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The 21st Century is seeing a remarkable upsurge in people turning to religion and spirituality to seek out some form of peace in their hectic lives. Madonna is a regular at the Kaballah centres, Whitney Houston claims God rescued her from her demons, and Richard Gere is on a first name basis with the Dalai Lama. The Beatles may have revolutionised music, but they also introduced the West to Eastern philosophies, leaving a lasting legacy.
“We have got almost anything money can buy. But when you can do that, the things you buy mean nothing after a time. You look for something else, for a new experience”, said Ringo Starr. At the height of Beatlemania, they spearheaded a movement towards self-discovery, and now more than ever before, the desire to spiritualise sanity is echoing across the world.
Elizabeth Gilbert‘s best-selling memoir, Eat, Pray, Love is a terrific example of one woman’s journey to depressed divorcee to spiritual seeker. Exploring various faiths and borrowing their wisdom created a spiritual shift in Elizabeth’s life, allowing her to regain balance in turbulent times. Most spiritual philosophies are inherently sensible and in these environmentally stressed times, Shamanic or Wiccan beliefs can help us see the bigger global picture. These faiths worship the planet and may convince you to be a gardener yet! Buddhism provides common sense guidelines that help tame your thoughts and cultivate inner peace. Western medicine is finally taking a more holistic approach and recognising the effectiveness of Reiki and energy healing, but holistic therapies have exisited for centuries. Even in the cut-throat business world, Feng Shui is often implemented in office design to channel positive energy and clear blocks to financial abundance.
Whichever faith takes your fancy, spirituality can enhance wellbeing, providing a little space for inner reflection and self-discovery. Detox diets, self-help manuals and prozac prescriptions are not always enough to haul us out of a rut. Taking an alternative route to self-betterment through faith, healing or spiritual philosophy may be the very thing you need to spiritualise your sanity!
