What Is Spiritual Health?

Gina N. Brown
Jul 15
3 min read

A Teaching Reflection by Gina N. Brown

We often talk about mental health, physical health, even emotional wellness—but rarely do we pause to ask: How is your spirit?

Not your church attendance, not your Bible knowledge, not even your beliefs about God—but your spirit. The essence of who you are.

That’s the heart of spiritual health.

And for many of us, especially those who’ve been hurt, disillusioned, or spiritually disconnected, spiritual health might feel like a vague or even unreachable concept. But here’s the good news: spiritual health is not a destination. It’s a rhythm. A relationship. A return to wholeness.

What Is Spiritual Health?

Spiritual health is the practice of tending to your inner life—the part of you that seeks meaning, connection, and peace. It’s not about perfection or having all the answers. It’s about listening in.

It’s about being honest with yourself, honoring your values, making room for mystery, and discovering or rediscovering your sacred rhythms.

In my work as a spiritual health clinician, I define spiritual health this way:

Spiritual health is your ability to live connected to your inner truth, to the Divine as you understand God, and to the sacredness of your life—even when you’re still figuring it all out.

It’s for the devout and the doubting.

For the questioning, the curious, the church-weary, and the spiritually independent.

It meets you where you are, not where you think you should be.

Why Does Spiritual Health Matter?

When our spiritual life is untended, we can start to feel untethered. Even if everything looks fine on the outside, we may feel lost, dry, angry, anxious, or numb.

Spiritual health helps us:

Reclaim our voice when we’ve been silenced by harmful theology.
Reconnect to rest when hustle has become our god.
Reimagine healing when traditional paths no longer fit.
Rediscover sacred space that honors our full humanity.

And especially for Black women, BIPOC communities, and those who’ve been expected to carry spiritual burdens for others, spiritual health is an act of liberation.

It’s how we come back to ourselves. It’s how we heal.

What Spiritual Health Is Not

Let’s be clear about a few things.

Spiritual health is not:

A checklist of religious duties
A prize for moral performance
Reserved for “church folks” or clergy
Dependent on always feeling joyful or certain

You don’t need to be “fixed,” more faithful, or more consistent before you start tending to your spiritual health. You just need to be willing to pay attention.

How Do You Nurture Spiritual Health?

Everyone’s spiritual path is unique, but here are a few rhythms that support a healthy spiritual life:

Sacred Listening: through spiritual direction, journaling, prayer, meditation, or voice notes—making space to hear what your spirit is saying.
Spiritual Companionship: walking with a chaplain, therapist, spiritual director, or trusted friend who can hold sacred space with you.
Creative Expression: art, movement, sound, and storytelling can all become sacred when they reflect the truth of your soul.
Rest as Resistance: reclaiming Sabbath, not just as a day off, but as a practice of spiritual and emotional restoration.
Reflection Practices: identifying what gives your life meaning, where you feel most alive, and how you are being invited to grow.

Spiritual health is less about arrival and more about alignment.

It’s not about escaping the human experience, but learning how to stay present in it—with grace.

What It Might Look Like in Your Life

Spiritual health might look like:

Saying “no” when you’ve always said “yes”
Crying during a walk and calling it prayer
Holding grief and gratitude in the same hand
Asking new questions instead of forcing old answers
Letting silence speak louder than a sermon

It might also look like attending church again—or leaving it.

Reading scripture with fresh eyes—or choosing to rest instead of wrestle.

There is no one way. Just the way that leads you home.

Final Thoughts: Come Home to Yourself

Spiritual health doesn’t require a pulpit, a pew, or a program.

It requires presence. And a willingness to be honest.

To ask, with gentle courage: How is it with my soul?

If you’ve been wandering, unsure of where you fit, or if you even belong—please know this:

You are not alone. And you do belong. Your story, your journey, your sacred becoming—it all matters.

At Hibiscus Wellness, and within The Faith Studio, we hold space for your spiritual and emotional health without pressure, shame, or religious gatekeeping.

You're allowed to be honest. You're allowed to be whole.

You're allowed to come home to yourself.