"There comes a time in the evolution of every soul when the chief concern is no longer the survival of the physical body, but the growth of the spirit..." — Neale Donald Walsh

Browse through the "Religion" section of any bookstore, and the titles beckon you on a journey to spirituality: How to Know God: The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries, by Deepak Chopra...The Seat of the Soul, by Gary Zukov...The Direct Path, by Andrew Harvey...7 Paths to God, by Joan Borysenko, PhD...and the list goes on.

You can lose yourself, and find yourself, in these and many other books no matter what your religious or spiritual background. What appears to be emerging is a universal consciousness surrounding the soul and spirit — from the seven sacraments of Christianity to the seven sefirot of Judaism, to the seven chakras of the Hindu tradition. Along these spiritual pathways are written the wisdom of the ages...and a road map to better health — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

What Is Spirituality?
For many people, it is the simple yet sacred act of connecting with something greater than oneself — often referred to as your "higher power," "the divine," or "the absolute." For Marianne Williamson, it is about "inviting God into your life." Deepak Chopra says, "God is another name for infinite intelligence."

Joan Borysenko, PhD, has devoted 35 years to the study of the world's great religions, and has distilled this definition: "Spirituality really is a deep sense of belonging to life, of finding it meaningful on every level." For her, spirituality and healing have the same definition: that is, coming into what she calls "right relationship," especially with ourselves, "so that our inside matches our outside — i.e., our values and dreams show up in how we actually live our life."

When we are in the right relationship, writes Borysenko, "we feel a sense of joy, a sense of peace, a sense of meaning; a sense of being comfortable in our own skin. It feels like a type of homecoming, a kind of belonging."

Seven Ways to Put Spirituality Into Practice
Spirituality is important to our health. Consider the power of prayer. Larry Dossey, MD, has documented literally hundreds of scientific studies on the efficacy of prayer. There are also multiple studies documenting that people who engage in regular spiritual practice, such as going to church or meditating, tend to have habits that promote longer, healthier lives.