LET’S NOT GIVE SPIRITUALITY A BAD NAME

Why spirituality no longer needs to be a foreign obscure concept.

Credits: Max Pixel Images

Spirituality is often disregarded as something superfluous and eccentric.

Even when practised within the boundaries of religion, being spiritual can be quickly overlooked as being delusional. After all, for many spirituality is simply resumed in believing in something you cannot see. 

Can we really blame people for being so quick to judge? 

Not really, leading a spiritual life doesn’t seem to fit in the daily grind of the big city. 

Between work and social responsibilities who has time to try and figure out the meaning of life? 

I’d like to say everyone- but spirituality very much like meditation and sports is something that you have to learn and practise to master. 

To gain a better understanding of what spirituality really means, we need to part with all the misconceptions. Spirituality is fluid- there isn’t a right or wrong way to be spiritual unless you fall in the ego-trap of believing that being spiritually awakened makes you a higher being. 

This false sense of superiority is exactly what gave spirituality a bad name- it’s the grin that takes shape on people’s faces when you say “maybe you should just take some time to meditate” or “just be more positive”. 

It’s the idea that to be spiritual you must hate money and consumerism, that you can’t eat living beings and that antibiotics and vaccins are the work of the devil. 

Spirituality doesn’t make us “better” people- inner peace does and spirituality is just one of the many tools we can utilise to be more at peace with ourselves. 

So where do we start? 

By distancing ourselves from the clichés, it doesn’t matter- for spiritual purposes- that the air we breathe is polluted, that we don’t have five to six hours everyday to practise yoga and meditation or to attend Sunday mass or Friday jummah. 

On the contrary, the first step is to accept that we are human and therefore imperfect. Once we acknowledge this and accept our faults than we can accept faults in others. 

Spirituality- and the idea that we share a common entity, a planet, nature and somewhat God even if it’s not the same one in writings- brings us closer to each other. 

When you start to notice humanity in each and every single person you see and meet then your mind will stop characterising people for what they wear, what they own or how they look. 

You might see beauty in places you’d never seen it before. 

I practice spirituality with my morning coffee and this doesn’t mean I light candles and summon angels. This means, I try to stay present in every moment of the day. 

If there is only one thing all human kind should agree on is that we do not have control over time. Moments are fleeting and whether or not you believe in a greater purpose you should always make the most of them. 

The mind is a powerful tool but it’s also a dangerous one. It can quickly disconnect us from our reality. It can make us impatient, awaiting for the next moment, the next trip, the next person to fall in love with to be at peace. It can bring us anxiety – overthinking situations that only exist within the mind. Worry, worry never made anyone happy. 

During your next morning commute on a crowded train, try not to think of the million things you have to do when you get to work, or the fight you had with your partner last night… try not to see the commute as time pending between actions but a moment in itself. The first thing you might notice is how many people around you are physically present but lost in the recess of their minds.  By staying present, you open yourself to the possibility of sharing this moment with someone, you might be softened by the presence of a child or notice an elderly woman who needs a seat. 

You might find yourself feeling more grounded- more at peace with yourself. Take that practice in all the things you do and you might just start to feel that you are connected to life in all its forms. 

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