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Understanding Mindfulness and Spiritual Wellness
Mindfulness entails human awareness of the mind and body. It is the ability of the human to understand where you are, and what is happening without overly reacting to a situation.
When we speak of spiritual wellness, it is important to grasp the basic concepts of God’s creation. Let’s be real. What does that mean to grasp basic concepts of God’s creation? Especially when you have a foundational scripture that says how beautiful and wonderful you are made (Psalm 139:14).
First, God, our Creator, is a Spirit. God does not have a body. God is the Word of Truth. In the image of God, He gave us an incorporeal human spirit; that is, the human spirit has no physical characteristics (Genesis 1:26-27). At creation, the bible tells us that it is the very breath of God that was breathed into the man and man became a living being (Genesis 2:7). The human spirit’s attributes are God-given and includes our intellect, passions, feelings (emotions), and creativity. Because of the human spirit, we have “free will” to make choices. The human spirit has a (limited) ability to comprehend and understand (Job 32:8). At death, the human spirit returns the One who gave it, our Creator (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Psalm 104:29-30; Job 34:14-15).
In understanding the concepts or relationship of mindfulness to spiritual wellness, it is to buy into practices in support of daily life skills. The techniques suggested by mindfulness are to help you become aware of your situation, practice breathing, and relax. In essence, mindfulness exercises are simple ways to help you pause, reset and control with the present situation as to not overreact.
Practical Mindfulness Techniques for Spiritual Growth
There are several mindfulness practices that connect to spiritual wellness.
- Start your day with a positive attitude. Intentionally focus on a good startup routine i.e., mediation, prayer, breathing awareness, moments of silence, visualization.
- Be aware of your speech; out of the mouth the heart speaks i.e., kindness
- Practice patience (one of the fruits of the Spirit). Do not be anxious about anything, even driving. Practice deep, controlling breaths in situations like this.
- Practice pleasurable eating habits. Relax.
- Read and listen to positive material that are informative and relaxing. Limit the in-take of negativity material.
- Be intentional about your habits and how you use of social media. What looks truthful and sound can really be harmful to the mind and soul.
- Be intentional about your circle of people. Ask yourself, “Is this person(s) occupying too much of my time, negatively or positively?”
The Role of Community in Mindfulness and Spirituality
Community support can enhance mindfulness practices. That community support can be as simple as family, friends, and small groups. While there are organizations that exist for helping incorporate mindfulness practices into your daily life, starting with your immediate surroundings, i.e., safe spaces.
Communication and a safe space are key components of beneficial mindful activities and spiritual wellness. For example, I personally withdrew from a small, well-being group, when the conversations became detrimental to my personal health and safety. At first, members were to meet face-to-face once a week as a support group. Shortly afterwards, for good reasons, the group met via phone technology. As a result, the meeting times became flexible in scheduling. This method of meeting interfered into my intentional times of solitude. Moreover, no longer did I have a safe space in knowing who exactly a part of this group was. Additionally, the emotionalism began to take me to a place of remembrance that began to rob me of where I chose to be in my healing. It is “ok” to give yourself permission to change your group when it is no longer a safe space.
Challenges and Solutions in Practicing Mindfulness
Thus, be certain that community activities enhance your spiritual wellness. Practicing mindfulness is meant to enhance your daily routine that are common challenges. Every minute of the day, we make choices in regard to our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Finding techniques to deal with everyday distractions will give you a safe space of comfort. Be willing to transform those challenges into opportunities of growth. Mindfulness is just one technique for strategizing your well-being and overcoming obstacles and growing spiritually.
Perhaps, if the Holy Spirit directs, we will share more about this topic. Hence, for additional reading concerning your spiritual wellness, we suggest the following blogs at: