How mental health awareness can facilitate spiritual growth

(Photo: Unsplash/Jurica Koletić)

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The human body and mind are deeply and intrinsically connected. An individual's overall mental health impacts significantly on both their spirituality and physical performance. The connection between the mind as well as the soul of an individual and their physical body is particularly manifest during stressful life events such as death or loss of a job, which can lead to weight loss, tension headaches and a weak immune system. With recent events in mind, it is important that we understand what it may require to enhance our mental health.

Similarly, physical and mental healing are central to spiritual and physical wellbeing. For instance, a person who has recently battled the flu and endured several sleepless nights might suffer mental and physical exhaustion, which will prevent them from having a spiritual perspective when relating with others. For this reason, it is crucial for people who are looking to grow spiritually to keep their mental health at an optimal level. Here is how mental health can facilitate spiritual growth.

Practicing Yoga for Enhanced Spiritual Well Being

This is an excellent exercise that's focused on lowering both bodily and emotional restraints in an individual, which, in turn, helps with improving their spiritual well being. Yoga involves mantra chanting, deep breaths, and meditations that go a long way in reducing stress levels and lowering blood pressure, depression, anxiety, insomnia as well as fatigue. It is also known to boost the immune system especially when practiced diligently. This is in addition to cultivating a sense of self-awareness; a person who practices yoga is allowed a golden opportunity to create a nonjudgmental relationship with themselves. By building self-confidence and courage, such an individual is able to work through the psychological challenges that prevent them from embracing their spirituality. Spiritual awareness ultimately impacts positively on the manner in which a person interacts with others.

Scheduling Time for Meditation

Meditation is the perfect tool for enhancing self-awareness. This exercise allows people to assess their inner thoughts, emotions, and moral dilemma. It also promotes discernment thus enabling people to make sound decisions. Meditation also helps with stress management as well as reducing anxiety, depression, and insomnia. This implies that people who implement meditation in their lifestyles allow their minds to relax and thus foster a stronger connection with their spiritual being.

Maintaining a Healthy Nutrition

The effect of a balanced diet on a person's mood is the perfect example of how physical health helps to stimulate the mental strength and of an individual. Diets that maintain blood sugars at an acceptable level and provides omega three fatty acids and tryptophan aid in the production of serotonin, which is essentially a feel-good chemical. Foods rich in omega 3 include sardines, salmon, flaxseed, and walnuts are known to combat depression. Similarly, foods such as chicken, fish, cheese, beans, eggs, and chocolate are rich in tryptophan and melatonin, which protects the body against oxidative stress. Also, people who regularly drink healthy juice tend to feel energetic and thus face daily challenges with a high spirit while maintaining good health. In essence, every food that positively impacts on the mind also leads to the spiritual growth of an individual. Neglecting one's health takes a toll on both the mind and spirit of a person, which explains why a slight headache can potentially make it challenging to focus on religious discourse.

Traveling to Relax the Mind

Finding time to explore different comforting places can do wonders to the minds of many people. When people visit a serene place in which they can keep their minds away from all the distractions, they get to rest optimally and reflect on their lives. This allows them to gain a better connection with themselves. In doing so, their minds are set on the right path for enhanced overall health. Some of the relaxing activities in which most people engage include meditation and sightseeing, which opens their mind to a whole new dimension. Also, going on a retreat is an excellent way of recharging the mind away from the crowded cities. Since the human mind, body, and soul are interlinked, it's not surprising to see people who are on a spiritual quest going for retreats.

Physical Exercises

Workouts are excellent choices for people who are looking to grow spiritually. While exercises are popularly known for toning up the body, they are also effective in keeping the mental health of a person in check. They also have a positive effect on anxiety, depression, self-confidence, and ADHD. Regular exercises also improve memory, relieve stress and help people sleep better, which results in a boosted mood. Another thing about exercises is that they do not have to be intense. Instead, people should set up a routine that they can enjoy. Lack of physical exercises could lead to physical and mental exhaustion, which makes it easy to fall asleep when a church leader is delivering a sermon among other signs of spiritual deterioration. Besides, exercising regularly delivers a fresh supply of oxygen-rich blood to the brain, which improves a person's ability to focus on prayers and self-requirements while also being sensitive to the needs of the people around them.

Enhanced Concentration

Training the mind to pay attention is a great method of attaining spiritual growth. The most common technique that people employ towards this purpose includes burning candle in a dark room and keeping their eyes focused on it. This technique increases the minds concentration power, an essential element for meditation and spiritual yoga. It also opens up the mind to a higher spiritual level while still allowing people to avoid life destructions and thus keep them focused on their goals.

Spiritual growth is an essential element in the overall health of a person. A lot of people desire to live a meaningful and purposeful life thus they are often seeking spirituality. Once spiritual goals are met, they introduce harmony in the life of an individual, which also reflects on the lives of people surrounding them. For a person to grow spiritually, they need to engage in activities that will keep their mind healthy. While attaining spiritual growth may appear like a difficult task, the journey merely requires baby steps. Soon, things will begin to fall into place, and thus the undertaking becomes easy.