How do you express your spirituality?

[slant]

First I want to spearhead this thread by saying:

We all have a different definition of Spirituality and that's okay and this thread is not intended to get into that.

I think it would be helpful if you explained your own definition for context but I don't want this to become a debate thread about what definition of Spirituality is better, people seem to love to do that .

Lately I've been wanting to explore my own Spirituality but I've come up blank on activities to do to express it.


My definition of Spirituality is tied to absurdism. I know spirituality isn't real but that people do best when they have something greater than themselves to believe in. I feel that Spirituality is the counter to self improvement; in terms of when you self reflect you look inside, Spirituality is looking outside to somehow tie us all together to bring cohesion and greater meaning collectively.

So:

How do you define Spirituality for you?

What ways do you express your spirituality? ( Especially actions/activities)

 

[Wyote]

Apparently I am sort of the embodiment of spirituality, in a roundabout way.
As for me personally though, I find the change from a life of misdirection to one of focus and purpose to be the greatest form of spirituality. In a word; transformation.
Anything that instills that and is a manifestation of that is what is spiritual. It moves through all things.
Music for example, is a wonderful expression of the spirit.

 

[acd]

I feel that Spirituality is the counter to self improvement; in terms of when you self reflect you look inside, Spirituality is looking outside to somehow tie us all together to bring cohesion and greater meaning collectively.

This is a really interesting point. I agree. I think a lot of spirituality calls on people to give up their authority. I'm not comfortable with that. It's just innate in me that I can't do it. And I've genuinely tried to be spiritual. I dabbled in the occult. I was a born again Christian. And now I consider myself agnostic.

I tried really hard to be faithful, too. And I could not stop asking questions. I drove my pastor and the folks at a weekly Bible study crazy with my questions which were all met with, "Just have faith." And I had a nagging thought that I could have faith if I could have answers and knowledge. But that is the antithesis of faith. So I don't really consider myself spiritual. I don't really think about it. My son is 4 and he's asking questions. I'm not sure how to answer many of them. I don't discourage an interest in God. (My parents are Catholic and talk about God all the time with him.)

 

[ZcM4xzkjgzCjytBc]

This is a really interesting point. I agree. I think a lot of spirituality calls on people to give up their authority. I'm not comfortable with that. It's just innate in me that I can't do it. And I've genuinely tried to be spiritual. I dabbled in the occult. I was a born again Christian. And now I consider myself agnostic.

I tried really hard to be faithful, too. And I could not stop asking questions. I drove my pastor and the folks at a weekly Bible study crazy with my questions which were all met with, "Just have faith." And I had a nagging thought that I could have faith if I could have answers and knowledge. But that is the antithesis of faith. So I don't really consider myself spiritual. I don't really think about it. My son is 4 and he's asking questions. I'm not sure how to answer many of them. I don't discourage an interest in God. (My parents are Catholic and talk about God all the time with him.)

The problem with religion is that a bunch of people follow it. What I mean to say is that people are the problem.

Spoiler: BTW

You're going to HELL

 

[acd]

The problem with religion is that a bunch of people follow it. What I mean to say is that people are the problem.

This was also a big part of it for me. I'm reminded of that Gandhi quote that "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians." And maybe that is just as judgy as the church folks are. Jesus is great. I just can't get with the congregation. They tell you to not be worldly but I wanted to mingle with the world. They tell you not to be worldly, yet they can't stop trying to legislate their morality on the world.

 

[Rit4lin]

Spirituality for me is more so about my own self-discovery, the profound connection I feel when connecting with like-minded people, the wonderment when gazing upon nature or the serenity listening to specific forms of music. I touched upon this in a separate thread about my atheism, where I do not believe spirituality and theology are synonymous. From an intellectual standpoint I understand why I feel the way I do, but I believe in doing justice to that which I feel: spirituality encapsulates that for me.

In terms of how I express it, for me is a largely private affair. Exploring it I do keenly, and sometimes utilise my own experiences of it to help my friends that feel lost or confused. I keep albums for myself for the photos I have taken; enjoy walks alone in a nearby forest; have sat under a sky of stars talking about anything and everything with my mates. Otherwise it is a largely private journey which I otherwise keep little record of or scarcely share, treasuring it more like a delicate vase than anything. My hope is that one day I will be able to pass it on to my future children to guide them... But until then

Spoiler

 

[David54]

Hm. . huge topic. Connection with the divine. For me, that's what we''re talking about. I take a bit from everything I suppose. protestant christian, but that just describes where I go Sunday morning, and that is only a part of the expression of it. Part of why I walk in the woods every day is to connect with the spirit of the earth. Listening to the trees, the wind, the animals. . breathing in the smells. .it is there that I connect with the spirit world. .same thing at the ocean, though a different spirit. it moves you and through you, if you let it. I feel it in music, that the veil between sacred and secular is just a bit thinner.
but the question was how do I express it. . that is very different. I make myself available, I still myself and listen. .I make music with and for others.. I work on practicing forgiveness, and asking for it as well. I reach out to those that need connection. .if they resonate with prayer, I will pray for them. . if they need an ear, one that really hears the, I provide that.
I am honest with myself and I let the spirits show me what I need to work on, and I follow their lead.
I pray to God. . I listen for the Buddha. . I give thanks to the Earth Mother, the four winds, the seasons, and the Goddess.. .

