Spirituality Beyond Religion: By Trent Orange

As a Black man working in mental health and walking closely with young men in communities shaped by trauma, poverty, and emotional suppression, I've seen firsthand how disconnected many of us become from ourselves. Not because we are broken — but because survival often forces people to disconnect in order to keep going.

That's where spirituality entered my life differently. Not as performance or pretense. But as awareness. Awareness of my energy. Of my thoughts. Of how trauma lives inside the body and mind — and how healing requires more than surface-level motivation.