SPIRITUAL HEALTH IS THE KEY TO MENTAL HEALTH

HSP Spirituality: The research as well as our personal experiences teach us this truth. Spirituality and sensitivity just go together. Please enjoy these wise thoughts, questions, inspirations, and counsel for and from our sensitive community in conversation.

Keep reading this very lengthy blog for resource links, and please add to the conversation in the comments section. If you wish you had more support for your unique spiritual practice, try our minicourse:  Spirituality and Sensitivity. (click here)

HERE ARE HSP INSPIRATIONS FOR EACH OTHER

• You are loved!
• You are loved. You are safe
• Love is best when shared.
• Smile in your heart
• Be Kind and Authentic
• Listen to Eve Decker
• Thank you for sharing  your vision.
• your feelings are valid.. you are not too much..
• Life is good I am blessed
• God breaks the heart again and again and again until it stays open – Ancestor Hazrat Inayat Khan
• Know that you are enough!
• You are understood, accepted and loved
• May you find the wonderful in today and each day given.
• Seek the divine love that is within you
• Thank You is a prayer 🙏
• The world needs us now more than ever to balance❣️
• Always remember to be kind to urself
• Find your voice and use it!
• Your wound is your gift – Ancestor Malidoma Patrice Somé
• Reacted to “Find your voice and …” with ❤️
• Joy is contagious.  The world needs to see your Joy.
• Self care is loving god
• Get some rest from the over stimulating world
• Be yourself!!
• Take it easier today and everyday
• love is on the inside
• I am free to be me. And so are you.😘
• “Ancora Imparo” (I am still learning) – Michelangelo
• Meditate regularly, walk in nature,
• We are stronger Together!👍🙏😊✨✨✌️

RESOURCES

• Register for Spirituality and Sensitivity Mini Course 
• Join the Are You Highly Sensitive membership community
• HSP Nap
• The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron
• The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life by Lisa Miller 

WHAT DO YOU THINK OR WONDER ABOUT HSP SPIRITUALITY?

• Spirituality to me is a way of life. Seeing God/Creator in all things and appreciating that. I like the idea of gathering with other HSPs on the spiritual quest.
• I enjoy learning more and more about our Higher Power, the human brain and why it is people who do what they do. I appreciate getting to learn how to improve on myself so I can be a better person for God and all of humankind.
• Feels like time to embrace and listen to my spiritual gifts more.

•  Learning more about being an HSP. I have found my sanctuary in regular meditation and being in nature and would like to get more value from that experience. No particular questions, I’m keen to hear more from your experience and further develop my skills in living as an HSP and doing the work I do as a health coach.
• I’m curious what others will share. My definition of spirituality has come into focus for myself only recently (29 years old) and I think it’s because I’m finally understanding what it means to follow my own inner guidance instead of constantly looking to other people’s experiences. I’m curious to see what others say about nurturing their spirituality because I can see that it could be difficult for HSPs at times (due to stress from the world / others).
• My own deep convictions about connecting spiritually in my life but recent years it’s been more of a disconnect.
• I am wondering if other HSP’s find solace in spirituality in a way that non-HSP are less likely to find easy or appealing?
• I’m not sure. I’ve been burned by organized religion so am a bit wary but interested to hear what the HSP consensus is on spirituality.
• I love the quote from Elaine Aron “HSPs are witnesses of the sacred”. I haven’t heard it before, but it resonates with me. I would love to explore that concept with other HSPs.
• I’m HSP, and this topic is integral to my life. I’m curious about it.
• Yes, I’m seeking God consciousness and would like to find a community.
• Synchronicity brought me here lol. And I always have questions about spirituality…I’m a seeker. But none for you specifically at this time, thank you.
• What part of the brain is activated by spirituality? Do superstition and meditation activate the same and have the same effect on physical health? (AF: Meditation is a part of a spiritual practice, and there are many different kinds of practices. They impact the brain in different ways. A good resource for this question is The Awakened Brain by Lisa Miller.)
• I am a very spiritual person and I am interested in how it affects my HSP?
• Yes, that is exactly what I feel when doing proper yoga or meditation. How can I claim it more for myself?
• Very connected to spirituality.
• Just wanting to continue learning about my trait and how to serve/care for it.
• Curiosity, community & connection to fellow highly sensitive people.
• I am a grateful member of Al-Anon Family Groups. I notice that a large percentage of our members present as HSP. I suspect that the steps, traditions, and concepts of the Al-Anon are very helpful to HSP’s.
• HSP community, experience a spiritual conversation together, getting ideas on ways to nurture spirituality, getting affirmation/”permission” to take time to nurture my spiritually.
• I am interested in gaining inspiration to start thinking about what would work for me to progress to a more spiritual element to my life.
• I would like to join to be part of the group. I always learn from Alane´s emails and feel connected to her experiences and insights. Besides, learning more about spirituality from all HSPs, also, sharing experience contributing to the community.
• How can I meet HSPs that are spiritual without being religious?
• How can we create our own solo or small group spiritual practice, or participate in different spiritual gatherings or ceremonies without being a part of a group? I feel uncomfortable being a member of a religious group where everyone is expected to believe in a particular scripture or follow a religious leader. Many organized religions create division and claim to be superior, and I resist that.
• Being in a HSP community is an important part of my spiritual experience.
• I am highly sensitive and want to learn better ways of existing in our noisy and complicated world through spirituality techniques specifically for HSPs. Thank you!
• Curiosity. No questions really. I have found my spiritual path.

