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 Does Spirituality Affect My Health?



This is an opinion piece on Spirituality, to follow up my last article Does anyone go to Church?

Born and raised in the Christian faith, my moral values were shaped by the King James Bible. My family attended the same church until I was a teenager and after moving from the area, we did not find a new church to attend. The next time Bible study was introduced to me was in college, where it was approached as part of history.

I will never forget the reactions of some of my classmates who were angry about studying the Bible as a historical book. They believed it should not be studied or analyzed because it was a religious book.

Instead of being angry, I took the information and included it with what I already learned in church.

I began practicing Yoga in college as well. Yoga is considered exercise if taken as a class. I never learned or thought of it as a religion or spiritual practice. When I had a physical injury, the doctor told me to stretch and recommended some poses to do to help aid in recovery.

My first introduction to breathwork and meditation also came from a physician. Focused breathing is an exercise to regulate the breath which can be irradic if you are nervous or have irregular heart rate.

Meditation is the choice to consciously think positive thoughts.

All of these things are positive health practices. There is no religious or spiritual aspect to these things by themselves.

My question is, can yoga and meditation be spiritual? Can they even be a religion like Christianity?

Well, spiritually is a belief based in the supernatural.

Christians are people who follow a religious tradition. If you believe in God and follow Jesus, that is a spiritual practice. If you practice yoga and meditate on a particular spirit, then that is a spiritual practice.

"Energy" in spiritual practice is negative and positive. Energy is real and we have all felt it when we were a part of, or witness to, highly charged emotional interactions. Energy behind emotions like fear, and anger are very strong and can alter your body and influence actions. You can be frozen in fear, or pace back and forth. Anger also affects us negatively.

While energy is real, when we say "negative" or "positive", it doesn't name the energy source. If your spiritual practice doesn't have a source, then you are not aware of what spirits you are praying to, or communicating with.

Spiritual warfare is biblical. The Bible describes the power of unseen forces, and powers of the air. According to the Bible there are bad spirits and we don't want to invite them into our lives.

The Bible names emotions like fear, anger and states of sickness as spirits. The Bible says that when we are in battles with the spirits that cause these negative states, we should pray to God to overcome them. Everytime you face a battle, put God first and he is stronger than any other spirit. According to his word, this is how you win a spiritual battle.

Spiritual warfare is the Christian concept of fighting against the work of preternatural evil forces. It is based on the biblical belief in evil spirits, or demons, that are said to intervene in human affairs in various ways. Although spiritual warfare is a prominent feature of neo-charismatic churches, various other Christian denominations and groups have also adopted practices rooted in the concepts of spiritual warfare, with Christian demonology often playing a key role in these practices and beliefs, or had older traditions of such a concept unrelated to the neo-charismatic movement, such as the exorcistic prayers of the Catholic Church and the various Eastern Orthodox churches. [1]

Crystals, stones, and objects are not Biblical spiritual practices. These are examples that conflict with religious traditions where healing comes from God and that objects are pagan.

So, spirituality doesnt have an "Age". It is a personal relationship with the supernatural. Whatever you put your supernatural belief in, is your god.

If the energy from crystals or stones have an effect, the energy is coming from a supernatural realm. The question lies in which one, or where and if we are fully informed in the origins of a practice.

Some spiritual people have been burned by traditions of religion and churches. We all should do our best health practices. Christians should pray to God and use the Bible to find answers if in doubt of what to do.

Sitting quietly with positive thoughts, regulating your breath, and exercising are good things to do according to the Bible. Your actions are the first step in your mental and physical health. Medical doctors advise you to stretch, relax and live healthy. God tells you the same thing.

We shouldn't judge or criticize the beliefs of others. We can state that something is not Biblical, but it is not our job to do anything more. What others do that is not Biblical is not another individuals concern. Asking God for guidance, and that others find the way is what the bible says to do.

There is overwhelming evidence that health and spirituality are connected. So much so, that western medicine is including it in treatment plans that are targeted to the "whole" person.

A good example is Alcoholics Anonymous which helps members overcome addiction using Christianity.

The University of Florida has medical classes which include spirituality in it's medical practice.

Tribal cultures include spirituality in medical healing.

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_warfare
  2. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Spiritual_Warfare.jpg
  3. Positive Link between Spirtual and Mental Health




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