However, for most people the path to such spirituality passes through struggles and suffering, and often includes experiences that are frightening and painful.
In these experiences you may struggle with questions such as these:. Facing your fears openly and honestly helps you to figure out where you actually do have control, and to surrender your futile efforts to control what is beyond your power.
Spiritual struggles are described further in this article; Spirituality and Life-Threatening Illness. Fears, and the suffering that accompanies them, will always be part of life because unknowns are also part of life. However, fears do not need to cause panic. They can be viewed as invitations to open yourself to the resources and depths of your spirit, to the support and love of others who are also struggling to live meaningfully and to the larger spiritual realm that is beyond you.
Opening yourself in this way can help you to live with hope, meaning and purpose, and inner peace in the midst of whatever circumstances you find yourself. Emotions and Spirituality. Send to a Friend. What is spirituality? Is it different from religion? Ultimately, none of them captures the whole reality, but what becomes clear is that spirituality has these core elements: Finding or making some kind of meaning in your life: Everyone deals with issues such as identity, suffering and hope.
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International Journal of Yoga, 5 2 , Why Is Spirituality Important? More info on this topic. Spirituality Home. What is spirituality? Why spirituality is important. Develop spirituality. Seven spiritual needs. More resources. There is a growing body of evidence indicating that spiritual practices are associated with better health and wellbeing for many reasons, including: Contemplative practice is good for you.
Meditation can induce feelings of calm and clear-headedness as well as improve concentration and attention. Mindfulness meditation in particular has been proven helpful for people with depression and anxiety , cancer , fibromyalgia, chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis , type 2 diabetes , chronic fatigue syndrome, and cardiovascular disease.
Prayer may elicit the relaxation response, along with feelings of hope, gratitude, and compassion—all of which have a positive effect on overall wellbeing. There are several types of prayer , many of which are rooted in the belief that there is a higher power that has some level of influence over your life. This belief can provide a sense of comfort and support in difficult times—a recent study found that clinically depressed adults who believed their prayers were heard by a concerned presence responded much better to treatment than those who did not believe.
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Download PDF. Abstract Spirituality is an important theme in health research, since a spiritual orientation can help people to cope with the consequences of a serious disease. Defining Spirituality Spirituality is a complex multidimensional concept Cook ; Hill et al. One- or Two-dimensional Spirituality Questionnaires Evaluation Results Four spirituality questionnaires consisted of one or two subscales.
Table 1 Evaluation of one- or two-dimensional spirituality questionnaires Full size table. Multidimensional Questionnaires Evaluation Results Six multidimensional spirituality questionnaires will be briefly discussed in alphabetical order see also Table 2.
Table 2 Evaluation of multidimensional spirituality questionnaires Full size table. General Discussion In this review, we focused on the relatively few spirituality questionnaires that measure spirituality as an experience or attitude that transcends any particular religion. References Baldacchino, D. Article Google Scholar Chiu, L. Google Scholar Cook, C. Article Google Scholar Ellermann, C. Google Scholar Fetzer Institute. Google Scholar Fisher, J. Google Scholar Fowler, F.
Google Scholar Garssen, B. Google Scholar George, L. Article Google Scholar Gomez, R. Article Google Scholar Hatch, R. Google Scholar Hill, P. Article Google Scholar Hood, R. Article Google Scholar Howden, J.
Article Google Scholar Hyland, M. Article Google Scholar Kass, J. Article Google Scholar King, J. Article Google Scholar Koenig, H. There are a number of different reasons why people may turn to spirituality, including but not limited to:. While specific spiritual views are a matter of faith, research has demonstrated some of the benefits of spirituality and spiritual activity.
The results may surprise no one who has found comfort in their religious or spiritual views, but they are definitely noteworthy in that they demonstrate in a scientific way that these activities do have benefits for many people. The following are a few more of the many positive findings related to spirituality and its influence on physical and mental health:.
This, along with other research, demonstrates that there may be tangible and lasting benefits to maintaining involvement with a spiritual community. This involvement, along with the gratitude that can accompany spirituality, can be a buffer against stress and is linked to greater levels of physical health.
Dedication to God or a "higher power" translated into less stress reactivity, greater feelings of well-being, and ultimately even a decreased fear of death. People who feel comfortable and comforted using spirituality as a coping mechanism for stress can rest assured that there's even more evidence that this is a good idea for them. Prayer works for young and old alike. Prayer and spirituality have been linked to:.
Whether you are rediscovering a forgotten spiritual path, reinforcing your commitment to an already well-established one, or seeking a new source of spiritual fulfillment, exploring your spiritual side may help improve your well-being. Research shows, however, that some spiritual stress relief strategies have been helpful to many, regardless of faith. One potential pitfall of spirituality is a phenomenon known as spiritual bypassing.
This involves a tendency to use spirituality as a way to avoid or sidestep problems, emotions, or conflicts. For example, rather than apologizing for some type of emotional wound you have caused someone else, you might bypass the problem by simply excusing it and saying that "everything happens for a reason" or suggesting that the other person just needs to "focus on the positive. Spirituality can enrich your life and lead to a number of benefits, but it is important to be cautious to not let spiritual ideals lead to pitfalls such as dogmatism or a reason to ignore the needs of others.
Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Akbari M, Hossaini SM. The relationship of spiritual health with quality of life, mental health, and burnout: The mediating role of emotional regulation. Iran J Psychiatry. Coping with daily stress: Differential role of spiritual experience on daily positive and negative affect.
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