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"Growing up is all about figuring yourself out. What are my values? What are my political views? What type of culture do I like to consume? The list goes on and on, but for many, the most vexing of these questions is all about the big R: How do I feel about\u00A0religion? There's no right answer, and your relationship (or lack thereof) with organized religion may very well shift throughout the course of your life. What people don't often talk about, however, is how you can be spiritual without being religious.\n\nInstead of focusing on a higher power that runs the universe, what philosophers call \"secular spirituality\" is all about getting in touch with your\u00A0human\u00A0spirit. It's not as much about what you believe, but rather what you\u00A0do\u00A0and how you\u00A0connect. It centers on the idea that if you find a sense of inner peace and understand the importance of being you, you'll be more likely to make the right decisions and feel better about yourself. While this sort of \"chill out\" ideology has been around for centuries, it's recently gained traction as girls seek some calm amid the go-go-go of the Lean In age. Read on to learn more about the tenets of secular spirituality.\n\nRise and Shine\n\nEvery day we get to reset our relationship with the world we live in. That's why so many religions, Eastern and Western alike, recommend starting the morning with\u00A0active\u00A0rituals like prayer, meditation, yoga, or tai chi. In our fast-paced world, we can never be reminded enough that it's worth slowing down. Going to bed earlier so that you can wake up and practice quiet, personal rituals can connect your mind and body before the chaos of your day begins.\n\nThese rituals don't generally involve anything exotic. They only need to make you feel like getting up in the morning\u2014which is actually biologically harder for teens!\u2014is a reward, not a punishment. It can be as simple as reading a poem out loud, doing a funny dance in front of the mirror, shooting some free throws, brewing a cup of tea, or experimenting with new omelette ingredients\u2014the key is doing these activities mindfully. Not only will you hit the ground running and feel more alert once you leave the house, you'll actually feel grateful that you have a fresh new day to experience.\n\nGoing Green\n\nThey don't call it \"the great outdoors\" for nothing, but unless you literally live in a treehouse (which we assume you don't), you probably don't get the chance to experience Mother Nature too often\u2014a crucial part of secular spirituality. Whether you live in a city, suburb, or rural area, a quick Google search will provide you with a list of the nearest, most accessible public parks and gardens, forest preserves, protected prairies and wetlands, and other natural landscapes you can visit. Pack a water bottle, a snack, a blanket, and maybe even a journal or a good book. Go alone or with friends, find a spot with a nice view, and allow your mind to wander. Breathe in the fresh air and engage all your senses.\n\nAnd don't forget to how great nature can be at night! Buy yourself a telescope for star-gazing: You technically don't need one to take in the stars, but you'll be shocked at just how far a tube full of glass lenses will let you peer into space. What can you do if you live in an area where light pollution blocks out most of the night sky? Learn about the heavens by visiting a planetarium or watching Neil deGrasse Tyson's brilliantly-made and easy to understand Cosmos series. We humans have been gazing at the stars forever\u2014go find out why.\n\nCulture Club\n\nSecular spirituality embraces the power of creativity. This means music, painting, sculpture, dance, poetry, literature, and new forms of media too! The first step, as always, is education\u2014the entire history of art can be accessed online. Get started at a site like Artsy and figure out what you're into. Then go visit a museum or art gallery, and check out live music and performances.\n\nIt's not just about consuming culture though, it's also about participating. Sign up for art or music classes, or experiment at home with simple projects or play around with an old instrument that's been collecting dust. And thanks to smartphones and apps like Instagram, everyone has access to one of the most democratic art mediums: photography. Taking snapshots is probably already part of your daily life! Challenge yourself to seek out new subjects, or try to emulate great photographers from the past until you find a style all your own. Creating your own art helps you learn things about yourself, which you can then convey to the outside world.\n\nHelping Hands\n\nGiving to others and striving to make a difference will always rub off on you in a serious way\u2014and it has deep spiritual benefits. Reading to kids, volunteering at a soup kitchen, joining a public park cleanup, taking up a political cause you believe in: There are as many possibilities as there are problems to be solved.\n\nAs you may have noticed, secular spirituality involves stepping outside the normal bounds of your routine in order to gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for what's going on around you. There's no better way to put your own life in perspective than by engaging with the hardships of others. This isn't about cashing in on your sense of pity, it's about feeling gratitude for what you have and expressing commitment to the way you think the world should be.\n\nNow you've got an idea of what secular spirituality's all about. But remember: These are activities and attitudes to\u00A0add to your life, not to replace what you're already doing or what you already believe. Everyone's path to a better, fuller, healthier life is her own, so do what feels right and embrace the enlightenment that just might come along with it."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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