Spirituality and Health

Do you have some type of spirituality in your life? Evidence suggests that adhering to some type of spiritual belief system is beneficial to health. "Spirituality can affect the physical and emotional health of patients in quite significant ways," said Dr. Harold G. Koenig, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center.

Spirituality is defined as the way you find meaning, hope, comfort and inner peace in your life. Many people find spirituality through religion. Some find it through music, art or a connection with nature. Others find it in their values and principles.

It is unknown how spirituality affects health, but many people believe the spirit, mind, and body are intimately connected. When you tap into that connection, you can be in tune with your body more effectively and alter your state of health merely through activities that are spiritual in nature such as prayer, meditation, and similar exercises.

You may or may not be able to cure an illness, but efforts spent improving spiritual health can actually help you feel better, prevent various health problems, and help you and family members or friends deal more positively with with death, disease, and stress.

Learn to identify and cultivate hings in life which promote comfort and peace for you individually. Make time each day to participate in a few minutes up to an hour or so of time spent engaged in one of these activities whether it be solitary or with a group. Here are some ideas:

• Nature walks
• Meditation
• Prayer
• Attending services
• Yoga
• Reading inspirational material
• Deep breathing

For more information on how you can explore your spirituality as related to health, visit Spirituality & Health