Spirituality your way

The “Meditation & spiritual practices” guide walks you through practices you can do on any path: meditation styles, everyday mindfulness, journaling, gratitude and speaking to the sacred. It also covers how to build a practice that lasts, and what to do if a practice stirs up hard feelings.

The “Rituals, altars & ancestors” guide covers why rituals can comfort us, candle work and fire safety, building an altar or sacred space, spirit guides, honouring ancestors across cultures, and an honest look at crystals, tarot and astrology.

Two guides describe these paths in their followers’ own terms: “Pagan paths: Wicca, Druidry, Heathenry & nature-based faiths” and “Luciferian & Satanic paths”. They also cover stigma, coming out, your rights, finding a respectful therapist and checking that a group is healthy.

The “Spiritual doubt & struggles” guide explains the common kinds of spiritual struggle, ways to cope, healing after religious hurt, how to support someone and when a struggle needs extra care.

In research on people facing serious illness, a sense of meaning and peace was one of the spiritual factors most closely tied to coping well and to less depression over time.

Research on religious communities suggests that much of their benefit comes from shared support, shared practices and shared meaning. You can find belonging like this on any path, including with people who share your values rather than your beliefs.

People report higher wellbeing on days they feel awe, and awe nudges people to be more generous. Weekly gratitude writing was linked with feeling more optimistic and better about life after 10 weeks.

Values are like a compass. They do not tell you exactly where to go, but they help you choose a direction. Knowing them makes big and small decisions easier and helps you feel like yourself.

Try this

1. Think of a person you deeply admire. What qualities do they have?
2. Think of a moment you felt proud of yourself. What value were you living?
3. Pick three to five words that matter most to you.
4. Ask: “What is one small thing I can do this week that fits these values?”

Many non-religious people find deep meaning in human connection, reason, compassion and leaving the world a little better. Kindness and giving to others have been linked with positive feelings, a sense of purpose and stronger connections.

Ideas

• Volunteer for a cause you care about.
• Do one quiet act of kindness each day.
• Really listen when a friend talks.
• Learn something new about the world or other people.

When something painful happens, many people search for meaning: What can I learn? How can I honor what I lost? How can I help others who face the same thing? Finding meaning can help people carry pain, though it often takes time.

Gentle questions

• What has this taught me about what really matters?
• Who has shown up for me?
• What strength have I found that I didn’t know I had?
• Is there a way to turn this into something good for others, someday?

In a 2020 study from the University of California, San Francisco, 52 healthy older adults took a 15-minute walk each week for eight weeks. Half were asked to look for awe on their walks. That group reported more positive emotions, less distress in daily life, and more compassion and gratitude.

The effects were moderate but grew stronger over time. The people who simply walked, without looking for awe, did not show the same changes.

How to do it

1. Leave your phone in your pocket, or at home.
2. Walk somewhere you can see the sky, trees, water or a city view.
3. Look for things that are vast, or tiny and amazing: clouds, light, leaves, birds, buildings.
4. Breathe slowly and notice how you feel.
5. Try a new route now and then. Awe loves something new.

Many people feel most spiritual outdoors. Slowing down to really notice nature, like the sound of rain or the shape of a tree, is a simple way to feel calm and connected. It also blends naturally with mindfulness: paying attention to the present moment.

A study of 19,806 adults in England found that people who spent at least 120 minutes in nature in the past week were more likely to report good health and high wellbeing than people who spent none. The benefit leveled off around 200 to 300 minutes. The study shows a link, not proof, but it gives a gentle goal: about two hours a week.

Ideas

• Sit outside for five minutes and name what you see, hear and smell.
• Watch a sunrise or sunset without your phone.
• Look after a plant or a small garden.
• Watch the moon change through the month.
• If you can’t get outside, watch a nature film or open a window.

Awe can come from music that moves you, a beautiful building, a museum, a great story, or watching someone be brave or kind. Spending time with young children, who find the world new and amazing, can also open your eyes again.

Ideas

• Listen to a piece of music with your eyes closed.
• Visit an art, science or history museum.
• Read about someone who inspires you.
• Write about a time you felt awe.

Researchers call it the “small self”: the feeling of being small next to something vast, like a mountain range, a canyon or a sky full of stars. It sounds like it might feel bad, but people usually describe it as freeing. Your worries shrink to their real size, and you feel part of something bigger.

In one study, researchers asked tourists to draw themselves. Tourists at a viewpoint in Yosemite National Park, facing huge cliffs and valleys, felt more awe and drew self-portraits nearly 33% smaller than tourists at a busy waterfront in San Francisco. They even wrote the word “Me” smaller.

Other studies found the small self also shows up with towering trees, and that spiritual experiences, for religious and non-religious people alike, are especially good at bringing it on. Feeling small in this way has been linked with feeling more connected to others and more generous.

Finding your own “mountain”

• Look up at tall trees and follow the trunk all the way to the top.
• Watch the night sky away from city lights, even for five minutes.
• Find a hill, rooftop or high window and take in the whole view.
• Look at photos of mountains, oceans or galaxies when you can’t get outside.

Scientists use the term “blue space” for outdoor water: the sea, lakes, rivers, canals and waterfronts. A 2017 review of 35 studies found that, on balance, spending more time around outdoor blue spaces was linked with better mental health and wellbeing, and with being more active.

