Spirituality has always been a fundamental part of the human experience, and in the 21st century, people are more empowered than ever to explore spirituality on their own terms. You can dive deep, or just learn a few helpful practices. You can follow an organized religion, or create a personal connection without labels. It’s entirely up to you, and there’s no wrong choice.
The benefits of making space for spirituality in your life are profound. According to Psychology Today, spiritual people are more likely to:
- Have high self-esteem
- Feel optimistic and grateful
- Savor life experiences
- Be compassionate
- Flourish in relationships
If you’re interested in expanding your spirit, Meetup has all different kinds of spiritual communities. Check out a few examples for inspiration, and find a practice that suits you.
Spiritual practices you can try on Meetup
For some people, getting spiritual means getting outside and working up a sweat. For others, it’s a conversation between like-minded people lifting each other up. For you, it may be a more quiet and reflective practice. No matter how spirituality makes sense to you, you can find other people engaging in that practice on Meetup.
Meditation
You won’t have trouble finding other local people who practice meditation: there are nearly 7.5 million Meetup members discussing techniques, philosophies, and schools of thought across more than 14,000 meditation groups! Plus, many meditation groups host virtual events, so you can practice wherever, whenever.
In general, the purpose of meditation is to center yourself and find inner tranquility through mental focus and breathwork. With a group like Global Self-Care Meditation Community, you can join online meditations for all backgrounds and experience levels. These meditations are guided, so all you have to do is show up and follow along. You can even find meditations with specific themes or targets, like this online Meditation for Educators event. There are also plenty of groups that meditate together in person, such as the Chicago Weekly Sitting Meditation Group.
Yoga
You can combine elements of meditation with flowing movements that harness your energy and stimulate that mind-body connection. Yoga is a spiritual practice with a long list of tangible health benefits, from flexibility to lower blood pressure, not to mention the mental clarity and emotional serenity.
There is no shortage of Meetup yoga groups practicing in a wide range of styles and settings. You can enjoy beautiful sunny vistas with San Diego oceanfront yoga. Learn the wisdom of ancient Sanskrit Yoga Sutras (short verses on yoga principles) through an online discourse hosted by the San Francisco Yoga Meetup. You could be just in time to join the season kickoff yoga session and potluck with dozens of members from Yoga in the Park – Denver.
Try doing yoga in a sound bath with the Houston Yogis, doing candlelit yoga with Yoga NYC Meetup, or doing community yoga at a children’s farm with RVA Outdoor Yoga.
Religious and spiritual study
Whether you want to reconnect with your religious roots, or branch out into a new area of metaphysical study you’ve never considered before, there are Meetup groups gathering to think deeply and converse about the spiritual joys and struggles of life.
If you’re interested in Christianity, you could join the Slow, Careful Bible Study group to better understand its origins. For Judaism, you can find a globally-accessible community in Online Jewish Shabbat Services, or try meditation with a Jewish twist hosted by Tefilah Lab.
You can develop a new appreciation for Muslim traditions like Ramadan with the Islamic Topics Discussion Group, or discover your sense of purpose with OC Buddhism For Beginners Meetup. There are also groups to help you shape your connection to spirit with less formal religious practices, like the Nashville Stoics and the Los Angeles Area Pagans & Witches Network. Learn about this witch community and the various groups on Meetup.
Miscellaneous mindfulness activities
Your definition of spirituality may not fit someone else’s, and that’s okay! It’s all about whatever helps you feel more grounded, peaceful, thoughtful, and self-actualized. For example, a lot of people find that simply absorbing the beauty of the natural world has a spiritual component. More than 15,000 of them make up the NYC walks: Nature, beauty, & peace Meetup group!
Another mindful activity that speaks to the soul is writing. It encourages gentle awareness and invites your creativity and responsiveness to arise in the moment. Find a group like JustThis: Zen Writing or the Planner and bullet journal meetup to either flow stream-of-consciousness style or focus on goal-setting and self-improvement.
Connection is key
You can rekindle a spiritual spark from your past or try out a totally new routine. Either way, the goal is the same: to make a spiritual connection between your inner life and energies outside of yourself.
Stay connected by joining a group that understands your style of spirituality. If that group doesn’t exist yet, you can easily be the first to create your kind of spirituality group and invite others to join you.
Last modified on September 22, 2023
