When most of us think about health, we think about two sides, physical health, and mental health. To enjoy physical health, we should focus on healthy eating and exercise. Taking care of our mental health means keeping stress to a minimum and engaging in positive activities and relationships that contribute to mental wellbeing.

     Many of us forget about the third aspect of health - the soul. Spirituality is the way you find meaning, hope, comfort, and inner peace in your life. Many people find spirituality through religion. Some people find it through music, art, or a connection with nature. Others find it in their values and principles.

     Spirituality can be defined as sensitivity or attachment to religious or other values that help a person gain insight, self-knowledge, and a heightened understanding of life. It can be of great value when coming in terms with your illness or whatever discomfort you may be feeling. Sometimes your mind alone can not comprehend and explain the situation in a way you could understand. That is where your beliefs come into play. They are a powerful tool for coping and helping your mind and body.

    So, in the most basic sense, spirituality is about connecting with what's meaningful to you in a way that lightens or enriches your spirit. Spirituality can come from religious and non-religious experiences alike. It includes the need to find answers to questions about the meaning of life, suffering, and death.

Is spirituality linked with health?

     The body, mind, and spirit are connected. The health of any one of these elements seems to affect the others. When our body suffers so does our mind and soul. Some research has shown that what you believe in can have a strong impact on your health. 

   Positive beliefs, comfort, and strength gained from religion, meditation, and prayer can contribute to your overall wellbeing. Improving your spiritual health may not cure an illness, but it may help you feel better. Spiritual wellness can bring comfort and give strength for handling life's challenges. Some people find that tending to the spirit seems to be as healing as medicine itself.

How to better your soul?

     For some people, making time for spiritual practice is a key part of their wellbeing. Some take time to be in nature, to meditate, or to pray. Others spend time with music, art, or poetry, or just enjoying the silence. Many people pay special attention to beauty, kindness, gratitude, healing, or faith in a higher being. It all depends on one simple question: 

What brings peace, purpose, beauty, and meaning into my life?

     A spiritual practice can help you connect in a new way with what is meaningful to you. It can help you connect firstly and most importantly with yourself, your family and your loved ones.

     I am sure we all have experience with this topic. For me, that was when a family member got diagnosed with cancer. After months of therapy, nothing worked. A therapist then suggested that we have to take the mind, body, AND soul as the vital part into consideration. Taking care of just the body can only get you so far, all is connected. So since none of us are traditionally religious we turned to something more alternative. Every morning we started doing yoga, at the beginning it was quite funny but as the routine settled a morning doesn’t go by without it. What was your way of doing something for your soul? What is spiritual for you is very personal. It is for you to define. But that doesn't mean that you have to explore spiritual questions and ideas by yourself. You can share and learn from others. You can also turn to your religion, community or family for guidance and support.