Benefits of a Spiritual Life

While those who believe in a loving divinity are more likely to be happier and healthier than those who don’t,  you don’t have to subscribe to any particular religion or even believe in a higher power to reap the benefits of being more spiritual. Although traditional institutional religious settings offer the benefit of community linked by shared belief, you can also improve your health by being more spiritual in your own way. Spirituality, which has been defined by social scientists as the search for the sacred, can still offer health benefits, as you acknowledge and appreciate the sacred in life— the holiness of nature, the blessing of children, the perception of your work as a calling, the body as a vessel for love in the world, the sanctity of marriage. By imbuing the ordinary with extraordinary qualities, you open yourself up to transcendence, which can elicit relaxation in the body, leading to more happiness and, subsequently, better health.
Spiritual people are also happier, have better mental health, use fewer drugs and alcohol, have better coping skills, and live longer than those who don’t consider themselves spiritual. 
Keep in mind that religion isn’t all roses when it comes to the effect on your health. Like all facets of life, your spiritual life has the potential to stress you out as well as relax you. People for whom religion stirs up feelings of guilt, shame, repression, and fear of recrimination from a punishing God are more likely to experience repetitive stress responses, which result in poor health. 
So it’s not just spiritual life that can heal you, it’s the right kind of spiritual life, one that is aligned with the truth of what is sacred for you.
from Mind Over Medicine: Proof You Really Can Heal Yourself