Wellness has many dimensions. Physical and mental wellness are the most searched dimensions in everybody’s life.
There is another dimension that is beyond the physical self and it stirs the desire to connect something that is greater than the self.
There will be a moment in everyone’s life where spiritual seeking becomes the deepest desire of their life.
The kind of desire that makes men and women to look into their inner selves in order to find the meaning and purpose of life. And, commonly this desire becomes intense as a person ages and it is natural.
With seniors having experienced every dimension of life, the search for meaning and existential purpose of meaning becomes intense.
Spirituality and Aging
For all the good reasons, this search for meaning turns out to be the realization of control over one’s emotions, behaviours, attitude, and response to the outer world in any given scenario. Outer world cannot have influence over your emotions and reactions.
In fact, walking the spiritual path can be the best decision a senior could ever make. It helps them attain inner peace which is the most essential aspect in being healthy and happy without any particular reason.
It is not so hard to notice the changes one would experience in the path of spirituality. However, here are the physical benefits of spiritual wellness for seniors.
- Spiritual activities are more effective in helping elders reduce stress related to the process of aging.
- Spiritual routine makes elders happier in life, satisfied and feel more content with what they are or have.
- There is sufficient medical evidence that states seniors with diabetes show less symptoms if they practice spiritual activities such as meditation and yoga.
- Mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, and depression are observed less in spiritual seniors.
- Elders feel more engaged with life and other dimensions of it. Their social life will be improved, it would be easy for them to have a real conversation and make friends.
- Their approach towards life becomes more composed, calm while improving the overall quality of life.
The benefits of practicing a spiritual lifestyle are countless. Realizing this, many assisted living facilities and luxury senior living communities have started yoga for seniors, meditation activities and programs , music therapy for seniors as a lifestyle.
With benefits in mind, if you are a senior who wants to explore the depths of spirituality, here are a few daily living practices that you can get yourself involved in.
- Meditation:
- Meditation is an ocean and even the beings who have attained awareness claim that they know only a drop of it.
- Thinking meditation as another breathing technique, would be wrong. There are a plethora of meditation techniques. Practice them under expert guidance.
- Gratification:
- Feel and show gratification towards everything you have and everyone around. Allow yourself to be inclusive in everything around you.
- Start your day by saying thanks for another exciting day of life.
- Yoga:
- Yoga is a great way to keep yourself healthy from every health issue that is trying to creep in.
- It is good for your health both physical and mental wellbeing.
- Musical Therapy:
- Playing soothing music around all the time boosts your spirits.
- Keep your surroundings filled with the music of your choice, always.
- Acceptance:
- Accepting your own flaws and making peace with who you actually are is a great way to open the doors of spirituality.
- Do not let what others think about you decide or influence your happiness or emotions.
- Unload:
- Let the burden of your past off your shoulder by unloading your physical and mental weight.
- Lighten yourself and realize that you cannot change what might have happened but you can change what will happen ahead of you.
- Being Kind:
- Kindness is the greatest virtue. Be kind to everything and everyone around you.
- Being kind not only helps you approach everything with the needed clarity but also makes you calm and composed.
The popular belief is that there is no difference between spirituality and practicing religion. The fact is that you can be religious and spiritual and you can also be non-religious and be spiritual.
Overall, seniors who are aspiring for inner peace and greater joy in their life, treading the spiritual path is the way!
