Spirituality and mental health
Spirituality represents a worldview made of moral principles and values that give our life a sense of purpose and meaning. They describe the way we connect to ourselves, others, nature and the sacred. Spirituality suggests that the divine resides within everyone and is a personal inward journey that embraces the evolution of the consciousness to bring self-awareness and a higher self. In this journey, people are searching for meaning, life purpose, connection with self, others and the universe. Spirituality is about finding the magic in life, the secret ingredient to the healing of their wounds and to a happy life when people feel that we are all interconnected and part of something larger.
Spirituality offers a path to mental health recovery, instilling a sense of hope, resiliency and a meaning for our struggles. In times of stress or illness, many people look at their spirituality to accept their human limitations, find hope, acceptance of their past, compassion, purpose and forgiveness. They may find answers and guidance in spirituality when other sources of support are not available.
The loss can feel overwhelming. You may experience unexpected emotions, from shock, disbelief, anger, guilt or anguish. When grieving, many people find comfort and solace in their spiritual beliefs that suggest that their loved ones are in a better place or that they will meet with them again in the afterlife. Believing that “everything happens for a reason” or that “heaven needed another angel” helps them carry the sorrow of losing their loved one and find solace . Spirituality does not take the pain away, but it allows people to adjust to life without the person they lost.
When people feel hurt by the actions of others or their own, they often feel anger, frustration, resentment, bitterness, sadness, emotions that lower their mood and drive them into the vicious cycle of depression. They wonder about the purpose of all their unpleasant experiences and they are desperately looking for ways to make peace with their past in order to move forward. Believing that pain could be an opening for growth might allow them to look inward to attune with parts of themselves who emerged to protect their inner child. They may find that some of their parts were not equipped with the right tools to overcome adversity. Integrating forgiveness in their spiritual practice may allow people to release the unpleasant emotions of their inner child, find self-compassion, understanding of their perpetuators’ struggles and the power to reclaim their personal power.
The teachings we have received from Buddhists helped us learn about radical acceptance, a skill that aims to keep emotional pain from turning into suffering. By learning to let things go, people heal their emotional wounds and nurture their spiritual wellbeing. They embark on a transformative journey that invites them to expand their capacity for love, kindness, introspection and inner peace.
Bringing spiritual activity in your life can take the form of a meditation that allows us to be present in the moment, open to love, harmony, freedom and gratitude for what we have. The Masters have told us that “kindness is the vehicle to peace” and that “living in love means living from the heart, not the mind”. They tell us that limiting beliefs block people's ability to open their heart when telling the untruth about not being enough, lovable and beautiful. We are encouraged to free our mind in order to see the divine within us and embrace abundance. Abundance is not limited to material abundance, as many people are keen on accumulating wealth. You can be wealthy and still feel lacking. It is about the spiritual abundance that allows us to let feelings of emptiness, dissatisfaction and lack. It’s about embracing the possibility of not having many material possessions and feeling rich. It’s about staying open to the infinite opportunities that are available to us.
