WHAT IS SPIRITUALITY?

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Spirituality seems to be the new buzzword these days. According to Philip Sheldrake, “Spirituality is now generally thought to be native to anyone, whether they are religious or not.” So, what is spirituality? Spirituality encompasses whatever is holistic. It is a fully integrated approach to life. It can be understood in numerous ways. Sometimes, it is referred to as the quest for the ‘ sacred’. This includes beliefs about God, related to the numinous, the mystery of human existence, or the limitless abyss of the cosmos. At other times, spirituality is referred to as the quest for meaning or purpose of life. Cultivating spirituality greatly contributes to our overall joy, happiness, and contentment. Let’s see how we can involve spiritual practices in our lives. The easiest way to practice spirituality is by taking time out for yourself. Revive your spirit and nurture your soul by listening to relaxing music and reading inspirational literature. Another simple way is to help those in need. When you help others, you automatically connect with the rest of humanity. Donate alms to the poor, spend time providing education to underprivileged children, or turn into a sports coach. Every little bit helps. Another important practice of spirituality is expressing gratitude. There are so many things to be grateful for in life. Take time to reflect on them and acknowledge how fortunate you are. Practice mindfulness. Become aware of your environment. Be aware of yourself within your environment. Enjoy the rain on your face and the wind blowing in your ears. Practice meditation. It involves practicing thoughtlessness. With meditation, your innate- self undergoes a change and every cell in the body is filled with more prana or life energy.

My dear readers, cultivating spiritual practices uplifts the spirit and brings happiness, love, imagination, compassion and zealousness in life. According to Swami Jaggi Vasudev, “Spirituality does not mean any particular practice. It is a certain way of being. To get there, there are many things to do. This is like a garden in your house. If the soil, sunlight or stem of a plant is in a certain way, it won’t yield flowers, you have to do something. You have to take care of those things. So if you cultivate your body, mind, emotions and energy to a certain level of maturity, something else blossoms within you — that is what spirituality is.” This

week, you look flustered. It seems that you are walking on a tightrope. You are trying to handle two opposing forces, people or situations. It seems that if you favour one, the other will go for a toss and if you handle the other, the first one will lose balance. This is the time your stability and patience will come in handy. Stay calm… I know that things are difficult to handle, but you are doing fine. Be careful with money this month and ensure that your income meets your expenses. Do not be a spendthrift. This

week, you need to develop true strength. To do so, balance the aspects of you that are human and divine. This is an important Karmic period and actions taken during this time will be the seeds of your tomorrow. Your confidence will increase. Strength and courage will be applied to all endeavours. Health will be good. You will recover from past illness, if any. If you are looking for love, go out and meet people. You might be pleasantly surprised by how things work out.