How to Nourish Your Inner Spirit
I'm Dr Victoria Ranade, a clinical psychologist, and I want you to know there is something inside you that is incredibly beautiful, more breathtaking than any sunrise or sunset. No matter what darkness you're facing, there's always light to be found, and this space is here to remind you of that, to remind you that you're not alone.
We are all in the process of becoming who we are truly meant to be.
It's not about being perfect, it's about growing, evolving and unfolding into the fullest version of ourselves, and that's what these becoming episodes are for, to remind you that wherever you are in your journey, you're not behind. You're becoming, and an important part of that journey is your spiritual health, because becoming who you're meant to be isn't just about external achievements. It's about something deeper. It's about your connection to yourself, to others and to something greater.
Today I want to talk about something essential: spirituality and your spiritual health.
Spirituality is something that connects all of us deeply, because it's about oneness, how we are all interconnected with each other and with life itself. It's not the same thing as religion, though religion can be a structured, dogmatic way of practicing spirituality. Spirituality has been rigorously studied for thousands of years as a way to understand consciousness and the deeper nature of existence for our ancestors, it wasn't vague or abstract. It was a discipline, a serious pursuit of truth explored with devotion, study and deep inquiry into how best to live.
They didn't just contemplate ideas like love, karma or consciousness. They studied them with intention. They explored what happened when someone lived entirely from love, examined the patterns of cause and effect and karma, and gained deep insights through altered states of consciousness, often accessed through various forms of meditation.
Spirituality has always been about seeking wisdom, understanding human nature and learning how to align with something greater.
So what is spirituality and why is it important?
At its core, spirituality is your relationship with your highest self, the truest, deepest expression of who you are. It's realizing that beyond your thoughts, beyond your emotions, beyond your roles and titles, there is something more, a Self, a presence within you that's filled with wisdom, strength, peace and beauty. It can help you see things in a way that inspire you and give your life meaning and purpose even in the most difficult, darkest times of your life. It can also help you address many existential questions you might have about life and death and mortality, and it can hold you together when nothing else makes sense. It can be incredibly grounding when life feels chaotic or stressful around you.
Not everyone actively practices spirituality, but everyone has spiritual health. It falls on a spectrum and is a dimension of your overall wellness. Just like you have mental health and physical health, you also have spiritual health, whether you recognize it or not, your spirit, just like your mind and body need care.
But modern life is noisy. It keeps you running, striving, scrolling and doing, and in all that chaos, you might forget to check in with your spirit.
Your spirit is your presence. It's recognition that you are a being of energy, that you're not just your body form or your mind, that you're also a presence. If you think about it on a biological level, you are energy. Your body runs on biochemical reactions, converting food into fuel. And ancient traditions like Chinese medicine have long understood this, calling it chi, the vital life force energy that flows through you.
Spirituality is about connection, and spiritual health is about how well you're nurturing that connection.
Spirituality is the relationship and practice you have with your highest self, or a power greater than. Yourself. It's your connection to the divine, or whatever that may mean to you, something beyond you that's transcendent, yet also within you.
Spiritual health, meanwhile, is how well you are attending to that relationship and nourishing your spirit.
You can strengthen your spiritual health through practices like:
meditation
spending time in nature
writing prayer
or anything that inspires and grounds you
Signs of good spiritual health include:
feeling a sense of purpose and meaning in life
being able to find peace, even in difficult times
feeling connected to yourself, to others or to something greater
having feelings of gratitude, compassion and presence
listening to and trusting your intuition and inner wisdom
Signs of poor spiritual health could include:
feeling lost, disconnected or like life lacks meaning
struggling with deep existential anxiety or despair
feeling empty or numb
constantly seeking external validation instead of inner fulfillment
being very uncomfortable with silence or introspection and just being with yourself
How is your spiritual health?
This week, I invite you to tune in to your spirit. What does it feel like? And when do you notice it the most? I recommend you ask your friends and family, what does my presence feel like? Take a moment to check in with yourself too–how does your own presence feel like to you?
Remember that you are an energy being, and just like your mind and body, your energy needs, care. Notice what makes your spirit feel light, uplifted, inspired and well. When you nourish it, you'll feel the difference in your mind and body, because your spirit is deeply connected to them.
May you remember that you are more than a mind or your body, that you are a spirit, a presence, a light. May you take time to nurture your spirit, to listen to your intuition and inner knowing, to slow down and feel the sacredness of your own being. May you find meaning in the moments that call to you, finding peace in the questions that have no answers, and trust in the unfolding of your journey. And may you always remember you are not lost, you are not alone, you are already whole, you are already home.