The Power of Having a Spiritual Life

What is meant by a Spiritual Life?

For some people it is their religious beliefs, and perhaps a community of like believers.

For some people it is their beliefs in something bigger than themselves, perhaps referred to as Higher Power, the Universe, God, Great Spirit.

And for some people it is a combination of the two, or perhaps even something very different.

Some scientists and researchers refer to a Spiritual Life as the "awakened brain," an awareness, a feeling, a knowing that there is more, and that each person is never alone.

But we live in modern times, where we want, or is it need, to be able to see and measure whatever is real. Now this can get tricky.

With our modern science we can use MRIs (and maybe even other tests) to look at the brain, and how it lights up in different areas depending on our emotions.

When my son was born, I know my brain would have been lit up with overwhelming love, inner peace, being held, and emotions that I can't even find the words to express. I had been blessed with a most precious little human being.

I didn't need an MRI to tell me that I was experiencing something profoundly spiritual for me.

You may have had similar spiritual experiences in nature, listening to or playing music, while talking with someone and having a deep connection, feeling inspired, while meditating or praying, writing something and reading it later and thinking "I didn't write that," looking at the stars, watching children play, being present with someone when they pass from this life. It's all very powerful.

I was trained as a Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor, and worked as a psychotherapist for 42 years. Many contemporary therapists see spirituality and religion as a crutch that prevents people from dealing with their "real" issues.

That's not my belief.

I believe that an individual's spiritual life can help each one of us when we're alone or frightened, transforming trauma, feeling anxious, depressed or overwhelmed, facing health challenges for ourselves or someone we care about, and in living each day to the best of our ability.

For myself, my spiritual life has not only helped me, but has also broadened or enlarged my view of life and all creation. It has not been a crutch, but rather supportive in healing, transforming developmental trauma, and in living.

"An awakened brain is available to all of us, right here in our neural circuitry. But we have to choose to engage. It's a muscle we can learn to strengthen, or let atrophy."

(Lisa Miller, PhD, The Awakened Brain, The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life, 2021)

What do you choose?

To Your Courageous Self!

Edie Savage-Weeks

Transformational Life Coach

ediesavageweeks.com