 

[slant]

Hmm. It's very interesting. I do a lot of these activities you guys are mentioning but I don't feel them to be particularly spiritual.

I am seeking that spark you seem to be describing, and I do feel peace and solitude and contentment when doing those things,

I suppose I'm just lost at what I'm looking for.

Which is no surprise.

It's that itch of there being something more, and I ask,

How do I express that?

How do I express that I know there is something more (even if for me I don't really believe it?).

For a while I was doing this thing where I would fast once a month and buy someone's lunch symbolically. That felt a bit in line with what I am wanting to do.

Hmmm

 

[dragulagu]

How do you define Spirituality for you?

What ways do you express your spirituality? ( Especially actions/activities)

Got an open translation of the Tao Te Ching on my bedroom cabinet (I have intentionally taken an open poetic version written in verses instead of a literal version as many shit translators have been working on it).

I open it every morning, read a random verse from the book and try to live up to it.
It's a more grounded and relaxed approach to life.

 

[Ren]

I express my spirituality through Open Monism, my original philosophical system (or so I claim).

 

[David54]

while this is not really answering the question, it is, about the whole of spirituality. I went to new members class yesterday for the church I attend. It is the church I grew up in and is very much in line with my christian beliefs, the United Church of Christ, if you are interested. . In the meeting the pastor described a circle of beliefs that we all share in this denomination. Since that meeting I have been struggling with what I believe and realized that it is outside of their circle. This has lead me to decide not to join the church. This will of course led to questions as to why I cam to that conclusion and perhaps I will meet with the pastor for that conversation.
While I am a protestant christian, I am also may other things. .remember my analogy. . many paths to the mountain of God, all being equally valid and true, and it doesn't matter the path you walk, it is the journey of seeking truth that is important. I will worship the Goddess, sage my home, seek the power and energy of crystals. .celebrate the pagan holidays. . but I will also wear ashes this Wednesday. .

 

[hithere]

Reviving an old thread, because I find the topic interesting .

Spirituality, to me, means to focus on your spirit/ soul, as opposed to materialism, where the focus is on well - the material.

It's more a way of life than an experience, although I do think certain experiences inspire heightened awareness of the spiritual. It's like when you love someone. The love is always there, but there are times when it just swells up and you feel the love intensely.

To me, focusing on the soul means making decisions based on what's good for the soul/ spirit and in general, seeing the world through a spiritual lens.

That would definitely include self improvement - becoming a better person. It would mean expressing gratitude, giving to others, prayer, meditation and more. A big part is elevating the material with spiritual intent. (That would include, but would definitely not be limited to, religious rituals.)
Anything can be elevated with spiritual intent.

I feel like the awesome feeling of the oneness and to me, sacredness, of the universe is a gift that often follows spiritual striving. It often will come following meditation or while being in nature. It's hard to force.

 

[Wyote]

Reviving an old thread, because I find the topic interesting .

Spirituality, to me, means to focus on your spirit/ soul, as opposed to materialism, where the focus is on well - the material.

It's more a way of life than an experience, although I do think certain experiences inspire heightened awareness of the spiritual. It's like when you love someone. The love is always there, but there are times when it just swells up and you feel the love intensely.

To me, focusing on the soul means making decisions based on what's good for the soul/ spirit and in general, seeing the world through a spiritual lens.

That would definitely include self improvement - becoming a better person. It would mean expressing gratitude, giving to others, prayer, meditation and more. A big part is elevating the material with spiritual intent. (That would include, but would definitely not be limited to, religious rituals.)
Anything can be elevated with spiritual intent.

I feel like the awesome feeling of the oneness and to me, sacredness, of the universe is a gift that often follows spiritual striving. It often will come following meditation or while being in nature. It's hard to force.

I agree and am on board with this 100.1%

 

[mintoots]

Yes, this is a very good thread.

I grew up Catholic and I have been trained to believe and rely on God my whole life. My mom always taught me to obey the command of the Lord. That has been difficult to reconcile with my ambitions but in my path, I learned to recognize road blocks and opportunities as messages from the Lord. Basically, when my heart is at peace, I am doing abiding by these carefully laid instructions.

