What we need to add to our list this year is a spiritual goal. Something that allows us to stay centered, creates a natural loving space for us, and sharpens tools that build resilience and nurture peace.
For instance, how many of us want to get fitter in 2021? Setting a good amount of time for exercise features on everyone’s list. That goal will come with certain prerequisites - we might opt to sign up for a yoga class, take a gym membership, buy some walking shoes, or ask an expert for some training. We don’t always sign up when we’re unwell - instead, we do it to remain healthy.
When we choose physical fitness without any inhibitions, there should not be any hesitation in adopting practices that bring us peace and joy, right?
As Dr. Bern Melnyk, vice-president of health promotion and chief wellness officer at the Ohio State University puts it, “We won’t send a construction worker on a site without a hard hat, then why would we send students out into the world without equipping them with science-backed skills such as compassion, meditation, mindfulness, cognitive behavioral skills, building resilience before depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts come up?”
Ivy League professors: Despair & hope coexist
A little fact: Varun Soni, the dean of religious life at the University of Southern California made this observation about students on his campus: “When students entered the campus, they would have inspiring conversations - ‘How do I translate my values into action, who am I, what does my life mean, how do I lead an authentic life?’
Students were very inspired to go out and do work in the world. They wanted to bring their gifts and their talents into their professions...but about five or six years ago, I began to notice that the conversations I was having were of a different kind. Instead of asking about meaning, students were asking about meaninglessness, instead of hope I was talking more about hopelessness, instead of asking me, ‘How should I live an extraordinary life?’ students began to ask me, ‘Why should I live at all?’
There is an awakening among students in Ivy League Universities too. In the 400-year history of Harvard University, the most popular class is one called ‘Positive Psychology’. At Yale, it is the ‘science of well being’, while at Stanford, the class called ‘Design your life’ has the most votes.
So really, why should we have spiritual goals?
Many people have realized that spiritual goals are not just abstract concepts. Instead, they bring us closer to our other goals. Here’s how:
- Feel healthier: According to Dr. James R. Doty, a clinical professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University and founder and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, “Our physiology works on love, compassion, and caring. When we get angry, others respond to our body language and facial expressions. If we get mental training with techniques like meditation, we develop a different outlook on things which reflects in our behavior. That the power to understand is within our control is liberating, and proves to give us better health in the long term.”
- Increase metabolism: We might not believe it, but it’s true. The practice of self-compassion increases metabolism. The pleasure centers in the brain increase in metabolism when we praise and encourage ourselves, and release hormones that make us feel better. We also feel a sense of bonding and belongingness with people. The opposite happens when we berate ourselves for mistakes, wallow in low self-esteem or guilt. So now, who doesn’t want to program the brain with the right self-talk?
“Tell us about your profession.”
“How can we achieve your level of success?
Can you guess how a group of Yale alumni on Facebook chose to answer these questions from students? Well most didn’t. Instead, they shared their dislike for their profession and advised the younger generation against doing anything for money and prestige.
“These same students, later down the road in their life, are finding out that pursuing money, prestige, fame is not getting them what they want, which is presumably that greater feeling of well-being and love,” shares Emma Seppala, science director, Stanford Center For Compassion and Altruism Research And Education.
“If you actually look at research on happiness and well-being at the level of the brain, all the material successes of money, power, sensual material, material pleasures that you can obtain give you a few minutes of pleasure. The chemicals released in your brain, and then immediately you get a dip, and people are left craving and seeking more.”
She shares that people who live a life beyond themselves and pursue altruism, coupled with self-compassion and self-care, are the ones who live a life of lasting well-being and happiness.
- Regulate your emotions: Often, events and circumstances around us could overwhelm us. When we experience fear or anxiety, a part of our brain associated with the sympathetic nervous system’s fight or flight response creates a negative physiological effect. This could result in decreased cardiac function, a depressed immune system, the release of cortisol at unhealthy levels, and the expression of inflammatory proteins which are associated with the occurrences of illnesses. It also affects a part of the brain called the executive control area, due to which we do not experience clarity of thoughts. All this changes - when we have the ability to self-regulate emotions. It is healthy and there are easy ways to do it.
Spirituality ≠ Religiousness
A spiritual goal does not necessarily mean a religious one. That would be an individual’s choice entirely. Yet we don’t have to shun finding meaning, purpose in our life. “Joy, gratitude, connections, and community are the things that make us human essentially,” says Varun Soni. There is a science to spirituality, a science connected to mindfulness, prayer, gratitude, joy, and connection.
Simple tips to incorporate spiritual goals in 2021
The good news: having a spiritual goal does not mean that it has to be serious, tedious, or difficult. In fact, these activities will lighten up our day, and give us the energy required to move ahead.
- Meditation: We could choose to meditate once or twice a day. This will give a much-needed rest to our system. Thousands around the world practice these techniques using Gurudev’s guided meditations.
- Service: Thinking about serving others gives that much-needed energy burst of happiness, a sense of compassion, and also offers a broader vision of life.
- Breath: The best tool is with us already. A constant companion that reflects our changing moods. Our breath can calm us, offer solace, and provide much-needed perspective. Learning to leverage our breath is, possibly, the best ROI on any investment we will ever make. Some breathing techniques in our daily routine - and we’re ready to roll.
- Self-compassion: Let’s watch that self-talk this year, and go easy. Compassion for others can only stem from a deep sense of self-compassion.
- Social connections: This year, let’s continue to nurture loving connections.
- Reflections: Every now and then, take a few minutes and take stock. We’re used to reviewing corporate goals on a regular basis. Now it’s time to look at some of life’s goals. “Analyzing one’s own life, taking a look at one’s own life, one can learn a lot - to be more forgiving, more accepting of oneself, and accepting of others,” shares Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
- Gratitude: Even if it means a daily remembrance of one thing we’re grateful for. Set the time, pause, and offer thanks.
Let pride of aggression be replaced by pride of compassion and kindness. Our awareness of creating a more sustainable balance in the ecology and for life, itself, must begin from within. As we set about our work of creating a healthier, more prosperous world, let the year march on.
Some excerpts have been taken from a panel discussion on, “Mental Health & Well-being on University campuses.’
If you’d like to know more about meditation, and breathing techniques, sign up for the Online Meditation and Breath workshop. It will give you much-needed insights into strengthening yourself this year.
