St. Paul beautifully exhorts the Romans and all of us, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).

This verse summarizes the teaching of the New Testament on the physical impact of being in right relationship with God. Because we are an integration of soul and body, the state of our soul directly impacts our physical health. In fact, one of the primary problems of modern medicine is that it has siloed physical health from spiritual and mental health and thereby created a false dichotomy within the human person.

In reality, our relationship with God and others is a vital component of our overall wellbeing.

The studies demonstrating this are abundant, but let us consider just two. One study found that blood pressure was inversely related to religion. This means that greater religious practice often correlates with lower blood pressure. Another study found that forgiving others, which is required by the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), is positively correlated with better physical health outcomes. Since the moment of our creation, God has sustained our entire life — spiritually, mentally and physically — with his Holy Spirit. If we acknowledge and firmly believe that, then our relationship with God is where our health and well-being, including physical health, begins and ends.

Having a spiritual director that helps you to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd (John 10:27-28) and follow him more closely can have significant physical health benefits.

My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.

We should be careful not to instrumentalize our relationship with God as a way of becoming healthier, but we can acknowledge that following the Lord often translates into better overall health. Spiritual direction refers to a relationship between a directee and a director in which you typically meet once a month to discuss your interior relationship with the Lord, receiving help to hear his voice and respond to his love. Your spiritual director can help reflect Christ to you so you can become the person God intends you to be. Meeting with your spiritual director can reduce stress by improving your discernment, help you forgive and improve your relationships with others, give you more peace and joy, and contributes to greater life satisfaction and contentment.

The cumulative effect of improving your relationship with God improves your overall well-being, which often includes physical health. When you combine spiritual direction with Catholic wellness coaching, the benefits to your physical health may be even greater. Catholic wellness coaching is a personalized approach that helps individuals set and achieve meaningful goals while integrating faith into daily life. Through deep listening, accountability and mindset strategies, coaches walk alongside each person to support growth in spirit, mind and body.

All this being said, the primary goal of spiritual direction is union with the Heart of Christ — that is, holiness. It is also worth mentioning that improving your physical health can benefit your spiritual health. I had a friend when I lived in Rome who told me that when he exercised, his prayer life improved. I took note, and now I see how right he was to link his exercise routine with his prayer life. Truly, the human person cannot be properly integrated without connecting spiritual and physical health.

Having a spiritual director can also help you keep Christ at the center of your health care. Many people never pray or ask the Lord about their physical health. Recognizing that Jesus is the Divine Physician, that he performed so many miracles in Scripture, and that he is still performing miracles today — as evidenced by St. Carlo Acutis’ research into Eucharistic miracles — it is good and worthwhile to ask him about your health care.

Ask him whom he wants your doctor to be. Ask him how he wants you to care for your body. Ask him what you should eat and which exercises you should do to promote your health. Of course, none of this is medical advice; it is simply a recognition that Jesus Christ came to bring you abundant life (John 10:10). We should remember that there is a blessing in being within God’s will and cooperating with his designs for our lives. Our Creator knows what we need to be healthy, so let us follow him and allow him to integrate our lives.

So among the many far-reaching reasons for seeking a spiritual director — which include help getting to heaven, help bringing others to heaven, and help discerning and fulfilling God’s mission for your life — there is another often overlooked one: help being healthier in spirit, mind and body. If you are interested in finding a spiritual director, please prayerfully consider membership in Christ Medicus Foundation CURO Thrive, which includes spiritual direction, wellness coaching, bioethics consults and a Catholic wellness platform to improve your health.