What is spiritual energy? Why is it important to understand the significance of it? Which doors does understanding the spiritual energy open for us? Let us know.
Meaning of spiritual energy:
Life and all the intangible force that supports life is referred to as spiritual energy. It goes beyond the physical realm and is believed to be the medium of inner strength, vitality and enlightenment. It is explained differently in different spiritual and religious traditions but means the same. This is the same energy that connects the cosmos to all the living beings in the universe. While there is no measuring medium for it, many people can experience spiritual energy with practices like meditation, healing, prayers and mindfulness.
The universality of spiritual energy:
Spiritual energy is not something to be owned by a single community or a tradition, it is rather a universal concept and holds no ownership. Although it is practised differently worldwide, it aims to have the same objective of healing and nurturing people. It has the same objective of giving hope to people as well as giving energy to sustain in terms of life. In Chinese medicine, it is referred to as ‘qi’ whereas in Hinduism, it is referred to as ‘prana.’ They give a sense of interconnectedness among humanity.
Significance of understanding spiritual energy:
Understanding spiritual energy can help you better your mental being, emotional being and spiritual health. Resultantly, it can also improve your physical health as all of them are connected. Moreover, it improves our connection with the universe to a deep level. It can give open doors of consciousness and empathy for various individuals. It is a simple yet highly nurturing approach to understand health and healing. Therefore, let us understand the basics of spiritual energy-
Basics of spiritual energy:
Historical roots and cultural perspectives:
- Ancient spiritual traditions- DIfferent practices in different regions have found spiritual energy in its own way. For example, Yoga in India is a spiritual practice. Qi Gong in China is also a spiritual practice and Reiki in Japan is another example of the same. All of these practices empower spiritual growth including mental, emotional and physical well being. All of them lead to enlightenment, healing and inner peace.
- Modern interpretations- In today’s times, spiritual energy has been adapted into different and unique forms like acupuncture, crystal therapy and other similar techniques.
The subtle energy body:
- Chakras: Often called “the wheels of energy”, chakras are simply different energy centres in our body. But all of this is assumed to take place in the subtle energy body which is connected to the physical body in some manner. In the Hinduism and Buddhism systems, there are a total of seven chakras that are responsible for different life aspects and human experience.
- Aura: An aura is a person’s electromagnetic field that surrounds the person all around him or her. It reflects that particular person’s emotional, physical and mental health. It is also a reflection of their spiritual state. Different colours of aura can mean different states. Healthy colours can be yellow, orange and so on whereas unhealthy colours can be darker colours like black.
Types of spiritual energy:
- Prana from India: In the Hindu philosophy, ‘prana’ is considered as the flow of life that is present in all living beings. Hinduism considers it to be present in the air we breathe and can be practised through different spiritual practices like yoga.
- Qi from China: In Chinese medicine, ‘Qi’ is pronounced as ‘Chi’ which is considered as one of the key spiritual energies. Various techniques like Tai Chi and acupuncture are based on the philosophy of balancing ‘Qi’.
- Mana from Polynesia: Polynesian cultures believe mana as their key spiritual energy forces. These cultures also include Hawaiian cultures and Maori cultures. The higher the mana in a being, the more respected they are.
- Holy spirit from Christianity: Holy Spirit is a popular term in the Christian religion and is the third person of Holy Trinity where the other two stand for God the Father and God the Son. God the Son represents Jesus Christ.
- Ki from Japan: Japanese culture considers ‘ki’ or ‘reiki’ as the spiritual energy and flow of life. It is somehow similar to ‘Qi’ in Chinese culture. Reiki practices are meant to do the balancing of Ki in Japanese cultures.
The science behind spiritual energy:
Cultural and religious beliefs hold a deeper level of existence of spiritual energy. It lacks evidence in scientific terms but some principles of spiritual energy prove that it exists. For example, spiritual practices like meditation and reiki healing can bring inner peace and better physical as well as mental health. This clearly indicates reduction of stress and increase of relaxation among people which indicates towards the existence of some sort of energy working behind the processes. More than that, even if it is a placebo effect, the belief brings healing to people which again represents an energy that heals. On one hand, spiritual energy remains very diverse in cultural and subjective terms while on the other hand, it also indicates an alignment of mind, body and spirit.
Harnessing spiritual energy:
Tapping into one’s inner resources to harness spiritual energy is the ultimate key to balance in several cultures. It brings personal growth and well being. One of the most common techniques in this include meditation which encourages focus and inner peace. Other practices like breathing exercises, asanas in yoga and more can help in channelling energy positively. Higher purpose connection can be built with the help of prayers and mindfulness.
Conclusion:
To wrap up everything, spiritual energy can mean flow of life in diverse ways worldwide. But the ultimate aim remains the same. The ultimate goal of all the spiritual practices remains the same. These goals and purposes include bringing inner peace to human beings. These goals and purposes also include bringing relaxation to human beings along with the alignment of soul, body and mind with ease. All of them together support a common objective of personal healing and growth.