PRESS ARTICLES

"Spirituality and Health"

Source: Time Wellness

ARTICLE

It would be an overgeneralization to say that all people who are spiritual are healthy and that people who are not spiritual are necessarily unhealthy. Today with more and more people struggling to find contentment and happiness (only because they seem to confuse the fact that the two are related to successes – which strangely they are not!) they chase and look for that elusive ‘peace’. So they take recourse to prayers, Buddhist chanting, meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises and the many other choices that are available.

The question is, do these religious people remain undisturbed? Not always – because even though they take to a ‘spiritual’ path to find peace and happiness, they leave the core issues which are at the basis of their disturbance unaddressed. And then whatever methods they use like chanting, meditation, etc. become superficial palliatives to the real concern After all, one cannot pray all day, do yoga or meditate, or deep breath twenty-four seven!

So how and in what way can spirituality help? When we understand the difference between religion and religiosity and remain being religious people but do not become dogmatic, devout, rigid and pietistic, believers – we can say religion helps. It teaches us the great values of high frustration tolerance, unconditional self-acceptance, unconditional acceptance of others, and it also teaches us to want but not need the approval of others. These spiritual teachings lead to less fear, more openness and honesty, and more authentic relationships.

The thin line however is often crossed when obedience to fanatical worship and absolutistic evaluative thinking undoes the above and makes us intolerant of frustrations and makes us condemning of man’s totality for his mistakes/follies.

The important thing is not about having or not having a religious/spiritual bent of mind – the question is what KIND of religious or non-religious beliefs do we hold and they lead us to health and happiness!