Spirituality versus Psychology

I haven't posted to this blog in quite awhile because (I can speak honestly, right?) I have been in quite a little “funk”. Have you ever had a time when you felt negative about everything? For most of the last month and a half or so, I have felt a little like I have been under a little bit of a cloud that I just couldn’t shake, and it really began to encompass every area of my life…

Physically, I wasn’t eating very well and my exercise habits dropped off significantly. The holidays can be a very difficult time in this regard, with all of the good food inside and terrible weather outside. I found myself eating way too much, and moving/breathing way too little to the point that I felt like a sloth (a sloth that was getting progressively fatter nonetheless).

Spiritually, I began to feel like praying and meditating was just one more “ought” that felt increasingly empty and absent any contact with the Divine (see previous post on the “shoulds and the oughts”). My spiritual director has been a HUGE asset in helping to find/create some open places to just “be” with God; not worrying about what I need to do necessarily. She has also been a huge asset in helping me to see the bigger picture – to “see by the light of eternity” instead of getting so wrapped up in my own stuff.

Psychologically, I have suffered (at times – especially this past month) with negative thought patterns, negative self-talk, poor body image, and just being downright surly/grumpy. I didn’t always show this outwardly, but it was there and would creep out at times. It wasn’t until about a week ago that I really began to address this junk. I won’t go into details, but this has been a huge help in getting out of my funk! The “exercises” and activities I have been doing have really helped me tremendously, especially with the subconscious thought patterns and self-talk that had really turned corrosive.

So the question I have been pondering is this: What separates the above areas? As I have engaged in deep/nearly hypnotic meditation and exercises, I have felt closer to God and have been more motivated to eat better and move my body. Is there really any difference at all between psychology, spirituality and physicality? Didn’t God, in fact, create us as whole beings (not a body with a soul, but a body/mind/soul)? Isn’t our brain and its subconscious chatter really a gift to be nourished and cherished? Isn’t food really wonderful and meant to be enjoyed? Doesn’t it feel great to use our muscles? Can’t all of the above draw me closer into being One with the Divine?

I think that it can, and I thank God for all these gifts…