Religion, Spirituality, Health and Women
Today’s woman plays many roles in her daily life. She is a mother, a wife, a caretaker, a business runner, a first aid giver and lots more. She is the one who organizes parties; she attends PTAs that most fathers miss, she runs a tight ship in the office. With her hands full 24×7 she manages to do exactly what she is supposed to do and what she wants to do. She multi tasks better than most billionaire CEOs. Amidst all this, where she is a superhero, she often tends to ignore her own health and personal well-being. Now a superhero can’t do much good when unhealthy.Women’s Health comprises of all health issues and problems that needs attention. From reproductive health to mental health to emotional health to giving you an insight on how to keep your bones healthy and your heart happy, to knowing your body better, you need to take care of all. Being total solutions machines, you need to care about each and every running part of that machine.One of the things that dramatically change women’s attitude towards their own health-care is the factor of religion and spirituality. Interestingly, most women seem to be following some sort of health regime -gluten-free, low crab, low sugar, high protein, vegan, or something else. In our endless march toward physical fitness, we try exercise, supplements, vitamin shakes, and nutritionist-endorsed meal plans. We pay too much attention to what we should eat and what we shouldn’t, little do we bother about what’s good or bad for our soul. There is a difference between managing your outward manners and managing your inward sentiments, and both affect one’s soul in ways more diverse and complex than one tends to understand.Recently, I began to understand more clearly how the said combination of health, religion and spirituality worked for women. I have found out that religion helps followers engage in healthier lifestyle practices on a general basis. All religions teach not to drink, smoke or engage in other unhealthy habits. People tend to drink less alcohol, smoke less, and have healthier habits overall. Spirituality gives a mirror for the soul. Spirituality helps followers examine their emotions and mindfully witness their own fleeting feelings. Ultimately it helps us have a calmer outlook, lower blood pressure, and a more even-hands on approach to dealing with life’s challenges.Religion and Spirituality offer a number of diverse paths for accessing the life’s concealed and unparalleled parts and redemption. Religion and spirituality work together to create individuals of healthier mind, body, and spirit. Indian culture contains a number of ancient texts of Vedas, Upanishads and others which give a detailed measure for women’s physical health, social conduct and family duties. The Atharva-Veda also contains a collection of spells and incantations for the practice of magic, contained references to disease, injuries, fertility, sanity, and health. Methods of diagnosis included few indirect rather mystified as well as rational approaches. Omens of various kinds such as the flight of birds, the sounds of nature, and many other observations were interpreted by the physician as clues to the severity of the illness. It could have had something to do with the changes in environment which brings about a great impact on the human behavior. Religious faith gave psychological stability. This ability to believe can be used by health psychologists in medical settings to help those who struggle with a disease or to promote a healthier lifestyle. In our much modern and tech savvy lifestyle what we ultimately need is a touch of religion and spirituality. One that not only provides us the how tos on life but also create a drive inside of us for a more enlightened and prosperous environment.