Researchers think water may help because it draws our attention gently: the steady sound of waves, light moving on the surface, a breeze off a lake. That soft, easy attention gives a busy mind a rest. Water is also often a place where people walk, swim or meet friends.

Ways to spend time with water

• Walk beside a river, lake or beach and listen to the water.
• Sit by a fountain in a park or city square.
• Watch rain on a window, or step outside in a gentle shower.
• Play recorded ocean or river sounds while you rest.
• Notice the feel of water when you wash your hands or face.

In a study from King’s College London, 1,292 people used a phone app to record how they felt at random moments over more than three years. Moments when people could see or hear birds were linked with better mental wellbeing, and the lift lasted beyond the moment itself. This was true for people with and without a diagnosis of depression.

In a separate online experiment, 295 people listened to six minutes of either traffic noise or birdsong. Traffic noise was linked with feeling more down. Birdsong was linked with less anxiety and less worry that others meant them harm.

Ways to tune in

• Open a window at dawn and listen for the first birds.
• Hang a bird feeder where you can see it.
• Learn the songs of two or three common birds near you.
• On a walk, stop for one minute and count how many different calls you hear.

A 2017 analysis that pooled 22 studies found that gardening had a positive effect on health. Studies reported things like less depression and anxiety, and more life satisfaction, quality of life and sense of community.

Even one indoor plant can help. In a small experiment, 24 young adults either repotted a houseplant or did a computer task. After repotting, they felt more comfortable and soothed, their bodies showed less “fight or flight” activity, and their blood pressure was lower than after the computer task.

Ideas for any space

• Keep one easy plant on a windowsill and care for it each morning.
• Grow herbs in a pot and use them in cooking.
• Join a community garden, which adds friendship too.
• Walk barefoot on grass, or simply touch the bark of a tree and notice its texture.

Belonging is one of the biggest benefits people get from faith communities, and it is protective for mental health. You can find belonging on any path. Research on religious communities suggests the shared support, practices and meaning are a big part of the benefit.

Where to look

• Meditation, mindfulness or contemplative groups
• Groups for your own tradition or path, in person or online
• Nature, hiking, gardening or stargazing clubs
• Volunteer and service groups
• Interfaith or community gatherings that welcome everyone
• Philosophy, book or discussion circles

Signs of a healthy group

• You feel welcome to ask questions.
• Your boundaries and choices are respected.
• No one pressures you for money, secrecy or to cut off family and friends.
• People support each other getting outside help when needed.

Feeling connected to other people, even strangers, can soften loneliness. Awe has been shown to make people more generous and caring toward others, and giving to others can boost wellbeing in return.

Ideas

• Wish strangers well silently as you pass them.
• Give your time or skills to a cause.
• Learn about people whose lives are different from yours.
• Join a community event or celebration.

For many people, the deepest connection is with a higher power, deity, spirit, ancestors or the universe itself. Feeling held by something bigger can bring comfort, courage and hope in hard times.

Ways people nurture it

• Daily prayer, offerings or devotion
• Time in sacred places, including nature
• Honoring ancestors or loved ones who have died
• Celebrating seasonal or holy days
• Quiet listening and reflection

Some practices belong to a specific culture or nation. We R Native, a health resource for Native youth, explains that each Nation has its own beliefs about spirit animals, and that a spirit animal is not something you find through an online quiz. Native-led guidance also asks that sacred knowledge stay with knowledge keepers such as Elders and traditional healers.

Respectful habits

• Ask whether a practice is open to outsiders before you use it.
• Be wary of people selling sacred ceremonies or “readings” from cultures that are not theirs.
• Learn about a culture from people and organizations of that culture.
• Look for practices from your own heritage, or create your own.

Families sometimes hold different beliefs. Love and respect can bridge those differences. If it causes ongoing conflict, a counselor can help everyone feel heard.

Ideas that help

• Agree on a few ground rules, like no mocking and no pressure.
• Find shared values, such as kindness, honesty or caring for each other.
• Celebrate what you can together, and let each person keep their own practices.
• Take a break from the topic when it gets heated.

People on less familiar paths often face jokes or fear. A short, calm word, like “That’s their faith, let’s be respectful,” can help someone feel less alone. Checking in with the person afterwards matters too.

You deserve a therapist who takes your beliefs seriously, whether you follow a specific path, are exploring, or are not religious at all. Many counselors are trained to work with people of all beliefs.

Questions you can ask

• “Are you comfortable working with clients whose spiritual path may be unfamiliar to you?”
• “Can we include my practices, like meditation or ritual, if they help me?”
• “Will you respect my beliefs even if you don’t share them?”

Chaplains in hospitals, the military, colleges and veterans’ care are trained to support people of every belief and none. VA chaplains, for example, serve religious and non-religious people alike, offering comfort, counseling and grief support.

The American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code asks psychologists to be aware of and respect differences in religion, along with culture, gender, sexual orientation and more. It also says psychologists should not harass or demean anyone because of their religion.

Practices like meditation, time in nature, ritual or prayer can sit alongside therapy. The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health suggests telling your providers about any practices you use, so your care fits together.