How Will You Develop Your Spiritual Self

Seven Ways to Boost Your Spiritual Well-Being

• Examine your spiritual foundation. You are merely asking yourself questions about who you are and what you mean when you explore your spiritual essence.

How do you develop a spiritual experience?

It was during this journey that I developed respect for some of the values that my childhood faith had taught me. Discipline, for example, as well as the outward expression of appreciation, have proven to be extremely beneficial in my life, particularly as I've developed a personal spiritual practice in my adult years.

Of course, one does not require a religious upbringing to enjoy this experience. You have the option of believing in a higher power (or not), as well as belonging to a religious institution or faith-based community (or not). Spirituality is open to everyone. It's fluid in some aspects. It encourages people to think on what they're seeing and to applaud how things are changing.

Whether you're looking to start a spiritual practice or want to deepen your spirituality, try the following:

Why you need to develop your spiritual self?

Spirituality can give us a sense of hope and optimism, which is something we can use in our daily lives. Spirituality gives us hope for a brighter tomorrow.

We will always have challenges in life, but if we remain hopeful during these difficult moments, we will be able to overcome them. Spiritual development improves our ability to deal with life's ups and downs and recover from adversity.

How can you develop your spiritual self as a teenager?

What can parents and other adults do to help their children develop spirituality? Parents and others might encourage kids who are members of a religious organization to pray or meditate, read sacred literature, and participate in religious activities such as youth clubs, religion-based sororities and fraternities, religious conferences, and camps. Participating in religious events allows teenagers to learn more about their religious views, ask questions, and form good relationships with others who can serve as spiritual mentors.

Religious activities for teenagers are offered by many churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques. Youth who participate in these activities will be able to form vital social bonds with peers who share similar values and who can offer support to teens, particularly those who are religious minorities. Parents of teens who are not involved with a religion or any organization can also encourage their children's spiritual growth. The Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence (n.d.) offers the following suggestions for cultivating teen spirituality:

Even if you don't have all the answers, don't be hesitant to talk about spiritual issues.

Even if you don't agree with everything your kid says, pay attention and appreciate what he or she has to say.

Allow your children to express their spirituality through diaries, music, painting, and other forms of expression.

Encourage your teenagers to hang out with positive people who will help them grow spiritually.

Spirituality is useful to all people, but it is especially beneficial to teenagers. As teenagers discover who they are and what they want to be, the shift from childhood to adulthood can be difficult. Parents and adults can encourage healthy spiritual growth in teens whether or not they are members of a religious group. Caring adults can support spiritual discovery in youth by following the ideas above, which will strengthen connections with family and friends and lead to better choices.

What is spiritual self?

Your Spiritual Self is the most beautiful and powerful version of yourself. It's your true self, the part of you that hasn't been conditioned, the you without patterns. There's no need to get caught up in the lingo because this is a personal matter for everyone of us. During your Process, you were acquainted with this aspect of yourself, which we refer to as your Spiritual Self.

How do I take care of my spiritual self?

Even if you are the healthiest person on the planet, you may still feel unwell or suffer from illness, both emotionally and physically. Emotional and spiritual well-being have a profound impact on the mental and physical bodies. Loneliness is on the rise. Your forefathers and mothers lived in communities, and you benefited greatly from this style of life, particularly in terms of mental and emotional well-being. You must make a serious effort to find ways to cultivate this aspect of yourself today.

It is soul-satisfying to devote time to spiritual self-care. It promotes reflection while also providing clarity and comfort. Multiple studies have demonstrated the numerous health benefits of cultivating a spiritual life. A spiritual self-care practice quiets the mind and helps to soothe internal turbulence, allowing you to begin feeling and honoring what your heart desires, as well as having the fortitude to make the required changes. Your body and emotions can't lie; you'll know deep down if you're actually happy and thriving. You have earned the right to live your life from this vantage point. Spiritual self-care can assist you in achieving the following goals:

Don't know where to start? To get you started, here are a few spiritual self-care suggestions.

How can I learn spirituality?

