There are so many different opinions with regards to spirituality and often people get the word spirituality intertwined or confused with religion. Although I feel that one can lead to another, I don’t feel they are one in the same. I feel a person’s level, understanding, and experience of spirituality can be so diverse, complex and individualized that it’s hard to put too many labels on it without getting some opposing feedback from other parties. For today's post we will define both, but only discuss spirituality.

The Webster’s Dictionary defines the two;

Religion:

• the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> (a): the service and worship of God or the supernatural (b): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
• a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
  archaic: scrupulous conformity: conscientiousness
• a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith”

Spirituality:

• something that in ecclesiastical law belongs to the church or to a cleric as such
  clergy
• sensitivity or attachment to religious values
• the quality or state of being spiritual

For many, personal spirituality means seeking and getting to know the divine being that you ultimately are. Furthermore, it means practicing, patience, giving, honesty, caring, listening, calmness, and other positive aspects of the human mental, emotional and physical condition. I am a person who meditates, I practice yoga and even find the burning of incense to be a relaxing, mindful, and an enjoyable practice. My spiritual practices have improved my life immensely.

Physical and mental symptoms such as; constant colds, chronic illness, chronic inflammation, cancer, depression, lack of sex drive, sadness and many other symptoms can be a sign of spiritual bankruptcy. In fact, more and more allopathic physicians are looking deeper into the mental health of patients diagnosed with chronic and acute illnesses. It's also been studied, scientifically, that people who are more spiritual have and lead healthier and happier lives.

In many ways, our spiritual health directly effects our physical health in far greater ways than we may ever really know or expect. Not only do we have the ability to help ourselves physically with the way that we think, we can help ourselves emotionally and mentally by learning more optimistic self-talk and learning to utilize our ability to create our reality by using spiritual practices.

Professionally, my spiritual practices have made me a better leader, teacher and coach. I have found that taking time out each day to meditate has drastically improved my ability to handle stressful situations in the work place when they arise. I am more creative, my ability to remember details has improved, and I am able to handle larger workloads without added stress.

Spiritual Dormancy, Pessimism, and Bankruptcy

People who are spiritually dormant, don’t realize that what they think can positively or negatively affect their overall reality or their health. While people who are spiritually bankrupt or pessimistic continue to chase happiness in the form of material possessions and are heavily led by their ego. In both situations, it can be devastating to someone (themselves or others), physically, mentally, and emotionally. When situations like this occur, often these people have a lot more illnesses and hardships than people who practice spirituality.
Add optimism to spirituality and you have a healthy dose of medicine that can overcome some very nasty obstacles. That being said, people who fall on bad times, (illness, divorce, loss of job, etc.) tend to seek out spiritual refuge, or become spiritually hungry in these times of crisis.

Spiritual Hunger

Spiritual hunger is a term that describes someone who is seeking something more than what traditional religious practices offer. For myself, this journey, or seeking, began shortly after my thirty-fourth birthday. I have read, in several places, that the years between thirty and fifty is a period of great self-reflection for a lot of people.

I was an optimist, I never worried about my health (because I was never really that “ill”), I had, had a complete hysterectomy, gone through divorce and been a single mom. I drifted through life, not really giving much thought to spirituality, the way I was living, or how my thoughts, actions or lack of thought and action could potentially affect my long-term happiness or health. But I was adamant, when confronted, regarding my beliefs or my chosen religion, that I was a Christian.

It wasn’t until I came to a crossroads in my life where chasing the almighty dollar, my new marriage started to crumble, and my health started to spiral downward, that I started to seek something more. I don't believe that I have ever been spiritually bankrupt, but I had not given much thought to being able to control my health or anything else with the power of positive thinking or my spiritual practices.

When I began my spiritual journey, it was scary, exciting and confusing. Very much like a brand-new love. What I do with my holistic health and wellness coaching practice is an extension of what I have learned. It’s my way of sharing with you (the reader/client/friend), what I have learned and how I can teach you to be just as happy, healthy and productive as I have learned to be.

Don’t waste another moment being spiritually bankrupt, pessimistic, or dormant. Let me help you discover the power you have within you to make your life better than you could have ever imagined. I am always here to chat with, I will answer any question you might have here on the forum or you can contact me for an appointment at www.currentcure.com.

Tina