Spiritual Intelligence

Spiritual intelligence (SI) is often referred to as the ability to apply spiritual practices to enhance function and daily well being. Research has found seven common themes emerge across the major spiritual groups, which include consciousness, grace, meaning, transcendence, truth, surrender to self and inner direction. The application of these themes within daily life, is linked to a higher SI. This is significant, as a higher spiritual intelligence is shown to improve emotional, physical and mental well being.

Each spiritual group may follow different practices to achieve each theme however the meaning and significance is fairly universal.

• Consciousness refers to awareness and self knowledge.

• Grace involves daily application to living through love and an optimistic perspective.

• The theme of meaning involves daily life being experienced through purpose including when in pain and suffering.

• Transcendence is the state of seeing beyond the sense of a separate ego and an interconnected diverse world.

• Truth follows on from transcendence with a view and acceptance and appreciation of things as they are, negative included.

• Surrender to self encompasses the values of self acceptance, self love and self compassion.

• Finally, inner direction refers to following your inner truth free from conditioning and fears.

So the question now is how can we improve our spiritual intelligence?

Finding moments to ground and connect with yourself and the earth can improve your consciousness.

• Breath work

• Mindfulness

• Yoga

• Being in nature (even 3-5 minutes)

• Meditation/prayer/intention

• Listening to specific music or playing an instrument

The theme of grace within spiritual intelligence can be improved through methods such as

• Gratitude

• Finding growth in times of hardship

Finding meaning is an individualistic and often changes moment to moment. So ask yourself these simple questions to help you out.

• Is this activity purposeful? (Am I active in this activity or passive)

• Is this activity productive to what I need right now? (rest, work, play)

Transcendence can be improved within your significant relationships as well as relationships with strangers.

• Authentically nurturing relationships with compassion, generosity, respect and a greater sense of interconnection to each other. (i.e be nicer to everyone)

• Listening to specific music can help to connect with others

Truth is sometimes a tricky theme to master because it's about letting everything be as it is. Not trying to change someone, a situation or an outcome. Not fixing a negative to a positive or hiding from the negative. Being open and accepting to different opinions and feelings.

• Finding gratitude in these moments

• Meditation to find peace and acceptance

• Grounding practices

Surrender to self is again quite personal in practice, as each person has a different ego to let go of at different times. Do you need to be a bit more humble? Do you need to increase your self-esteem? Is it a bit of both depending on your environment?

• Grounding practices

• Meditation

• Self acceptance mantras

Increasing your inner direction can be very empowering. Because it's about letting all the shit go. Fear of judgement, imposter syndrome, conditioned rules, unhealthy attachments to people, substances, habits or whatever your clinging too and instead aligning to your own values. But you need to know what isn't working and what your values are. To do that you could use

• Meditation

• Grounding practices

• Gratitude

• Intention (you will receive more of what you put focus to, so double your attention towards the good stuff instead of just what you are lacking)

As you can see the common theme across these seven themes is staying grounded and connected. Adjusting a few of these areas within your daily life can significantly improve your emotional, physical and mental well being and help keep you in alignment to your true self.