Men and Spirituality

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Spirituality itself has little to do with gender. Nevertheless, women are more interested in spiritual matters than men, and we can only speculate about those reasons. Our modern times are not easy for any gender, and today’s modern man finds out that the only rational way of thinking cannot provide the answers to many essential questions, he might has. Especially, when it comes to his lifestyle, when he has to work from 9 to 5 (and more), drives everyday through traffic jams, and gets more family obligations. In that world of constant demands, where the man is torn between his job responsibilities, the role of husband, father, provider of the family, it is hard to be peaceful and calm inside. It is highly necessary for that man to build the strong inner center, which can help him to find his own authenticity, calmness and inner power. From that center is much easier and more effective to act, than to be in a place without any power to really act, but only to react. The article “Men’s Spirituality” provides the men with few simple steps that can help find more peace and strength inside.

1. Take time off
It is extremely important to make time for yourself during the day, week, month, or even year. Time is after all a precious commodity, and something that we can not take for granted. The next step would be what to do with that time.

2. Start a journal
Writing your thoughts and feeling down in a private journal a few times per month helps you to become in tune with your inner self. Each time you write, try not to think too much, just let your thoughts flow and your pen move. It’s always interesting to look back on your journals and see how you evolve spiritually over time.

3. Exercise
Yes, a healthy body almost always leads to a healthy soul. Exercise refreshes your mind and greatly diminishes stress and worry, two key factors you need to eliminate in order for your spirit to thrive.

4. Read
Nowadays, more and more men are regressing to watching TV or listening to the radio instead of picking up a good book and reading. Lack of time might be a huge factor in this problem.
Once you take care of that, however, reading can be the most enjoyable thing you do during the day. Its main benefit is that it stimulates your imagination and creativity, not to mention your vocabulary. Imagination is an important part for the next tip.

5. Meditate
The word itself conjures up images of mystical people levitating in mid-air with serenity around them. The truth is, anyone can do it, and it’s not hard at all (except the levitation of course, which is just nonsense). Here is a meditation technique I teach my martial art students:
• Sit down cross-legged on the ground and make sure you are comfortable. Your hands on your knees, and your back and shoulders straight. Slightly tilt your chin down, and close your eyes.
• Start breathing slowly and deeply — in through the nose, out through the mouth. Focus only on your breathing for 5 minutes and try bringing in as much air into your lungs as possible.
• While breathing, focus on contracting and releasing your abdominal muscles in order to fully contract and dilate your diaphragm, which will, in turn, open your lungs more.
• After 5 minutes, visualize all your day’s problems, and one by one push them aside in your mind. Make them disappear. All that should remain is total blackness.
• And finally enjoy this void, while maintaining your deep breathing and falling more into a relaxed state.
• If stray thoughts come into your mind, don’t fight them. Accept them, acknowledge them, and then push them aside.
You can meditate as often as you like, at any time or place (except while driving of course), and for as little as 5 minutes to as long as an hour.

6. Be positive
Optimism also destroys worry and stress, and an added advantage is that others will become influenced by your own optimism and share your happiness. Positivity plays a key role in spirituality.

These simple steps, if taken regularly, can make a huge difference in the life of modern man and help him to find his own spirituality. It might be that the one of the common biases that men have, in regard to spirituality is that the spirituality will lessen masculinity. However, the truth is quite the opposite. Not only that the spirituality will not weaken his masculinity, but it will also help him do gain more power and respect. In this context, is it masculine someone who reacts aggressively or with a tension on outer demands? Or is it someone who tries to solve a problem when angry? For a man, to be spiritual means to be relaxed, aware of his own masculinity and his own power, who acts when he decide to and on the way he choose, rather than only react. To find his strength on a deeper level can only add to him some other quality like a maturity and this is far from any weakness.