The Nature of Now: Connecting our Health and Spirituality

Optimal health is not simply the absence of disease or illness. It involves all dimensions of health that we require to be well, including emotional and spiritual health.

Emotional health is the ability to understand and manage our emotions, build healthy relationships, and cope with stress. Spiritual health has many interpretations, but fundamentally, it’s developing a sense of meaning, purpose, and connection with something greater than ourselves. Intentionally focusing on our emotional and spiritual health can lead to improved overall wellbeing, including a sense of purpose, positive relationships, and our ability to manage stress.

As a poignant example: a research study from the University of Michigan found that people without a strong life purpose - defined as "a self-organizing life aim that stimulates goals" - were more than twice as likely to die between the study years of 2006 and 2010, specifically from cardiovascular diseases, than those who did have a strong life purpose. This link between a lack of purpose in life and death remained true despite gender, race, education level, or socio-economic status.

So, how do we cultivate these different dimensions of health?

“Optimal health is not simply the absence of disease or illness. It involves all dimensions of health that we require to be well, including emotional and spiritual health. ”

Exercise, diet, and social activities are a great start. But exploring our spirituality can also help to develop our sense of purpose. This doesn’t necessarily connect to religious practices or specific belief systems. Instead, deepening our spiritual health can mean exploring our connection with the world around us, our values, and our search for meaning in life.

Spirituality is different for everyone. It may be found in nature, music, art, prayer, meditation, or any other source that resonates with you. But at its core, it helps us to cope with life’s challenges, nurture hope and optimism, and develop resilience.

Psychologist and spiritual teacher Dr. John Astin, whose work was popularized by Sam Harris’s Waking Up app, emphasizes the importance of mindful and experiential inquiry into the nature of the present moment to achieve a deeper connection with the fleeting yet infinite richness of “this flash moment.”

To live fully means looking beyond our physical health to address all dimensions that are required to be well. By incorporating mindfulness and other practices that promote emotional and spiritual health, we can achieve lasting happiness and well-being in the midst of even challenging daily circumstances, as Dr. Astin puts it, “well-being in every moment.”

If you're seeking a deeper connection with the present moment and are curious about methods of inquiry that can transform your experience of life, join us for one of our meditation or mental health classes.