Exploring You

More Benefits to Incorporating Spirituality Into Your Every Day Life

According to a study conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, they found differences between children who grew up doing spiritual practices or having religious traditions and those who did not.

Some quick statistics:

• " showed to be 18% happier in their 20’s than the children and teens, who did not attend service or have prayer/meditation"

• "30% more likely to give back in the form of volunteer service"

• "33% were less likely than their counterparts to engage in drug use"

• higher levels of satisfaction with their lives

• higher ability to process emotions and were more likely to practice forgiveness

Tips & Tricks to Start Your Own Journey

Start by first finding out if you're more spiritual or more religious. It is absolutely okay to be both but some questions to help you figure out where you lie:

• • Do you rely on a group/organization to determine your set of beliefs?

  • Do you rely on a group/organization to lift you up when your faith begins to waiver?

  • Do you follow your “inner voice” to guide you?

These 3 simple questions are not the final determinate if you're spiritual or religious, but it helps get the conversation with yourself going.

Things You Can Do To Channel Your Spirituality

According to Deepak Chopra, founder of the Chopra Foundation which focuses on humanitarism and well-being , you are capable of improving your spirituality and practice making your spirit at peace by focusing on these items:

Having a sense of meaning and purpose

Loving and being loved

Self-esteem, a sense of your own worth

Tapping into inner peace and joy

Being of service to others

Generosity of spirit

To figure out how to focus on these you can do the following:

• Find a yoga class! It’s an excellent form of exercise for both your body and your mind. When consistently going to a yoga class you also are welcomed into a new community of others who are on their own spiritual journey. It provides a safe space where you’re allowed to explore with others who understand and want to also grow and find new ways to understand their own “inner voices.”

• Find peace within things that give you positive energy, whether it’s being outside, listening to music, getting lost in a book, etc

• Speak kindly to yourself

• Nourish your body. Your body is your temple and it becomes difficult to feed yourself with positivity when you do not take care of your actual body whether it’s with food or even skin care.

• Journaling. Taking the time to sit and write out your own thoughts sometimes makes it easier to understand yourself even more than if you were to simply meditate.