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Wellness is defined as, “the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal.” While there are several different types of wellness, spiritual wellness isn’t quite talked about enough. We don’t talk a lot about spirituality, even though a lot of us are running on empty.

Spiritual wellness — true and full — is not a state or condition of being connected to God. Instead, it is more of a process and journey of being connected to God. You don’t exactly reach wellness, it’s an ongoing experience. It’s an everyday journey that requires our constant attention and intention. Over time, the result is a condition and state of being more rooted and spiritually grounded. Over time, it brings clarity of thought and peace, even in the midst of the woes of the world.

Really, it’s a full integration of practices, rituals, attitudes and orientations to the world and to God that sustain survival and promote thriving in the world. But this shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s not something you can randomly pick up and put down. Consistency and dedication is needed for it to work. Think about this: You wouldn’t go to the gym once a month and expect your summer body just because you picked up one weight, would you?

Like I said, we don’t talk a lot about spirituality, yet so many of us are running on empty. We have all these options available to really nourish us, but we don’t openly express what we need or how to get it. Spiritual wellness gives us opportunities to really get to know ourselves, explore our needs and receive some things back in the process. Some of those practices, and my personal favorites that I’ve talked about on Modern Faith, are:

Prayer
Meditation
Affirmations
Visualization
Journaling
Conscious Content Consumption
Silence

It's important to remember that spiritual discipline is a real thing. Going back to my gym example, you can’t expect to feel better after one or two sessions. Your cardiovascular health won’t be drastically changed after being on the treadmill for 10 minutes, so doing something for your spirit won’t make much of a difference unless you keep it at it.

Another thing to remember is that spiritual wellness and these practices are for everyone. We all need this, from Will and Jada Smith and Kendrick Lamar, who have all said they practice meditation or need time alone, to the likes of Jhené Aiko. Even Jesus used spiritual wellness to stay grounded in his sense of purpose and calling, as there are multiple accounts of him meditating or praying in silence and solitude. There is something powerful about knowing I practice some of the same methods used by all these people.

The bottom line is that any form of spiritual discipline is important; our overall spiritual wellness is deeply important. We are not just bodies, brains or spirits — we are all these things which are intertwined and deeply connected. What we give to one, impacts the other two. We need to be gentle with ourselves, in all aspects. But it also needs to be personal; give your body, mind and spirit what it needs. Oftentimes, the world doesn’t give these things to us, so we have to give them to ourselves. We’ve got to be the agents here, and know when to give ourselves a little time to be with God, when to rest and when to relax. Be mindful of your spiritual wellness.

Rev. Dr. Neichelle Guidry

Writing since February 2022 · 3 stories contributed