The Four Sources for Reconnecting To Your Spiritual Self

I remember Sundays as a little girl growing up in Humboldt, Tennessee arriving promptly at 11 a.m. to my Southern Baptist church. I was outfitted in one of my reserved-for-Sunday dresses and accessorized with hair bows and white stockings. I hated it. But there was no playing when it came to religion in our house. Church was an important affair and how you looked was a powerful signal to your respect for God.

Now, as an adult, you’ll rarely see me in a dress, and please assume I’ve lost one helluva bet if you catch me in white stockings. I still love church, but I equally love finding God while doing yoga, meditating, or walking on the beach.

This shift–from relying solely on religion to finding alternate places for God–is one key reason why I am so optimistic about the state of women’s spiritual health. As I see it, spiritual health is the state of your relationship with a higher power. In the ‘90s and ‘00s there was a bit of fear in church circles about how younger generations were fleeing the church. Before meditation and mantras went mainstream, spirituality was reserved to religion and religious practices.

Religion offers a great foundation for spiritual health, but now more and more women realize that God/Spirit is in everything, including ourselves. The Internet has allowed us to easily share different ways in to connect to Spirit and it’s become clear that people are more educated on the different sources to get filled up spiritually.

I’ve learned that there are four sources of spirituality: self; others or social interactions; nature; and A Higher Power. When you find ways to tap into all four of these sources, you learn how to improve your spiritual health. And as I look around, I see women finding ways to utilize these sources like never before.

Self: As cliché as it’s become, self-care remains important. Women today seem to not only understand this, but also find ways to give themselves more of the time and attention they need. I believe the effects of this ability to pour into yourself are only starting to be seen. The #MeToo movement is a great example of what can happen when women honor their own voices and start to leave space for the voices of other women.

Others: It takes effort to connect IRL! I believe people have once again realized that real, tangible relationships cannot be replicated by your Instagram followers and likes. As I look around I see a wealth of women’s empowerment organizations and resources. My organization, Get Loved Up, has allowed me to witness firsthand the beauty that unfolds as women lean on, encourage and offer support to one another.

Nature: People who spend more time outdoors are found to have better health, are more likely to take care of the environment as adults, and are happier and more creative. While we have SO MUCH work to do to make this environment better for future generations, I’m happy to see the abundance of organization committed to making change and encouraged by the fact that climate change is discussed in political debates.

Higher Power: Whether in a church or through prayer or just feeling love towards Spirit, this ability to feel connected to a higher power is something people still seek. I love that pastors are reaching millions through YouTube and podcasts; that there are people like Michael Bernard Beckwith who offers a trans-denominational option through Agape International Spiritual Center; that people acknowledge that God can be found in multiple venues and in multiple ways.

Gone are the days where we were expected to be donned in dresses and stockings to access God. I love the openness and education that are at our fingertips. Through connection to self, others, nature and Spirit, women are more empowered than ever to find the type of spirituality that works for them.

This essay was featured in the March 1st edition of The Sunday Paper. The Sunday Paper inspires hearts and minds to rise above the noise. To get The Sunday Paper delivered to your inbox each Sunday morning for free, click here to subscribe.