 

INTROS: WHERE YOU ARE FROM (These are half of the participants in our Spirituality Community Conversation in April 1, 2023)

Colorado. I’m very interested in what’s shared on HSP spirituality!

Germany. I watched a webinar (mainly academic research) on high sensitivity recently, and heard of your work. I’m curious about what will be said about high sensitivity and spirituality…

Connecticut 😊 Alane thank you for holding this event!🙏✨✨

Tennessee

Portland Oregon. I just discovered HSP this week and this meeting this morning. It’s been a great revelation as understanding being a HSP has made my whole life make so much more sense!

Detroit. I am attending to learn more about life in the HSP lane.

Germany/Thailand, first timer to join Alane´s webinar. Happy to be here and thank you so much.

Longview WA

Quad Cities.

Indonesian, currently a Student in US.

NE Nevada

North Carolina

SF Bay Area, California

I also have fairly recently discovered that I am an HSP. When I look back at my life experiences it now makes much more sense.

Los Angeles.

Texas.

Adirondacks in NY

Jersey (USA).

Santa Cruz, CA

Toronto, Canada

Vancouver Island BC, Canada

London, UK

Sisters, Oregon

Madison, Wisconsin / USA

South Bay San Francisco

Gatlinbug, Tennessee

Munich, Germany.

Leeds, UK

Israel

Great Falls Montana

Ohlone land aka oakland, california and proud hsm 🙏🏿 thank you alane ❣️

NYC, I’m a senior woman, and such a fan of Alane. It’s benefited my HSP self so much.

Fairfax CA 🙂

Washington state 🙂

UK

Colorado 😊

Alberta, Canada.  This is my first time here.

Boston

Tacoma WA.  So nice to be here with you all.

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ON SPIRITUALITY AND SENSITIVITY

WHAT DOES HSP SPIRITUALITY MEAN TO YOU?

I can really relate to what you are saying, Alane.

I was traumatized by rigid religious indoctrination as a kid and the itchy clothes at synagogue and large numbers of people in a boring service.  I always needed personal spirituality but still feel guilty when I think for myself, especially when my parents encourage my beliefs but eventually fall back to trying to control me. With the service the same every single week with no variation and mostly in Hebrew with limited understanding…

It makes me feel grounded and connected to myself.

Find something larger than yourself which actually respects and accepts you rather than intimidates or coerces you.

Living in the now, gratitude and awareness.

For me, it is exactly that, a sense of wholeness that connects myself to all.

Maybe someone to validate, affirm the “more”.

Find someone who mirrors your depth or spirituality to validate your experience.

Universal oneness, connectedness.

Be your authentic self and find a higher power that supports and lifts you.

It’s comfort and grounding.

It has been a challenge to find people that understand me.

A feeling of flow and energy between things.

The soul and spirit realm, it’s also the communication of emotion in a nine material sense.

Missionary work calls me strongly❣️

Religion is the set of rituals someone else recommended to enhance spirituality.  It may or may not work for you and your culture.

I used to have faith in a higher power, universe, divine. But i don’t anymore and am lost, more isolated than ever

That is so true we are unique. That helps me to not expect others to understand thinks like I do.

It’s a hard way to live

I feel so fortunate.  I can’t imagine living life without this depth.

Spirituality to me is a way of life. Seeing God/Creator in all things and appreciating that. I like the idea of gathering with other HSPs on the spiritual quest.

I enjoy learning more and more about our Higher Power, the human brain and why it is that people do what they do. I appreciate getting to learn how to improve on myself so I can be a better person for God and all of humankind. 

So many

Feels like time to embrace and listen to my spiritual gifts more

Learning more about being an HSP. I have found my sanctuary in regular meditation and  being in nature and would like to get more value from that experience. No particular questions, I’m keen to hear more from you experience and further develop my skills in living as an HSP and doing the work I do as a health coach.

I’m curious what others will share. My definition of spirituality has come into focus for myself only recently (29 years old) and I think it’s because I’m finally understanding what it means to follow my own inner guidance instead of constantly questioning myself

I have an inner voice I can rely on, talk to. I feel it’s God.

Alane, thank you for affirming HSPs have a more unique connection with spirituality. Appreciating our gifts and respecting others’ capacities is helpful.

Had anyone’s spirituality been stunted by the teaching that God has to be a sentient being who consciously deals out justice to those who make any error?

The idea of God as nature and not an active agent seems too alien to comprehend

Raised Catholic, now God is more of an idea of The All.

I call myself a spiritual agnostic.

We are all neurons in a brain known a God

Me too: Spiritually agnostic

Yes, I find solace in spirituality!

I just wish non HSP would accept our worldview and support us

Spirituality is how the heart and soul works just as science is how the world works.

I find spirituality as complex and confusing as everything else since I ponder and question everything so much.