“The most significant thing about ourselves is what comes to mind when we think about God.” A.W. Tozer (A.W. Tozer) (A.W. Tozer) (

I read the preceding quote by A.W. Tozer, a theologian and philosopher, when I was in college. The message was so powerful that it has stayed with me for nearly 15 years. It keeps reappearing in my head on a frequent basis.

I understand that spirituality is a difficult subject that elicits a plethora of strong feelings, intellectual debates, and far too many horrible emotional traumas. Nonetheless, I feel the previous quote is correct. Nothing is more important in our lives than our spiritual awareness. And it's a topic we should have far more frequently than we do.

Our beliefs have a huge impact on our lives, whether we have consciously cultivated a personal spirituality or not. It has a huge impact on us, whether we are aware of it or not. Take a look at how it affects our understanding of…

• Ourselves. Is God concerned about my well-being? Is He angry with me or happy with me? Who am I if there is no God? And where did I come from?
• Others. Do all lives have the same value? If that's the case, what's the basis for it? What is my role in providing care for others?
• Minimalism. What will we replace the chase of material riches if we have withdrawn it from our affections?
• The environment in which we live. In what ways should we be concerned about the world and the environment in which we live? Is the survival of our species more important than our motivation in this regard? And, if so, how do we, as humans, behave appropriately with it?
• Morality. Is there a greater power that has constructed a moral set of truths for the universe? Or does each person's morality define his or her own?
• Evil. What am I supposed to make of the world's evil and suffering? Is there a cause for it? How far should I go in trying to stop it?
• Money. Is it true that the cosmos bestows wealth and status on certain people but not others? Or does the individual gain money/status? When I get it, what should I do with it? Is it my job to look after people who have less?
• Afterlife. Is it true that there is life after death? Is death something to be feared or something to be embraced? In any case, what should I be doing today to prepare for it?

Without a question, our perceptions of spirituality have a significant impact on our lives. As a result, exploring it is one of the most crucial adventures we may ever undertake.

I completely recognize that this community includes readers of all religious and non-religious backgrounds. That is a reality for which I am eternally grateful. I should also point out that this post is not an endorsement of any one faith. Instead, my objective is to encourage everyone of us to think more deeply about the significance of spirituality in our daily lives. And encourage us to embrace the adventure with enthusiasm rather than fear.

You will never regret any time spent increasing your awareness of the Universe because of the critical function it plays. Let me provide seven initial steps that are fundamental to our personal investigation of spirituality, whether you have never tried, have tried but given up, or spend time every day pursuing one specific God.

A Beginner's Guide to Exploring Spirituality

1. Honor those who have gone before you. The search for spiritual knowledge is as old as humanity itself. Billions have gone before you, and countless hours have been spent in search of spirituality. Don't take their efforts for granted. Consider their studies and writings, even if they aren't from the religion you've grown accustomed to.

2. You must take charge of your own journey. Your vision of God must be determined alone by you. You should not accept another's teachings at face value (even your closest mentor or parent). Your spirituality must ring true in your heart and your soul must rejoice in it—or it is meaningless.

3. Begin right now, just where you are. We all have unique character traits such as compassion, laughter, self-discipline, and love. Make use of them as a starting point. Are you going through a difficult time in your life (illness, loss, rejection)? Use it to fuel your quest for a deeper understanding of spirituality. According to Lao-tzu, “A thousand-mile trip begins with a single step.” In every way, he was correct. Start your trip with whatever the most logical initial step is for you.

4. Seek God's assistance. By this, I mean that making the request has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Your request may be answered if there is a God. Even if you don't believe in God, the act of making the plea will help you focus your senses and desires.

5. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Spiritual development, like everything else in life, takes time and effort to master. Take a few more steps in a different direction if you don't find your answers after your initial few steps. Time, effort, and energy will be required. However, considering its impact on our life, it is always worthwhile to put forth the effort.

6. Don't be scared to ask questions that you don't know the answer to. Although it may seem counterintuitive to the pursuit's purpose to leave questions unresolved, we should not be afraid of them. Some will forsake the road completely because of these unresolved questions. And, while spirituality should provide answers to our deepest questions, it is implausible to expect that our minds will be able to comprehend all of the universe's complexities.

