Why Prioritizing Spiritual Wellbeing Is More Important Than Ever?
Being healthy is a choice and we are fortunate to live in times where ‘wellness’ is being understood beyond physical competencies. We are now able to understand the importance of self-care through mental, social and emotional ‘wellbeing’ for better managing the capacities of our brain, collective behaviours and emotional abilities. Adding significantly to this spectrum further for ‘holistic’ personal health is the introduction is the idea of spiritual wellbeing.
We have become well aware that while our hectic, tense and digitally paced lifestyles manage our professional and personal growth cycles, they leave us very little room for self-introspection. Even if some of us do get to reflect on ‘how’ we are living our lives, we are eventually disturbed about finding our purpose in life.
Why me? Why I am going through this? Why am I reacting in this manner? Am I a bad person? Am I depressed? Why should I forgive? What is the deeper meaning of my life? What am I doing here? No matter how much we experience and achieve, questions such as these are constantly churning from our spiritual core, pushing us towards our spiritual wellbeing for a fulfilling life.
Understanding Spiritual Wellbeing
Our life-experiences and actions come from our circumstances and our responses to these circumstances at all levels - personal, family and global events. While wellness helps to become aware of our choices and changes for better overall health, wellbeing is about engaging with this experience to be simply happy. Spiritual wellbeing goes further for being in acceptance and fully content with the current situation, no matter what.
By taking a journey within and exploring oneself deeper, spiritual wellbeing can help create opportunities from challenges and failures. Such self-explorations not only help in adapting to the circumstances, but direct one towards living fully in the present, boosting our self-esteem and confidence.
While physical, mental and emotional health grounds us in periods of distress and hardships, spiritual wellbeing also makes us morally and ethically resilient. By taking us through the agitating process of reaching our inner selves, it helps us in knowing and understanding both our positive (hope, joy) and negative (fear, conflict) feelings. The quest for spiritual wellbeing empowers us to maintain an equilibrium in making and accepting our choices, while being accountable and at peace with our decisions.
Practicing Spiritual Wellbeing by way of Yoga
As a spiritual pursuit, traditional Yoga stimulates the body, mind, and soul for achieving cosmic balance. Patanjali’s Yogasutras classify Yoga into eight limbs called Yamas and Niyamas, that progress from outer physical to inner dimensions of the human consciousness.
Proper and regular practice of Yoga brings about physical fitness, lowers blood pressure, manages blood sugars and strengthens the immune system. Yogic meditation along with chanting, asana (posture) and pranayama (regulated breathing) stimulate body-mind-soul connections. Through self-awareness, Yoga can help relax and rejuvenate, facilitating alertness and enhancing concentration.
A disciplined practice of Yoga alleviates anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia and brings immense positivity, increased clarity and renewed vigour. In steering the appropriate inner energy channels, Yoga promotes mindfulness, acceptance and compassion. By achieving harmony through holistic wellbeing, Yoga fosters a fulfilling life.
The need for spiritual intelligence in a distant and technology driven world has become even more pertinent. Persistently building on our spiritual habits can help become more aware of ourselves and of the people and surroundings around us for a productive, gratifying and joyful life.
