The Importance of Spirituality AND ITS IMPACT ON HOLISTIC WELL-BEING

by Bethany Lato

For some time now, people looking to take control of their lives have been increasingly using holistic approaches for health and well-being. While these approaches take into consideration the unique differences of mind, body and lifestyle of each individual, not all of them consider the individual’s spiritual nature.

Spirituality has been defined as “the individual and personal beliefs” that a person holds, and, according to National Alliance on Mental Illness, often includes a “sense of connection with something bigger than themselves.” It is frequently viewed as different and sometimes separate from religion, which is an organized system of beliefs held by a community. Many people who identify as religious also consider themselves spiritual; however, there are an increasing number of people who identify as spiritual without any religious identification or affiliation, according to PEW Research Center.

Spirituality encourages a person to look inward (into their own inner world and soul), as well as outward (to understand how they are connected to the world around them). It offers the opportunity for each person to understand the meaning of life, and to feel a part of a larger purpose that is bigger than themselves. Because spirituality, by definition, looks vastly different for each person, it is crucial to understand personal and spiritual beliefs within a holistic framework.

Spirituality has been found to have multiple benefits that contribute to overall health and well-being. It can help decrease anxiety, depression, substance use, suicidal ideations, PTSD and other mental health struggles, according to an article published in World

Journal of Clinical Cases. Many individuals connect to their spirituality through rituals and practices that have become ingrained in therapeutic and personal development settings, including mindfulness, meditation, self-reflection, awareness and artistic expression. By placing importance on individual spiritual development and practices, spirituality can be a source of profound self-empowerment and personal growth, and can help bring about acceptance by, and connection with, people of many backgrounds.

While spirituality will look vastly different to each individual, there are many simple practices that can be incorporated into a daily routine in order to promote spiritual, mental, emotional and physical well-being. By incorporating silence and solitude, breathwork, time in nature, journaling and centering meditations, one may explore new spiritual depths and reach a deeper sense of well-being.

Bethany Lato is an intuitive life coach, advanced certified hypnotherapist, licensed professional counselor and owner of A Deeper Well, in Hartland. Her clients have found profound transformation through hypnotherapy, conscious and connected breathwork, reiki and past life regressions, all while incorporating spiritual practices into their personal growth. To learn more about A Deeper Well or how the process works, visit ADeeperWell.co See listing, page 43.

Before life snagged us in its insidious net of obligations, our child selves discovered awe around every bend. We poked our noses into fluffy, new dandelions and saw faces in passing clouds. “Why?” was a perpetual mantra we lived by, no doubt testing the patience of loved ones. Somewhere along the way, our eagerness to jump into the lap of the world and be held by magic gave way to a new way of being.

In 1942, Albert Einstein wrote to his old friend, German psychiatrist Otto Juliusburger,

People like you and I do not grow old no matter how long we live. What I mean is we never cease to stand like curious children before the great Mystery into which we were born.” This quote reminds us to stop wading in the daily grind and dive into the deep end of everyday magic.