Yes, and still exploring since I was raised agnostic and with quite a phobia of organized religion

I love that Alane said “Spiritual health is key to mental health”. I have long felt that focusing on my spiritual health is most important and rest falls into place.

I’ve had to find my own HSP spirituality to avoid phobias. Connected. Grounded. Open to deep wisdom that is forever flowing. It comes through me, ancestors, trees, animals.

When I am connected I experience synchronicity or alignment.

I was told by a Catholic priest that I needed to stay with my abusive ex husband. That’s when they lost me. That’s not my “God.”

I can barely set foot in a synagogue anymore without trauma

Separating spirituality from religion has helped me discern higher power and that love as displayed in nature and each other.

I’ve always been very Spiritual, but I avoid the term Religious.

I also find spirituality through music that I connect deeply with.

I was always taught that focusing on my PERSONAL spirituality and not following the communal traditions was selfish and a social faux pas.

I see others I know taking more solace in spirituality than I do but potentially they do it with less thinking about it. they are able to take things as they are and enjoy them for what aspects they value, whereas i would tend to overthink it and look for more which is sometimes challenging.

Spirituality is listening to music that resonates with me on a clairaudient and clairaudient level. walking around a lake.. really just going for a walk in general, is so sacred and i feel it. feeling wind. feeling sweat. just really amazed at the experience of living and dying.

The origins of the scientific disciplines have their roots in the pursuit to understand the spiritual/divine.

Yes, but in spite of organized religion.

How do you reconcile with feeling a deeper spirituality than those that don’t even understand HSP?

For me, Spirituality means re-aligning and feeling truly belong to myself. Feels like coming home to myself and never ignore my gut feelings.

WHAT IS FAITH? WHAT DO YOU HAVE FAITH IN?

I gave up the existence of a benevolent God when my best childhood friend, a deeply wise and saintly HSP who became an Orthodox rabbi loved by everyone, died of an inoperable brain tumor at 30 leaving two young kids

I have faith in my lineage/Ancestors

Faith in nature

If God allowed that clearly he doesn’t care if we do what he wants

I have faith in a higher power/order, nature, science and compassion

I have faith in the divine and that there is a creator that loves through me in the world

I have faith in art – healing and sacred arts. [100% in agreement!!]

I’ve given away so many books over the past ten, fifteen years (Elaine’s first HSP book) and people have looked skeptical, annoyed and embarrassed… hard to raise awareness about DOES… harder for me as a male. 

I have faith in love, in a higher power, and that we are all energetically connected

God is when we experience signals from a dimension beyond those we are familiar with and makes you curious and more open to a wider perspective encompassing everything

I have faith in wound care

I have faith in Nature’s wisdom

Spirituality is what bonds us all together at a higher level of abstraction.  Just as colors like red, green, and blue all merge to white when they get very bright. [Wow! Amazing thought]

Of course we try to evangelize our views of spirituality to other people and are sad they don’t get it.

I’d love some wise spiritual peers.  I’ve met several people from divinity school, and I’ve loved them all. So wise and welcoming.

I struggle with organised religion, so many people have been abused by the structures and personnel, it becomes overwhelming to think of because of high empathy.

I do connect with the concept of a “higher power”. I left my childhood religion as a teenager and was atheist for years. Then started a search for teachers for years and despite being anti-guru, 

 

HOW WILL WE LEAD WITH SPIRITUALITY?

A few of us who have or still practice Catholicism connected today and it was helpful to discuss how it has served us well, plus where it may have fallen short, where we’re trying to fill gaps.

I LOVE that Alane! And HSP Spirituality helps us to rebalance and stay centered.

Yes oh my goodness…at my last job I would shut myself in my office over lunch to care for my mental health and create a reset. And people thought I was antisocial. I was just incredibly overwhelmed and burned out!

I really need to rise above the chaos.

I will spend more time in nature and read Elaine Aron’s HSP book and especially Chapter 10 on Soul and Spirit

Meditate regularly, walk in nature,

[Yes to meditation and nature! 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯!]

To put my spirituality forward: I think I simply need to start by valuing my own thoughts, emotions, and perspectives as much as I value those of others. Taking myself much more seriously as having wisdom. I think if I can value what I already have, I will be able to tap into a sense of spirituality more.

Follow the Spirituality and Sensitivity course daily even though I am on a vacation out of the country.

I love walking labyrinths to go inward and return out with renewal. [Labyrinth/Maze represents the mind in Mythology 🙏🏾]

Neat experience. Very diverse perspectives.

Thank you very much Alane and to everyone else, it has been wonderful to connect. Until next time! 🧡🦋🙏🏾

Enjoyed all of this! Thank you Alane! ❤️

Thank you Alane 🦋

: Asante sana, Alane. Thank you so much ❤️

Thank you!  Palpable difference being with you all.  Blessings and be well❣️

🐝 well

What a nurturing experience, thank you v much!

Muito obrigado a todos. A presencia de você hoje.

Thank you, Alane! I am inspired by your resilience today 🙂

Thank you so much Alane for this beautiful session today!

Thank you for your giving heart Alane.

A blessed day to everyone.🙂