13 - 20 Jan 2008

In preparing to lead a workshop on the spiritual needs of those of no religious belief, a Guardian article pointed me to a book which saw spirituality simply as the 'inner life' and key to happiness:

"There is an art to living happily and like every art it depends on learning, practising and if possible mastering certain skills … skills of what I will call the inner life, the inner world of thought, emotion, belief, feeling, desire, perception, and so on. The inner life … is just your own conscious experience."

"If your inner life is lived happily , you will live happily, it is as simple as that."

Tony Wilkinson (from "The Lost Art of Being Happy: Spirituality for Sceptics", Findhorn Press, 2007).

I would love to know if you think we can have a non-religious spirituality which is more than just having a good feeling when listening to a favourite piece of music or looking at some beautiful countryside. And how valuable is such a spirituality today?