Spirituality to me is being filled with a deep sense of fulfillment at random times in my life. Sometimes I'm eating with my family and the love and the laughter puts me in a trance. Sometimes I'm driving and the sunset and the song takes me away. Sometimes it's after I accomplish a task or a meeting and these visions load up in my head making me feel good and joy. Good as in I don't feel good but I am doing good. I have grown accustomed to thinking of these feelings as moments of validation from the Lord. When the opposite happens, I panic because then it means I must have taken a wrong step but there were seasons in my life when I didn't give a fuck about the pain. That's how I know my spirit is broken then. Sometimes out of sheer anger and being stubborn, I don't obey because some times God's maneuvering of the universe can't help but put us as collateral damage. I don't know how I recover from these moments but I do know that being pain for too long eventually makes you want to seek some relief and that's when the profound love and peace reappears again as if to save. That, to me, is the Lord cupping me like a parent and holding me close. This is why I like the parable of the prodigal son because we are the sons at certain points in our lives and that whichever son we are, we will come back to a place of peace and love either way.

I'm still reconciling with my thoughts on religion. It's good because it allows for the good to thrive. Some people really need it. Despite all the flack that religion gets, it cannot be discounted that is has carried many broken spirits through because of its community. For that alone, I think it is absolved of its sins. It does not mean I'm tolerant, I'm still generally wary of people but this helps me to recognize the good above scripture and I believe that is the most important of all.

I don't know if God is a He or a She but I do know that God is a profoundly loving energy that manifests among all of us and in each of us regardless of our views on theism. We will never be able to help being one with all the energy of the world. No matter how we try, we will never be alone.

 

[Roses In The Vineyard]

Without saying too much for me it is knowing the hell that is this shared experience we are all living isn't all there is and that there is more out there waiting to be lived. As for the modern mindsets it is no mystery as to why people are so fragile and there being so little hope it is because people rejected the spiritual for the material.

 

[JennyDaniella]

For me personally, I’ve always been very, VERY drawn to the side of spirituality, but realized there are many angular facets to it and unique to every individual. Which is why I truly love spirituality as a whole because it opens a whole new world for everybody and can lead to a particular journey and perspective to life in general.

I would say spirituality for me is confronting the aspects of my darker shadow self and truly reflecting and looking into the deep internal parts of myself; whether it be ranging from vulnerability to rawness to expression. So to sum it; I view spirituality as a way of not only healing and deep understanding of oneself, but also have a curiosity of the universe and the unknown.

Ultimately from a scientific standpoint, we all come from an exploding star. So therefore, we really are deeply connected. Before the Big Bang and the origin of the universe, there is still confounding theories and assumptions on how it all started and really just going down into a deep rabbit hole.

But I’d like to think there is a beautiful question mark that is not only unsettling and exciting, but also comforting that perhaps there is more to all this that we truly don’t know and can’t explain. Even though we don’t have all the answers, it should give us more incentive to really make the most of this weird life we all have.

 

[Pin]

Well, I go to church.

I enjoy the experience of being involved in mass and I also like the community that the church provides. I think that faith in God is logical. I didn't always but I do now.

If the Catholics are right that God is love then I think I am in good company. I read the bible sometimes and I greatly enjoy the parables that Jesus tells.

Anyway, I regularly fail the standard that Christ sets but I sincerely do try to live up to his ideal.

 

[John K]

What ways do you express your spirituality?

This is maybe going to sound a bit cryptic, but I'll see how it goes. It won't be any better if I write an essay.

We are all born with a void within us, an empty space filled with longing. For me spirituality is exploring that emptiness, that fierce longing, finding out how to fill it and letting it fill in a good way. Nothing in the material world can do this, at least not on its own, though learning, teaching and sharing the journey with others is incredibly important. All around me are people who I see reacting to the void inside them and trying all sorts of fruitless ways to fill it which is sad - nothing in the material world can fill it, and there are all sorts of other traps and blind alleys too. Sometimes I find people who have travelled far down the road and they are filled with an unmistakable glow. There is powerful help out there, but it's on the other side of the void, not on this side, though there are signposts for those with eyes to see and feet to follow.

 

[mintoots]

Well, I go to church.

I enjoy the experience of being involved in mass and I also like the community that the church provides. I think that faith in God is logical. I didn't always but I do now.

If the Catholics are right that God is love then I think I am in good company. I read the bible sometimes and I greatly enjoy the parables that Jesus tells.

Anyway, I regularly fail the standard that Christ sets but I sincerely do try to live up to his ideal.

Jesus is actually very wise for his time or cryptic crazy, but wise either way. You're following impressive history there.

 

[mintoots]

This is maybe going to sound a bit cryptic, but I'll see how it goes. It won't be any better if I write an essay.

We are all born with a void within us, an empty space filled with longing. For me spirituality is exploring that emptiness, that fierce longing, finding out how to fill it and letting it fill in a good way. Nothing in the material world can do this, at least not on its own, though learning, teaching and sharing the journey with others is incredibly important. All around me are people who I see reacting to the void inside them and trying all sorts of fruitless ways to fill it which is sad - nothing in the material world can fill it, and there are all sorts of other traps and blind alleys too. Sometimes I find people who have travelled far down the road and they are filled with an unmistakable glow. There is powerful help out there, but it's on the other side of the void, not on this side, though there are signposts for those with eyes to see and feet to follow.

I love how spiritual this is without being religious.