Spiritual Energy is a vital component of the spiritual life. You can learn to tap into this guiding energy to become healthier, happier, and more in-tune with yourself.
Many people use the words energy and spirit interchangeably but they are different concepts. Scientifically, energy can be created and destroyed but spirit is non-physical and eternal.
Meditation
Meditation has been proven to boost happiness, increase concentration and reduce negative thoughts. It also decreases blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels and increases dispositional mindfulness, meta-cognition and self-compassion.
Spiritual energy is the life force that connects our souls with The Source. We are each part of an endless sea of vibrating soul energy. Our energy can be calm, peaceful, compassionate or passionate, and every living thing has its own unique vibration.
Often when people talk about having high or low energy, they mean that they have been through a spiritual awakening and now see the interconnectedness of all things, and feel a heightened sense of awareness. This is a very beautiful and rewarding experience, but it can be emotionally painful as you let go of old beliefs and mental constructs. Meditation is a great way to help you become more in tune with your spiritual energy. There are many different techniques, but a simple guided meditation such as one by Jon Kabat-Zinn or Sam Harris is very useful.
Kindness
Every person has a unique energy. Some are calming and peaceful, others are compassionate and loving, and some may feel fiery or intense. It’s up to you to decide how you want to direct that energy—and it can be a great way to promote your spiritual side by being kind to yourself and others.
It can be as simple as smiling at a stranger or holding the door open for someone else. You can do it intentionally or spontaneously. Just be sure to do it for yourself as much as for the person you’re helping, since research shows that being kind helps both you and the recipient.
Practicing kindness also promotes connection with others, boosts mood, and strengthens relationships. It also benefits physical health, as it can help regulate the vagus nerve that controls heart rate. And it’s contagious—just watching other people be kind increases our own feelings of happiness and compassion. Then, when we’re feeling stressed or anxious, we can turn to acts of kindness to calm our emotions and reassure ourselves that things will work out.
Community Building
Community building can help individuals find a sense of purpose and meaning. It also promotes engagement and loyalty to the community and its goals. It can also benefit businesses and content creators by providing valuable insight into the needs, wants, and interests of the community.
In order to keep a community vibrant and energetic, it is important to regularly plan community happenings. This creates a regular schedule and routine, and makes it more likely that participants will save time in their busy lives to come together. In addition, it is helpful to choose activities that are broad in appeal. This tends to result in higher rates of participation and more opportunities for connection within the community.
The Community Builders Project brings together Waverly-Shell Rock 6th graders, Wartburg College students, and members of the local community to talk about how to build a strong sense of community. Read more about this exciting initiative here.
Concentration
The more concentrated you become, the more you are able to move toward your aspirations. This is why it is so important to learn how to concentrate. Whether you need to focus on a task or on spiritual progress, learning to concentrate can help.
We are all familiar with the concept of energy from a scientific point of view. Energy powers the lights in our house, there is kinetic and potential energy, and energy is behind everything in existence (thanks to Einstein’s E = mc squared).
But when spiritual writers talk about energy, they often mean something different. They describe it as a quality of being, not a physical phenomenon. They use words like “high energy” and “low energy” to refer to a person’s mood or even their state of consciousness. They also discuss energy as the ability to pay attention and to keep coming back, again and again. That is concentration. This is a power that can transform your life.
