Spirituality - What is it??

Here at the Center, we talk a lot about how words or concepts like church, religion, denomination (pick any), etc. are barriers to people when it comes to talking about spirituality.  But it occurred to me this morning that even the word spirituality could be a barrier.  In fact, even though we throw that word around all the time, I don’t think we ever defined spirituality.
 
So what is it?  The Oxford dictionary defines spirituality as “the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.”  So, in essence, spirituality is a sense or belief in something bigger than ourselves and how we connect or interact with that something bigger.  Everyone has a spirituality, whether we are aware of it or not.  Everyone operates their lives from a value system, a set of beliefs about how life works. 
 
Our spirituality is a core part who we are and who we are created to be.  And yet, depending on our awareness, our lives may or may not reflect this spirituality.  In my practice as a Spiritual Companion where I accompany folks in all walks of life, at all stages in life, I have found that when folks have an awareness of and desire/feel/foster a connection to their inherent spirituality, they experience a bit more peace and are able to move through life’s difficulties with just a bit less turbulence.  From my own lived experience, my life, no matter how crazy the schedule is, is calmer and more spacious when I cultivate a connection with my inner spirit.  And when I don’t, exhaustion, frustration and stress dominate my body and soul.
 
The awareness of how much our spirituality impacts our lives influences the mission of A Place To Be and in all we do, we strive to provide a space and place for the awareness of one’s spirituality to emerge and grow.  We desire for everyone to experience the peace and spaciousness that comes from living out of our spirituality.   We are here for you should you desire to connect more deeply with your own inner spirituality.