Even many atheists and agnostics believe in a much larger universal force in the universe. Theists call it God, while others could have a different concept about it. Spirituality is often an important part of our lives and studies have shown that it could actually offer use greater health. It is found that people who attend religious services regularly tend to have longer life span than people who don’t. People who believe in a healing and loving entity could become more optimistic about their health and perform more steps to make themselves stay healthy. There are obvious connections between medical treatment process and religious beliefs.
Researchers have performed numerous studies on the brain functions of people with no, limited or plenty of spiritual activities. It is shown that brain activity changes when people perform worshipping rituals, meditation and prayer. Many religions incorporate meditation elements and it is a key to our spirituality. Good meditation and prayer sessions could quieten our mind and body. We will find peace and inner solitude in our own room or worship places. It is more likely for us to perform various acts of kindness and this should contribute significantly to our wellness and health. Many people report that they experience a sense of exhilaration after prayer and performing altruistic acts.
Deep spiritual activities could alleviate stress and pain. People will maintain positive attitudes and this will have direct effects on our physical health. People maintain a sense of positivity and gratitude has less incidences of depression. Their lives are more meaningful than people who express less gratitude in their lives. In order to improve our physical and psychological health through spiritual activities, we should do the following things.
- We should look for a proper time and place, so we can connect with a larger being, de-stress and slow down. We could use audio-based meditation guide to help us undergo meditation session more smoothly.
- Look for ways to help and serve others. We should focus on the needs of other people. We should do various acts of kindness. This will make us feel much better, while reducing pain and stress.
- Join a spiritual community. We should join any spiritual community that fits into our beliefs. It is important to be active in it and the activity should also be attended by our loved ones and family members. People who are active in religious activities could live up to 3 years longer on average.
- Actively make a list of our negative mind and we should neutralize it. Each day, there are hundreds of small thoughts that go through our mind, both positive and negative. Sometimes, we couldn’t suppress our internal negative chatter and this could be bad for our condition. By performing meditation, we should be able to insert feeling of gratitude and positive affirmation. We will be able to negate much of our negative thoughts.
- Pray a few times each day. We should pray even if we are feeling good and don’t need something. Internal conversation with a supreme being should be maintained regardless of the situation.