Spirituality and Religion

How are religion and spirituality related? Some say spirituality is religion, some say it excludes religion: I say it transcends religion. Spirituality is connectedness - vertical and horizontal - interpersonal, intra-personal, and extra-personal. It envelops the intellectual, the emotional and the perceptual.

Spirituality, even though it may not be touched in a tactile sense, can be observed by the activity it produces. Spirit impacts the physical aspects of life, just as the wind makes trees sway on a gusty day.

Brian Luke Seaward, in an article entitled Reflections on Human Spirituality for the Worksite published in the January/February 1995 issue of The American Journal of Health Promotion, reminds us that spirit is defined the same in every culture. Spirit means breath, as in the breath of life. He expounds, "It was clearly understood ages ago that the health of the human spirit implied an unconditional love of self, shared with all other aspects of creation. That is what it means to be connected. When we are disconnected, we lose our sense of equilibrium and chaos ensues."

Connectedness to humanity and deity alike holds the answer to our question about spirituality's relationship to religion. Jared D. Kass, author of The Spirituality and Resilience Assessment Packet (SRA) agrees that spirituality is connectedness. He says that spirituality enhances harmony, productivity, and peace in our everyday lives. Additionally, the stronger one's connectedness, the more resilience or ability to "bounce back" one musters in a crisis. Kass, along with his wife Lynn, developed the SRA to help people measure their heart-felt or intrinsic spirituality which directly impacts their resilience in crisis situations. Since connectedness reduces chaos and increases resilience, harmony in the workplace can be enhanced when employees pursue appropriate interpersonal, intra-personal and extra-personal relationships. The regular practice of true spirituality can make our work environment happier, hardier, and healthier.

Does this pursuit include or exclude religion? Many religions, while exclusive in their beliefs about Deity, share the common principle of, "Unconditional love shared with all other aspects of creation." To love one's self and others in a similar way is well known in Christian circles. This kind of harmony with self, Deity and others is inherent in many other religions as well.

Religion, whether modern or traditional, Eastern or Western, secular or denominational, often addresses the spiritual aspects of our lives. Workers who are spiritually healthy are characterized by the presence of unilateral connectedness and bring harmony, productivity and wellness to our work environments.

Even though some unhealthy religious practices may impede spiritual growth, the likelihood of that being widespread has not been determined and is highly unlikely. Even though spirituality transcends religion, religious practices, more often than not, include true spirituality. Religion can be very helpful in focusing spiritual energies toward healthier behaviors. Intrinsic or heartfelt religious practice is a widely acceptable method of applying spirituality to everyday situations.

How are spirituality and religion related? As the practice of spirituality, religion helps apply the concept of connectedness to everyday life. It helps to create an atmosphere wherein spiritual wellness can flourish. Spiritual people exhibit an enhanced resiliency in crisis and are more in tune with themselves and others, and they provide the connectedness and equilibrium needed to promote a healthy atmosphere in which productivity, peace, and harmony reign.