Spiritual healing is often recognised and realised is required through symptoms and feelings of incompleteness; a nagging sense that something is missing. This can be experienced as moments and periods of grief, loss as well as existential crises of not feeling connected or grounded in something tangible that goes beyond everyday human experience. The mind, body, heart and spirit are integral aspects to both our human and spiritual nature that need cohesiveness rather than separateness.
A holistic approach to healing honours the cyclical journey of healing and includes the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of ourselves. Cultivating a relationship with our inner world that connects to our core essence which is eternal and infinite, ever present and all empowering. The connection to a higher power, being, self, source or essence are descriptions of naming the journey of returning to wholeness, a sense of completeness that essentially fulfils and transcends the inherent sense that something is missing.
Restoring health, well-being and vitality is part of the return to wholeness, which takes place on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level. In order to facilitate the journey to wholeness and well-being there are numerous energy practices and holistic modalities that lend support and guidance to reaching a healthier, more integrated state of being.
Spiritual healing occurs as a result of rebalancing energy systems with the human body, heart, mind and cultivating a nurturing relationship with yourself and a greater source of love that exists within and all around us. Accessing this wisdom is part of forming and opening to experiencing this in everyday life. Resources, spiritual practices and where to get started or inspire to maintain and grow in your spiritual practice is shared below.
What is spiritual healing?
Spiritual healing can be defined as receiving nourishment on a heart, mind, body and spirit level. In ancient traditions, philosophies and practises the spiritual aspect is an integral part to healing the whole; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. All parts equal the whole and any imbalances in one area affect the others, whether the degree to which this is visible, in terms of physicality, it is still present in the less visible ways; through inner emotional conflict, unease, anxiety for example.
Healing is a journey that is cyclical; it consists of layers and can require multiple modalities before a completion of a healing cycle is complete. For example, physical exercise compliments ailments of the mind, such as anxiety and depression. Both contain elements of body and mind.
Spiritual healing works on the subtle energy layers and is often contained within energy medicine or modality based practices. It relates to one’s own personal healing journey that is unique and therefore the modalities need to support this notion that each person has their own experiences and nuances within the given context of physicality, mentality and emotionality. Spiritual healing is also a personal journey and experience; one that is to be honoured as the true experience of each individual.
Studies of healers working with clients in a therapeutic based setting observed outcomes such as clients feeling more empowered, able to change new beliefs, self concepts and values that were supportive to their recovery in health and well-being. This speaks to all aspects of well-being; body, mind and spirit and underlines the importance of inclusivity and broad consideration in the healing journey.
Restoring health, well-being and vitality
Spiritual healing arrives in our life as part of awakening to the truer essence of who we are as human and spiritual beings. Pausing and zooming out of the hum-drum of daily living that can be consumed by stress, obligations and distractions, we see that we are much more than the material and physical world around us. As French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin is quoted saying: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.“
This quote servers as a reminder and invitation to see ourselves as more than just human; we are spiritual by nature and remembering our connection to a divine, all-encompassing presence that can be called or come to know as God, Source, the Universe and many other names, points to the same truth that we are all parts of the whole; we came from and will return to this source.
This reflection is made apparent in our individual experiences and expressions of the various layers to our existence. Spiritual healing is vital in not only rebalancing misalignments but part of the holistic, rounded journey of developing an inner relationship with something greater than ourselves. Humility through surrender is part of a discipline that develops as we come to know, through an inner knowing of our personal experience of this relationship.
Spiritual healing restores a sometimes overwhelming sense of isolation, disconnect and loneliness that comes in waves during periods of our life where we may be needing an anchor to ground us in spirit, mind and body. Cultivating a spiritual practice correlates with spiritual healing and is part of the journey to ease more into human and spirit beingness, co-existing rather than separated.
Spiritual healing practices
Developing a spiritual practice is in itself a spiritual healer, however, energy work with a practitioner can be supportive to restoring health, well-being and vitality. The experience of personal healing and spiritual practices is deeply subjective to each individual. Some components within a framework of cultivating require devotion, such as prayer, mantras and acts of service, but ultimately developing the relationship between yourself and something greater than yourself is being cultivated .
Finding a practice and experience that is authentic by nature in its presence of the experience is a foundational piece to cultivating a spiritual practice. Healing becomes a by-product as your heart, mind and body transcend past wounds, traumas, stories of conditioning and hold space for a divine presence which is rooted in the present moment. Love, compassion, acceptance, patience and forgiveness become more widely available to your everyday experience, which facilitates healing; the connection is the experience.
Shared spiritual practices:
- Mindfulness
- Meditation
- Body and breathwork – Yoga/Qigong/Tai chi
- Energy healing – Reiki, crystals, chakras,
- Chinese medicine (herbs, acupuncture), Ayurveda
- Study of ancient texts and scriptures
- Connect to your roots – ancestral, generational healing, inner child work
- Prayer / mantras
- Volunteering – giving your time to a cause you believe in
- Connecting deeply with nature
In essence, spiritual practice supports the development of the relationship between you and a greater source, which promotes healing on the spiritual plane and cascades through to our emotional, mental and physical bodies. Each of these spiritual practices contribute to access points in which the experience of both being human and spirit is brought together into greater harmony and balance in a tangible integrative form.
This prayer can be practised in the form of a mantra where you repeat it several times, until you connect deeply with the words and feelings that arise from the heart. Cultivating forgiveness for yourself brings self compassion and love too. Working with this consciously with a strong intention magnifies the practice; reprogramming and reframing many situations, relationships and challenges that are causing suffering and holding you stuck, unable to move forwards.
How to establish a spiritual practice
You are divinely supported and guided on the path of awakening, growth and transformation; the inner work and inner journey is crucial to healing and living a life of greater freedom, joy and abundance. Any practice that supports and nurtures the relationship between you and what you come to experience as an eternal, infinite source of love, lays the foundation for a spiritual practice. Spiritual healing is the result of this nourishing relationship, including the gifts and opportunities offered and brought forwards.
Community, guidance and a framework based on ancient texts, scriptures, practices, knowledge and wisdom supports the journey more deeply and provides stability in times of struggle, resistance and fear, which are a natural and normal part of the journey!
Creating a space for sacredness in the everyday to arise and be witnessed in experiential existence is vital for a thriving, nurturing spiritual practice.
Creating a sacred space
- Carve out time and create an intentional space to be with yourself
- Connect with support groups, community, a mentor to support you with your needs of deeper connection and nurturing a spiritual practice
- Journal to connect with your inner world to write about your experiences to witness the journey and guidance through symbols, signs, metaphors, imagery and poetry
- Use affirmations to build emotional and mental resilience for well-being
You may wish to read more about personal healing and embodiment of spiritual healing and the journey and here’s some inspiration to learn more about tools to support well-being.