7. Be cautious of “Everyone is correct” is a way of thinking. There is no God if there isn't one. If there is a God, He is one of a kind. Personally, I am suspicious of the belief that God can change from one person to another, as that theory collapses under its own logic. God is exactly who he is. It is also our obligation to locate Him successfully.

Again, I recognize that everyone of us will experience this trip in our own unique way. Spirituality is a very personal topic, and various people will have different experiences with it. This is not a post endorsing any one faith. It's just a note of encouragement and a reminder that this trip is crucial.

I don't usually moderate comments very carefully (unless they turn offensive). However, I have a recommendation for this article. I'd be curious to hear about your personal spiritual path in the comments section below. How did it all start? And how did you come to that conclusion? I believe that this discussion will be more beneficial and encouraging than a precise explanation for your point of view.

What is spiritual self reflection?

Self-reflection is intentional time set aside in the midst of your hectic life to reflect on your day, month, or year in order to learn from your experiences, desires, and feelings. It's quite easy to become consumed by your schedule and obligations in life.

You're too preoccupied with staying on top of everything to take a step back and consider what you're doing or how you're feeling. Perhaps you don't feel compelled by your routine and would rather spend your free time channeling your mental energy into something like television or video games.

You can inquire about things like, “Are you happy with what you're doing?” Sometimes life gets so hectic that you forget why you're so busy in the first place. You might also pray to God “Is my life set up in such a way that my relationship with you takes precedence?”

Life can become overburdened with excellent things, causing your time and mental capacity to be strained. When you ask God this question, you may be inspired to let go of things that are important to you in order to make more room and time for God.

You'll likely run on autopilot if you don't make the space for self-reflection and contact with God. You'll be guided by values implanted in you by your culture, family of origin, and immediate neighborhood. The goal of intentional self-reflection is to give you time to sit with God and ask meaningful questions about life and your relationship with Him.

For people who aren't used to self-reflection, engaging with a Christian counselor may be beneficial. Christian counselors are qualified to assist you in starting to reflect on your life and experiences. They can assist you in getting to a state of self-reflection and teach you how to get there on your own.

What is an example of spiritual development?

Enlightenment is a result of spiritual progress, according to the view of spirituality offered here. It would be a mistake, however, to believe that the path to enlightenment is always linear or predictable, or that enlightenment is always complete. Many people describe their spiritual paths as having periods of crystal-clear illumination followed by periods of difficulty. But, in a manner that others who simply think about or aspire to enlightenment cannot, a person who has experienced total illumination, however brief, knows that enlightenment is a real possibility. The capacity to be deeply present without assumptions or judgments, as well as constant awareness of oneself as being pervaded by the ground of all being, are two key characteristics of enlightenment.

In 1944, Aldous Huxley published “The Perennial Philosophy,” in which he provided convincing evidence that the fundamental views on the nature of human spirituality held by the mystical strains of each major faith group, Eastern or Western, could be traced back to a common underlying set of understandings about the human spirit that originated thousands of years ago in India. Personal realities are always incomplete representations of spirituality, according to this viewpoint; intuitive, mystical connection with the ground of being is superior to simply thinking about the ground of being; the human spirit has a divine nature, and a person can come to identify with that universal Self rather than the personal ego; and the ultimate goal of spiritual development is to experience no separation from the ground of being.

As a result, spiritual growth can be defined as a progression toward ultimate possibilities, with the highest levels of spiritual development occurring in the development of a capacity that allows consciousness to transcend the constraints of body, language, reason, and society. Movement toward ultimate possibilities entails a shift from simple imitative and dependent spiritual thought and behavior to a personal mental picture of spiritual issues that integrates both inner and outer life spiritual experiences; a shift to a subtle, contemplative, and transcendent understanding of the common ground of both inner and outer life experiences; and a shift to being fully united with the ultimate ground of all being. Spiritual growth is a process of transcendence that can be viewed as a spiral of ever-increasing knowledge and experience of oneself and the cosmos.

