Mindfulness vs Spirituality: Are they the same thing?
Let's talk about the evolution of understanding.
It’s fascinating to see how we evolve as a species.
30 years ago if you said you were “spiritual” it was seen as light fluff.
You weren’t really serious about your self development, you were playing around with some sort of meditation (said with a sneer) and weren’t “religious” which was for the dedicated mystic. (sigh… oh dear.)
Meanwhile, the unspoken truth for many was that spirituality was the blood and bones of a deeply mystical life: It's just that no one was talking about it, because a mystic’s life is between themselves and their own sense of the divine.
Throughout my teens and twenties I kept my mouth shut, nodding and agreeing with many, but sensing and creating a deep spiritual practice that was anything but “fluffy.”
I just became accustomed to feeling judged and misunderstood about my spiritual connection, so I kept silent, hoping the universe would connect me with those who understood.
However, evolution, like an ever turning cog, created a new understanding.
One of the gifts of a conscious life is to be aware of the changing tides and in the worlds of religion and spirituality, that shift started in the space of mindfulness.
The term mindfulness provided a stepping stone in the fast riding current of spiritual flow.
Scientists and doctors started to discuss the physical and mental health benefits and it soon became the new go-to for wellbeing.
Mindfulness became “serious” business, and there was nothing fluffy or woo-woo about it.
So, is Mindfulness Spirituality itself?
The short answer is no.
Mindfulness is a key to a doorway of a spiritual life.
Mindfulness is a tool while spirituality is the path.
Here’s what I mean.
Mindfulness is the art of being presently aware of your human experience.
Mindfulness can come in the form of meditation, as you are calling yourself back to awareness of yourself, your mind, your breath,or your body.
It can also be through gentle activities such as walking, exercise, or even awareness of your eating, or sitting outside.
I see mindfulness as the ability to step away from the chatter, the action and instead enter into a more present, calm, and conscious state of being.
Mindfulness is like swimming in a river and then flipping over to float on your back. You just let go and enter a state of being.
Mindfulness is a focusing in and, in that focus, allowing yourself to rise to the surface.
And from that floating, you can then have a spiritual experience.
Spirituality on the other hand, is a knowing that in that state of being, in that floating you are actually tapping into a greater version of yourself, an eternal part.
Spirituality is the acknowledgement of Spirit and a Source energy of which we are all part of.
Mindfulness is a powerful tool in a human life.
When you practice mindfulness in the chaos of a day you take a step back up the mountain and can observe life around you.
Living a spiritual life you use a form of mindfulness as a way to step aside from the chaos, but your path continues into the connection of something greater than yourself; A divine resource that can fuel your intuition, your inspiration and your compassion.
Another way to perceive this is that Mindfulness helps you deal with what is … while Spirituality helps you discover what truly can be.
When I consider the days where saying I was “spiritual” led me to feelings of insecurity around what I believed and what I practiced, it makes me incredibly thankful for the acceptance of mindfulness in the secular world.
Mindfulness has created a bridge which can be crossed.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s no right or wrong in this.
Many people resonate with practicing mindfulness and yet hesitate in going further down the road into spirituality. There’s no harm in just staying on the bridge. Your life will expand and thrive in such beautiful ways with the simple step of mindful and conscious living.
Enjoy the view. Breathe deep and let your life be present, aligned and in flow with a deep consciousness of your current experience.
However, you can also draw your attention to the fact that this bridge crosses over a river of spiritual flow.
That flow cascades through religious belief, mindful practices, awe-inspiring sights and deep connections to nature.
That flow fuels each living thing, and connects us to each other.
That flow is a spiritual force which is what we carry with us from one life to the next.
That flow, dearest reader, is love and it is what we all truly are made of, and the essence of life itself.
(Next week I’ll be sharing different meditation practices and how you can use different meditations to support your mindful or spiritual development depending on what you need or how chaotic life is. Paid members will also get access to a recorded meditation and supported discussion in the chat feature!)