10 Tips to Grow and Deepen Your Spirituality

Spirituality plays an important role in wellness. Find 10 tips for refreshing your spirit, deepening your spiritual beliefs, and sparking a spiritual (re)awakening.

Spirituality plays a key role in overall wellness.

Believing in something greater than ourselves and developing and living the values of our beliefs not only improves the wellness of our lives, but improves the lives of the people all around us. Regardless of religion, there are universal truths of love, kindness, and appreciation -- and that there is more to life than the time we spend on this Earth.

But what can you do if you have more doubts than faith about your beliefs? How can you grow and deepen your spirituality? What are some methods for sparking a spiritual awakening?

Use these 10 tips as a starting point to refreshing your spirit and deepening your beliefs -- and increasing your overall wellness.

1. Love yourself. You can't grow your faith and spirit until you fully accept and love yourself for who you are; that means healing your trauma. If you don't have faith in yourself, you cannot truly have faith in some higher power. Everyone has flaws and everyone has beauty. Being at peace with yourself is a key step to increased spirituality.

2. Meditate or pray daily. Just as you should exercise daily for your physical health, you also should carve out time each day for your spiritual health and growth. Some people recite the same meditations or prayers every day, but the real key here is carving out time for peace and quiet -- and personal reflection and introspection. Studies show those who pray or meditate have improved immune systems.

3. Commune with nature. For many, there is no place on Earth where the presence of God -- or some sort of higher power -- is felt than in the raw and undisturbed beauty of nature. Whether sitting on a mountain top, listening to the sound of a rushing river or babbling brook, walking deep in a forest, or watching the tide roll in and out -- one cannot help but feel a deeper spiritual connection in nature.

4. Make connections with people. A dear friend taught me this lesson -- God works through people to make great things happen. While you can certainly grow your spirituality on your own, joining together with people who hold a deep faith in their beliefs can only enhance your spiritual growth and awakening.

5. Express gratitude. There is nothing more powerful than examining what we have in our lives -- love of family and friends, shelter, transportation, clothing, food. These five "loves" or basics, are something many of us can be thankful for daily. And besides these five loves, most of us have many other "things" in our lives that make our lives easier, better. Expressing gratitude daily -- whether by thought or prayer -- provides a lift to our spirits and appreciation to a God that provides for us.

6. Volunteer to help others. Sometimes we lose our faith because we become desensitized to the world around us. We become isolated. By volunteering to help those less fortunate than ourselves, we rediscover a sense of the suffering and loss that many people have -- combined with the power that we can make a difference in people's lives... improving the faith and spirituality of all involved.

7. Perform random acts of kindness. Helping someone else -- brightening someone else's day through something you do or give of yourself -- is a great way to lift up your values and strengthen your spirituality. Make a donation to a local food bank, give blood, bring food to a shut-in neighbor, or thank a police officer or returning veteran. Kindness matters.

8. Attend worship services. The power of God never seems stronger than when you are in a house of worship surrounded by other believers. But you need to find the one place that fits your beliefs and touches your spirit and renews your faith. Don't be afraid to experiment and try many houses of worship before you find the one that takes you to a higher place. Studies show people who attend regular religious services have a lower risk of death than those who do not.

9. Release your anger. People do bad things and bad things happen to good people, but there are no good reasons to keep anger, hate, or revenge bottled up inside you. You can't grow your faith in a loving God if you are full of hate and anger. Find a way to forgive and forget -- both yourself and others -- and your spirituality will deepen immensely. Forgiveness is key.

10. Think positively. Negativity is harmful -- affecting both general wellness and your ability to grow your faith and spirituality. By focusing on the positive -- and positive thinking -- you raise the energy and attitudes of the people around you, encouraging others to also think positively.

Final Thoughts on Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth is not only about growing and deepening our faith and beliefs, but also about growing our inner spirit -- about believing and loving ourselves and the people and the world around us.

It's about helping ourselves -- improving our lives, as well as the lives of the people all around us. We need to strip away the grim and doubt and replace it with love and appreciation.

We need to rediscover the power of our own spirit and recognize the greatness that is all around us. By doing these things -- by following these 10 tips -- you will find your faith and spirituality growing and deepening.

Finally, remember the important connection among the spirit, the body, and the mind. By making an effort to grow and deepen your spirit, you will also improve your physical and mental health and wellness -- contributing to a happier and healthier life.