Some writers on spiritual development emphasize the fact that it is a lifelong process. Spiritual development, according to Zen master Joko Beck, arises from the daily practice of sitting meditation and the application of present-moment awareness to everyday life. “Enlightenment is not something that can be attained. It's when something isn't there. You've spent your entire life advancing toward something, seeking a goal. All of that is being abandoned in the name of enlightenment. But talking about it is pointless. Each person is responsible for their own practice. There are no alternatives. We can read about it till we're a thousand years old, but it won't help us” (Beck, p. 5). “Attention is the cutting, blazing sword, and our practice is to use it as much as we can,” says the author. (See Beck, p. 32.) The emphasis here is on the process rather than on progress or attaining higher levels of spiritual awareness.

Others believe that spiritual growth can be broken down into stages. Fowler, for example, saw adult spiritual development as having three stages: an individual-reflective stage in which the self begins to turn away from external sources of spiritual authority and toward the development of an internal moral and spiritual orientation that has personal meaning for the individual; and a conjunctive stage characterized by greater acceptance of paradox and ambiguity, a deepening sense of understanding, and disillusionment with spiritual authority. Fowler believed there was a link between life stage and spiritual development, with the individual-reflective stage occurring in early adulthood and the conjunctive stage appearing in midlife and later. He did not believe that many people had achieved the stage of universalization.

Wilber saw spiritual growth as advancing from sensory knowing in childhood to various stages of reasoning knowledge in early adulthood, and finally to contemplative knowing in midlife. Children, for example, frequently get their first mystical experiences through sensory sources such as communing with nature, listening to religious music, or witnessing a breathtaking sunset. Adults can later receive immense inspiration from written and spoken words through their minds, oblivious to the fact that the stillness between and around those words may be vital to their sense of spiritual connection. Most people adopt some type of discipline as they go on their spiritual path, a regular action that allows them to transcend their self-consciousness and experience inner serenity.

The call, the search, the struggle, the breakthrough, and the return are the five stages of spiritual development outlined by Moody and Carroll. When an inner yearning for connection, or a greater connection, with the spiritual Self arises, the call is heard. The call may begin as a sense of an empty part of oneself, eventually evolving into a sense that one's spiritual nature is not yet completely formed. Finding and exploring a spiritual path is part of the search. The search may take place within the context of a conventional religion or it may entail an investigation and sampling of a variety of religious traditions. Overcoming the ego's opposition to transcendental meditative or contemplative techniques is a common battleground. The myriad arguments and hurdles the mind develops to obstruct the experience of quiet mind can cause great anguish in beginning meditators. When the impediments or objections to transcendence are overcome, even if only temporarily, breakthroughs occur. People are more likely to stay motivated in their aim to be open to experiencing these qualities as part of their awareness once they have experienced pure mindfulness and transcendent consciousness.

People who gain transcendent knowledge do not usually disappear from the world. Instead, people go about their daily lives as usual, but their viewpoint on them is altered. The return entails bringing into the world the spiritual insights gained via transcendence. The form that such service takes is largely determined by the spiritual path chosen. A devotional journey can lead to being a devotional exemplar. Being a teacher or a leader may be a way to return to a road of awareness and understanding. The ability to perceive the world from a nonpersonal perspective that is open, unselfish, honest, trustworthy, compassionate, and clear-minded, among many other attributes, is a trait shared by everyone who have broken through. Bringing these traits to everything one does in life can have a significant return effect.

The sequence described by Moody and Carroll does not imply that there is only one course to complete before becoming enlightened. Rather, it's a cyclic process in which one grows increasingly enlightened by going through the full process they explain whenever a need for deeper development arises.

But how can one be sure that their spiritual experiences are genuine? After all, the human mind is highly adept in persuading one to misinterpret a wide range of events. For starters, millions of men and women have claimed to have felt a global presence as a part of themselves across thousands of years and in a wide range of historical eras and cultures. This inner experience is described as a direct link that bypasses the verbal mind, making it less vulnerable to personal or cultural bias. Second, by collectively commenting on individual spiritual experiences, spiritual communities provide an important function. Sharing spiritual experiences and insights with others in a spiritual group is a vital safeguard against mistaking spiritual realization for a subtle ego agenda.

What are examples of spiritual self?

Self-care on a spiritual level Activities that will nourish your spirit and help you to think beyond yourself. Spiritual self-care doesn't have to be religious, though it can be for some. Meditation, yoga, traveling to a place of worship, being in nature, setting aside time for self-reflection, and so on are some examples.