Silvie+Maryl | Upgrading Minds, Transforming Lives

Image by Mario Anthony

A lot is said about mind, body and spirit these days. In particular, the word spirituality is abuzz. It’s one of our favorite words and an entire category in itself here at Silvie+Maryl, so let’s look at what this concept really means.

What is spirituality? If we divide our body into physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, then spirituality would have to do with that last component: our spirit. In the simplest sense of the word, ‘spirit’ typically refers to that part of a being that is not matter. By this definition, spirituality would be that which pertains to being this non-matter part of our selves. Now, if we look at energy and matter as the same stuff just differing in density, then spirit would be the least dense stuff. Spirituality then, would be all those things that pertain to this least dense and lightest part of our selves.

Spirituality is often confused for religion, but religion and spirituality are not the same thing. Spirituality can be a part, a component, of religion. But you can also have that component outside of religion, as a direct relationship with the spirit (your spirit, the Holy Spirit, God, Buddha, etc…) There is a very specific benefit to this one-on-one relationship, which we’ll go into in a bit.

Scholars don’t quite agree on a definition of the word religion (from the Latin religio meaning reverence, holiness and conscientiousness), but what they do say is that there are definite cultural, social and political aspects to what has developed into the various religions of the world today. Spirituality, on the other hand, is not nationalistic, cultural, social or political – by definition, it is not something that was created for humans based on anything written or edited by any human being or any group with a specific set of interests, rules and regulations.

Spirituality was initially a significant part of religion, when the word referred to those individuals who were honest and devoted to something bigger than themselves. Today, as religions have grown into powerful organizations with very specific sets of rules of behavior, it is difficult to discern where, if anywhere, spirituality is within religion, but what is clear is that many people have come to believe that religion is the home of spirituality and that, without religion, there is no relationship to spirituality. There is a danger in this belief and the behavior. that accompanies it. Leaving your spirituality in the hands of a religious institution or a religious leader places that religion or leader as the intermediary between you and your spirit. And the problem with that is that this “spiritual broker” is then tasked with doing everything that you should be doing. He or she (or it, the institution) must research, think, formulate ideas, study, discuss and otherwise figure out what YOUR relationship to YOUR SPIRIT is and should be, leaving none of the work (except perhaps a few minutes of prayer) to the actual person responsible for your spirit: YOU.

Unlike what you’re used to with modern religion, spirituality takes work. It is not noonday worship or a Saturday without electricity or a Sunday morning hour-long commitment. SPIRITUALITY IS HOW YOU LEAD YOUR LIFE.
Spirituality is how you approach a problem and how you solve it in the most positive way. It is not just smiling at someone, but smiling at the angry cashier who is snarling through your transaction, because you know that every situation is an opportunity to learn something, teach something or help someone. It is not just saying that you forgive someone, but learning what it takes and means to forgive yourself and why you must do this time and again for your sanity, and mental/emotional/physical health. Spirituality is not just saying that everything happens for a reason – it is knowing that this is as a result of how this wonderful Universe works, based on causation, ebb and flow, creating your reality with your thoughts, and so much more. And, most of all, spirituality is taking responsibility for who you are today, and what you will become as a consequence of your direct thoughts, words and actions – including what you will mean to this planet.

Religion cannot do that for you. No one can. It is your God-given right and responsibility to do so yourself. You are the caretaker of your house of worship – your mind, your body, your family, your house, your environment, your planet.

And, in this quest, you are not alone. A poll conducted by Newsweek and beliefnet.com in 2005, in which 24% of the US population now identifies themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious’. Times are changing and people are exploring what it means to be on a personal journey of being connected to spirit.

Regardless of what religion, center, creed or country you belong to, it is crucial that you develop your own spirituality. The ke word here is ‘develop’ – spirituality takes work. Not the 15 minute meditation a day kind, the self-analysis, self-improvement, other-centric kind. The kind that asks who you are, why you are here and what you will do for this Universe. It comes down to responsibility. No matter who or what you have chosen to follow externally, INTERNALLY, you must develop a relationship with the non-material stuff you are made of. If spirit is the non-matter stuff, then energy, as with all energy-matter relationships, is the SOURCE of you. In other words, it is where you begin. It is the spirit energy that gives your matter its form, just like energy (atoms arranged in a certain structure into molecules) gives form to all other things we then see as dense matter – from a table to a turtle. It is the stuff we cannot see that makes up who and what we are. So, go in there, start with the Source of You, get to know yourself, talk to that voice in your head, see what you hear back, what images you see, what thoughts arise. Then study what its all about. And take it from there.