REENA SINGH pens a short reflection on how simple, everyday choices can gently help us touch base with our spiritual selves
It’s fashionable these days to say one is ‘spiritual’ but not necessarily ‘religious’. Religion is often seen as a specific set of organised beliefs and shared practices with a larger community or sect, while spirituality is viewed as an individual, personal quest for peace, purpose, and inner clarity. You may not believe in a particular God, yet feel drawn to being a good human being—thinking positively and working with sincerity, enthusiasm and honest intent.
But what is spirituality in its traditional sense? Is it simply finding purpose and meaning, or—as Vedanta teaches—realising that your deepest Self (Atman) is not separate from the Ultimate Reality (Brahman), and that this knowledge dissolves ignorance and brings freedom to your soul?
One belief is that we are born as pure spirits and gradually lose touch with that purity while growing up. Spiritual practice, then, becomes a way of rediscovering this original self and recognising that our true purpose is to move towards, and ultimately, merge with the divine.
Meditation is often the first tool spiritual seekers turn to. It’s another word that has subtly entered our living rooms and workspaces. As Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles write in their international bestseller, Ikigai, ‘Meditation is one way to exercise our mental muscles.’ They add that ‘training the mind can help us to a place of flow more quickly.’ But meditation doesn’t magically make you a different or better person; it simply trains you to observe your thoughts without judgement. Over time, this steady practice can calm the mind and help you understand your inner world with greater clarity.
Spending a few minutes each day in silence will also allow you to listen to the subtle voice within—a habit that even several modern psychologists will equate with ‘mindful pausing’. Reading uplifting literature, reading self-help books or even listening to podcasts that encourage reflective thinking, or tuning in to a spiritual channel on your TV for a talk from a spiritual leader can also shift your inner energy. Some people find great comfort in doing solitary activities like painting, tending to their plants, or simply sitting outdoors under a tree. These small actions are like meditation, too. They connect you with something larger and remind you that life is not only about achieving goals but also about feeling grounded and peaceful.
Yet meditation is only one path. You can cultivate spirituality in many small, practical ways. Start a Gratitude Journal and jot down the things—large or small—you’re thankful for. Then, again you can take a personal pledge to follow the well-known biblical principle outlined in Luke 6:31: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ In spirit, this message is simple: treat others with fairness and kindness, just as you wish to be treated by others.
Helping others is another practice that brings inner peace and happiness. Some people volunteer within their resident associations; others offer their free time as seva. I know a retired couple who make forty chapatis every Friday for their local gurdwara’s langar. A yoga enthusiast in my neighbourhood holds free morning yoga sessions in the park. Another friend teaches children the keyboard for a token fee at her society’s activity room. Acts like these keep you meaningfully engaged and ‘happily busy’, leaving little room for brooding over life’s ups and downs.
Then there’s the age-old principle of ‘simple living and high thinking’. Train yourself to let go of excessive desires and live by values and ethics, staying as far as possible from greed, materialism, and needless indulgences. Simplicity, in fact, creates space—space for joy, for insight, and for genuine relationships.
Above all, work hard and do your duty without obsessing over the reward. This is the essence of nishkama karma from the Bhagavad Gita—acting without attachment to the result. You don’t have to study scriptures to live this truth; it naturally follows when you are positive, sincere, cheerful, and dedicated.
Finally, let go of the emotional baggage you’ve gathered over the years. Release ego, anger, jealousy, and resentment—they only burden you. When you lighten yourself of these feelings, you sleep better, stress less, and move through life with greater ease.
Spirituality need not be dramatic or heavy on rituals. It can be as simple as speaking kindly, breathing deeply, noticing beauty, and turning inward for a few minutes each day. And in today’s hectic, fast-paced world, who really has the time or energy for office politics or family intrigue anyway? Instead focus on yourself and strive to be calmer, peaceful, happier.
Reena Singh has more than 44 years’ experience in senior editorial positions in The Times of India (TOI) and Genpact. She was Deputy Editor with TOI’s spiritual newspaper, The Speaking Tree, where she spent more than nine years. After retiring as a journalist, she decided to try her hand at editing books and now works as an executive editor of a well-known Delhi-based publishing house.