Janet, in whose spiritual development circle I sat for seven years, used to say that her only religion was a religion of kindness. What Janet didn’t know, and what science is starting to find out, is that acts of kindness, whether performed of witnessed, produce oxytocin, the hormone related to bonding and love. So merely doing a simple kind act, like holding the door for someone or picking up something someone dropped, can increase feelings of connection and decrease stress.
There is no membership class to join the religion of kindness. The only requirement is to find ways to express your kindness to others. Kindness creates connection. When you’re kind to someone, you’re acknowledging their humanity and meeting them as an equal, with an equally valid right to exist.
Joni Miller is a writer, researcher, spiritual coach, and speaker who uses her knowledge, education, and love of all things spiritual to help others find their unique spiritual path. www.SpiritualGeography.net
Ep 26 A Religion of Kindness