A Glimpse of Spirituality along with Psychotherapy

          Spirituality is the power to focus to human soul rather then being concerned about other materialistic things. I am sure we have often heard people saying, “I don’t believe in God but I believe in the power beyond God”. Basically, what they mean is that their faith isn’t limited to God only but all the other entities existing in universe. It is more like having a purpose and direction in life. It completely gives one freedom to explore themselves in this world.

The most interesting debate ever happened in mankind is one between Spirituality and Religion. People often mistaken both to be the same. Let’s have a closer look and try to understand it.

Spirituality vs. Religion

        I feel that it is possible for a person to be spiritual but not be religious while it is not possible to be religious without being spiritual. Every religious person somewhere is spiritual in nature which adds on as a layer in his personality.

• Religion bounds a person to a particular ‘entity’. In diverse countries like India, people are very strict with regards to their religion and cannot bear any intolerance. Religion teaches us to do “good deeds” so that we can improve our life after death.
• On the other hand, spirituality is a feeling of finding one’s inner motives and exploring one’s soul. It doesn’t restrict, nor does it creates boundaries. It is a journey of finding one’s peace and how one can relate themselves to the universe. Spirituality teaches us to always be mindful (live in the present) without worrying about anything.

This debate between Spirituality and Religion can go on and on. Both are very important aspects of life. It entirely depends on a person to be what they wish to be. But one thing is clear, they are interconnected to each other but not at all the same.

Tips to improve Spiritual health

 Meditate

Research has shown that people who meditate on a daily basis are much healthier mentally and physically, than people who don’t. A favorite corner and some peace is all it takes to meditate. Having a track of one’s thoughts and accepting it is important.

Letting out one’s thoughts and emotions

It is not at all good to suppress one’s thoughts and feelings. Letting them out is the best option. It can be done through various ways like painting, diary writing, talking to a friend. When I feel overwhelmed, I cry out. I let all my worries and discomfort flow out of my body. It really calms me down and clears my mind which helps me feel good. I feel more in tune with myself later.

Be positive

It is not easy to be positive all the time, especially during a rough phase. But accepting the situation and moving forward is what makes us strong. We have to accept the fact that everything is not under our control.

Volunteer

Whenever I feel low, I volunteer for some social cause, may it be going to an orphanage and playing with kids or spending some time with older people in old age home. Even a minimal effort activity like feeding milk to stray dogs gives me happiness and instantly diverts my energy.

Spiritual psychotherapy

        It is basically connecting the parts of yourself spiritually that you were not aware of. It aims to connect your mind-body responses with your thoughts and emotions, viewing you as a complete human rather then in bits and pieces. 

It is the duty of the therapist to draw attention when a client is experiencing distress due to his own beliefs without being an interference or without imposing his own values on the client. He should accept and respect his client’s feelings and procced with therapy accordingly. If used in a correct manner, spiritual psychotherapy can definitely work wonders!