What is Spirituality?

What is the experience of spirituality? My patients in treatment for various eating disorders often ask me this very question. The answer is not so easy, especially when spirituality is an individual experience—with no two exposures mirrored.

Treatment for eating disorders is three-fold: physical, emotional and spiritual. Often the spiritual component is missing. Is it important? From my perspective, as a certified eating disorder professional and a food addict in recovery, spirituality is KEY to restoring a healthy balance.

What is the experience like when a spiritual connection is ever-present? For me, it’s a constant intangible companion through trials and tribulations. It’s an awareness that whispers answers to questions often not posed—when everything is dark and there’s nowhere and no one to turn to. Spirituality is the hug from God when you feel alone. It is His strength when you feel weak.True, this “thing” called spirituality is not tangible, but omnipotent when you open your heart and receive it. This infinite power shows no bias and no preference and is available to anyone who seeks.

What is spiritual deficit? When disconnected from spiritual recovery the sun no longer shines and the birds are silent—you drown in despair, so alone gasping for relief—any relief to stop the pain is welcomed. The lack of divine—is an innate gnawing sense something is not right within. To not be in spiritual presence is as powerful as to be—but on an insane track, hiding food in your purse, closet, drawers and filling up to your eye balls with food – stomach distended—dying within and dying without.

Spirituality is a term that is impossible to define because each individual attracts his or her spiritual-self differently. Spiritual sacredness is a personal, internal vision—a part of the self that refers to faith in something greater and more profound than self. Faith is not necessarily in the context of organized religion, but rather as how one perceives their own connection with a force higher than themselves. In the context of this blog, spirituality best fits to an internal exploration rather than to objective reasoning.

Ericson (1996) says it best:

Although I am well versed in the “techniques” and “tools” of psychology and psychotherapy, I believe that these are merely “tools.” The real healing takes place with these tools and the willingness and openness to allow that “power greater than self” to intervene. I believe that to use these tools without a healthy respect and inclusion of the spiritual process is like trying to run a race with one leg. (pp.104-105)

So, what is the experience of spirituality? It is allowing yourself to be open and willing to let your experience take you where your journey directs you—to embrace whatever comes…


Photos by: Dr. Lisa Ortigara Crego


Ericson Phyllis (1996). “Journey of the soul…The emerging self…from dis-ease to discovery.” Dissertation Abstracts International, 58 (8), 4579B (UMI No. 9542654)

Still

I spent last weekend alone at the beach house. I painted walked, sat on the dock, swam, read and biked. It was quiet in my mind and around me. Nothing but silence and Sage, my 75 pound German Shepherd who panted and looked at me with a quizzical nod as if to say, 'Well, so what a we gonna do?’ No plans—quiet—still.

I teach psychology at DeVry University and discussed with my students how inundated we are with technology and busyness—constant constant something. We use ipods, iphones, ipads, and everything in between to distract us from present living. Communication has evolved to texts rather than face-to-face conversations or a simple phone call. We multitask in our busyness—talk on the phone, text, listen to music, watch television, eat—all at the same time.

I passed a driver, on my way to my weekend getaway, he was swerving all over the road and driving barely 45 miles an hour. I assumed he was drunk. While I passed his car I glanced in his direction and saw he was bent over in text mode while driving! Busyness—we are buried in the rush to do something at all times to avoid the silence—stillness.

I ask my students to imagine spending a few hours in a room with nothing but themselves. What would you do? Most respond with: I would go crazy or what would be the point. The point is to be with your self quiet to to hear nothing and just be. It is a form of meditating in your wakeful state with no agenda rather than running and hiding from our self.

When quiet long enough you begin to hear more than when you're avoiding silence. You hear the birds sing and feel the breeze against your skin and smell lilacs and jasmine and appreciate the deep orange lilies. You hear your heart beat and become aware of your own breath. When was the last time you focused on your breath? Do you ever forget to breathe? Are you running so fast through life that you don't stop to feel the present moment? Often we are caught between what we did yesterday and what we will do tomorrow—not existing in the space called now.

After a long day of nothingness, late at night I floated in the pool and watched the stars twinkle and the crest of the moon slip behind a cloud as the warm water lapped against my skin. Not far off the waterway meets the sea—dolphins swam by, and out in the distance I heard the hum of boats. I plunged under deep shimmying to the bottom of the pool, gliding as the dolphin might: free—silent—magnificent in the moment.

Yes, I spent the weekend alone at the beach house in silence. It was fruitful. My mind was quiet and peace filled me. I smile as I think of Sage resting, taking deep breaths and exhaling with long sighs; all stretched out embracing our quiet time as much as I did.

Now back home in my busyness I look forward to our next adventure—to return to the dock and take in life through stillness. I am ready to paint, walk, rest, pray, and quiet my mind and all that is around me. I am ready to return to nothing but silence and Sage, without an agenda...quiet and still.

Photos by: Dr. Lisa Ortigara Crego