In a world full of rush, anxiety and bad news, connecting with oneself and with the most transcendent dimension of life is a balm.

Beyond pre-established religions and beliefs, Spiritual practice gives us tools to regain balance and serenity in the midst of chaos. How to develop spirituality?

6 ways to practice spirituality that are not religious

Some forms of spirituality do not necessarily have to do with sacred scriptures or beliefs.

1. Practice compassion

From a Buddhist perspective, compassion is close to empathy, although you do not have to profess Buddhism to put it into practice. The ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and feel from your situation what you are experiencing, providing friendship to provide reliefit is a spiritual experience.

2. Recognize the mystery of life

Many scientists of the modern era, including those in quantum physics, entered at the end of their lives into a mysticism that was not incompatible with science. In his final years, Einstein dealt with ethics and the existence of God, while the physicist David Bohm published a book of his conversations with Krishnamurti. They also perceived that our shore of knowledge is minimal compared to the ocean of mystery that stretches before us.

3. Ask yourself questions

The theologian and philosopher Francesc Torralba affirms that «spiritual intelligence empowers the human being to evaluative analysis of one’s own existence. We can develop it through the questions that emerge naturally from us and that They take us beyond ourselves«. What was there before the Big Bang? Who pressed the button and why? Who created the creator? Why did I come into the world, among the billions of possibilities of not having been born? Diving into these questions is another path to spirituality.

4. Immerse yourself in the artistic

In his essay Of the spiritual in artWassily Kandinsky stated that the mystique of the human being is represented schematically with a triangle: «At the tip of the highest vertex sometimes there is a single man. His joyful contemplation is similar to his immeasurable inner sadness. Those who are closest to him do not understand him and indignantly call him a fraud or a madman. This is how Beethoven lived, insulted and alone in the world. summit». According to this Russian creator, the artist has access to transcendent realities that escape the rest of humanity. When generating art of any kind, we place ourselves at the tip of the triangle, which It gives us a mystical perspective.

5. Meditate in motion

Many times we associate meditation with sitting on a cushion in the lotus position, but Mindfulness can be brought to all areas of daily life. When cooking, cleaning, walking, reading or any other activity, we can put all our focus on what we are doing.

6. Practice altruism

Channeling our generosity towards those in need is an essential part of all religions, and helps us grow spiritually regardless of them. The act of giving is transcendent in itself, because it takes us beyond our own desires. As the psychomagus states Alejandro Jodorowsky, «What you give, you give to yourself. What you don’t give, you take away».

Some inspiring phrases have the ability to awaken something in us that invites us to connect with our soul and sense of spirituality. In this video you will find some:

Why practice spirituality

According to the Nobel Prize in Medicine Elizabeth Blackburn, meditation increases telomere activity by 26%, which directly affects our longevity.

Other studies show that prayer and other spiritual practices help reduce stress and reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disordersamong other benefits.

How to find the path to spirituality?

I met the priest at some conferences Pablo d’Orsauthor of a dozen books. I had read your biography of silencea small volume on meditation which has been an unexpected bestseller.

After giving my talk on a Saturday, on Sunday I curiously attended his talk, titled «We are the light of the world.» From the speakers’ box, I I was expecting an erudite presentation. Maybe even read a sheet of paper.

Happily, none of that happened. Sitting in front of the audiencePablo he casually explained his search of light and wisdom.

He used a very beautiful metaphor: For years I had felt like I was knocking repeatedly on a door that didn’t want to open..

Many people feel this way in his spiritual inquiry. Carried away by the noise and violence of the world, They try to find the teacher, the discipline or the practice that takes them to an oasis of serenity. And it’s not an easy task.

Pablo D’Ors explained that She knocked unsuccessfully on that closed door, until she realized that she was not the only one door. Every person, every place and situation that life offers us gives us access to the light. This revelation allowed him to unravel his spiritual search.

In his own words: «If the door to enlightenment is everywhere, that means there is no door.» And if there is no door, then we are already enlightened, we just didn’t realize it.

Spirituality as an original state of mind

The thoughts of this Catholic priest harmonizes with Zen. Bankei Yotakuwho lived four centuries ago, He insisted to his disciples that they were already enlightened.

This teacher from the Rinzai school explained it like this: «I just I tell people to stay in their original state of mind and do not transform it into thought.

I don’t expect them to do anything special. nor do I give them concrete rules or practices. Just stay at home and don’t look for anything else. Let them sit, stand, sleep, wake up and do everything in this original state of mind without letting it transform into anything else.»

You may be wondering What is that original state, or how can you return to it? if it has been hidden by layers and layers of thought, of preconceived ideas.

In your Biography of lightPablo D’Ors points out that The center of the search is the question «Who am I?»and warns: «This is obviously not a question that admits definitive answers, perhaps no type of answer: It is not a dilemma that must be resolved, but rather a horizon with which we must live.. Keeping this question alive is already beginning to answer it.»

Spirituality and religion: a close but not essential relationship

This author uses the Gospel for his investigation, since it seems to him to be a text that lucidly presents the paradoxes and greatness of life. However, Is it necessary to follow a book or a religion to truly access spirituality?

The Uruguayan writer Mario Benedetti declared: «I don’t know if God exists, but if he exists, I know he won’t be bothered by my doubt.«.

It is a common mistake to confuse religion with spirituality: You can be an agnostic or atheist and be deeply spiritual. if you believe in the natural goodness of human beings, in their ability to go beyond themselves and extend their hand to others and the world.

The level of spirituality is also manifested in the way we relate to ourselves and the world.

I return to Pablo D’Ors’ conference, this was his conclusion. When you leave yourself alone, accepting yourself as you are, with your strengths and weaknesses, your successes and mistakes, you evolve spiritually, because you have eliminated the enemy within you that wouldn’t let you love yourself for who you are.

If you reach that state of non-struggle in which you do not pretend to be anything else

you are already very close to the light. A step up from the previous one is to leave others alone.

Love and accept others for who they arewithout trying to correct their path, guide them or change them, is a sign of a supreme degree of spirituality.

In fact, the editor David Barba states that the highest master need not do or say anything. His mere presence already illuminates the disciple.