm in their beliefs that meditation is the path to true Enlightenment, which underlines the sanguine and calm temperament they are able to deal with people in.
A common misunderstanding that so many people have is the belief that spirituality equals religion – and that simply isn't true. While it is true that religion has helped many people to lead a life focused on spirituality, it only represents a few small facets that truly encompass the true meaning of spirituality.
Spirituality is a heightened awareness and understanding of what we are and how we are connected to the universe, and the how every little thing is equally essential and inter-dependent on everything else.
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