Spiritual wellness — What it is and how to improve it

Most of us are so preoccupied with physical and mental wellness that we forget something more important— spiritual wellness. Spiritual wellness is all-encompassing. If there is spiritual wellness, we are truly happy and bound to feel a sense of overall wellness. Then, aches and pains no longer matter, and fears, worries and stress no longer exist.

What exactly is spiritual wellness? For that matter, what is a spirituality that creates spiritual wellness? Spirituality is the science of the Spirit, the Atman, and the Soul. The body dies, and the mind is an illusion, a bundle of thoughts. We are the Soul, this is called self-realisation. We realise that the Soul is the Supreme Immortal Power, SIP. We are a part of this power. And this same power, the Soul is in everyone; everybody is a Soul. We realise that God is everywhere, in everything.

The realisation of the truth leads to self-awareness and liberates us from suffering on earth and, finally, from rebirth. This is the ultimate purpose of life — to realise who we are and be liberated from the karmic cycle of death and resurrection. It leads to true happiness. It makes life meaningful and purposeful. We are at peace. We live in bliss. We feel content and fulfilled. We feel connected to ourselves, God, people, nature, and other creatures because we realise that everything is a manifestation of the Divine. We are all one. While inanimate objects may not have a Soul, every molecule of matter is Divine energy. There is a sense of universal connection. As a result, we live with positive emotions of faith, trust, courage, love, compassion and kindness. This is what spiritual wellness is all about.

To begin our spiritual wellness journey, we must first go on a quest to realise the truth. We must ask questions and investigate our findings. Although, of course, we must yearn for the truth, we must want the Divine. As we come closer and closer to reality, our spiritual wellness will only increase. We will overcome the darkness of ignorance and be in the light of the truth. We must also learn to live with discipline and detachment, realising that nothing belongs to us and that this world is just a show; we are actors who come and go. We recognise the futility of greed and transcend desires and cravings for material things.

We must learn to be silent and meditate to improve our spiritual wellness. By meditating, we make the mind still. It is the mind that makes us miserable and anxious. The reason that constantly jumps from thought to thought like a monkey, that bombards us with thoughts, becomes a monk once we still it. To still the mind, we have to observe the mind — watch it, catch it, latch it. We activate the intellect that helps us to discriminate — we differentiate between wrong and right, black and white, the myth and the truth. In this state of thoughtlessness or consciousness, we experience peace and bliss; this is critical for spiritual wellness. We must always be in a state of consciousness, not a state of mind. It is also in this state that we can be enlightened. Satchitananda is the ultimate bliss, the peak of spiritual wellness, where we experience Divine bliss and live in the truth's consciousness.

We must also learn to live connected to the Divine, in Yoga, not Bhoga. This is critical for improving spiritual wellness. There are four known states of Yoga — Dhyana Yoga or meditation, Bhakti Yoga or devotion, Karma Yoga or action, Gyana Yoga or education, and Prema Yoga or the Yoga of Divine love that people do not know about. Prema Yoga is being ever connected with God through love, by loving people as manifestations of the Divine. We must always endeavour to be in one of these states of Yoga. Getting an accurate Guru's guidance will enhance our spiritual wellness because we will be guided in the right direction.

To improve spiritual wellness, one must genuinely want and work on it. It has to become a priority in life. If we continue to be drawn towards the material world, we cannot enhance our spiritual wellness.