What is spirituality and what is the difference to religion? I often get asked what the difference between being religious and being spiritual is. For me those two things are definitely not the same but of course someone can be both and live a religious life while being also spiritual. Spirituality is believing in a higher source, that there is a deeper meaning behind why we are here and what we do. Walking on a spiritual path will lead you at some point to the conclusion that the divine source is inside you and that everything is connected. Now, whatever this divine source is or however you want to phrase it is up to you. Spirituality will show you the interconnectedness of everything, will make you aware of synchronicities and will bring you towards enlightenment. It is a path that leads you inside and shows you your inner strength, beauty and divinity.
Religion puts the focus outside - this might be the main difference. Very religious people seem to give their power away to their God(s) who seem to make the "rules" they have to follow in order to be good humans. As I want to talk about spirituality, I won't go much deeper into the big topic religion. To sum it up, for me it is looking within versus looking outside.
A spiritual path can be very different for everyone. Most people do have some kind of spiritual practice which involves connecting body, mind and spirit as this is what it is about. Yoga, Meditation, but also art or any kind of movement can become a spiritual practice. For me Meditation is number one on this list and cannot be missed if you start a spiritual path. Through meditating you learn to calm your mind and to look within - to get closer to your divine essence. Not being disturbed by your own thoughts anymore is crucial if you want to receive answers and connect with yourself - which in the end is to connect to the source of all things.
Many people who are spiritual automatically feel the calling to connect more with their body and start to have a healthy diet and see the importance of any form of exercise. Yoga can be a gateway into the spiritual life and an amazing way to feel the connection between body, mind and soul. Qi Gong, Thai Chi but also dancing for me - everything that activates your energy body on a conscious level - is a powerful tool to centre and reconnect. Our body is our vessel, our bridge that helps us reconnect the divine inside and the divine outside.
All those things are just methods in the end that help you to become more mindful and fulfilled. It doesn't mean that if you meditate or do Yoga you are automatically spiritual and enlightened. These are great ways to start and helpful tools but in the end you have to do the inner work and live what you practice. You can read as much about spirituality, Buddhism, Ayurveda and so on but if you don't integrate what you have learned into your life - into yourself - it won't make much of a difference.
I have met quite a few people who seemed to be very spiritual and full of knowledge but it turned out that they are very good a talking about those topics and are not living what they are preaching. On the other hand there are people who are not even very interested in spirituality but they have a calm and insightful presence and seem to be just spiritually natured. Those people bring kindness and love into everyday life - where we need it the most.
I know the feeling of "I should know better or be better" very well. At some point you might have the feeling of being stuck in between worlds when you start a spiritual journey. Your ego might divide into the old you and the new you but this is where you can practice the integration of everything you have learned so far. It can be hard and frustrating but again, that is just your ego that tells you it is hard and frustrating. This as well is part of the journey. The more lessons you accept and the more you are willing to grow, the easier it gets to feel the difference between the ego and your true self. In the end spirituality is about finding your essence, love inside - where it has always been. Through that you will automatically become a kinder and more loving person towards yourself and others and this is why we are here. This is the common purpose we have to learn and integrate in this world.
Meditation helps you to observe yourself, through which you will be able to act and speak in a conscious, calm and kind way. If you catch yourself reacting somehow aggressively simply become aware, nothing else. The next time or the time after that you will be able to transform your reactions. At some point calmness and consciousness will be your natural state of being. Enlightenment seems to be this big unreachable state that you can only achieve after thousands of lifetimes or by sitting in meditation on top of a mountain but it is our normal state of being, it is inside us. There are just many, many layers of conditioning, traumas, ego, thoughts and false believes that can make it a bit hard to reconnect to this state. Again, through meditation you will be able to shed those layers. Through working on yourself, your believes and false ideas of how life and you and others have to be and through practicing mindfulness you can experience enlightenment - this calm state of inner peace and faith in yourself and life. If you have had only a glimpse into this way of being, go and live it, share it and inspire others - not by telling them about it but by simply living it.
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