How often do Americans engage in spiritual activities? The Religious Landscape Study (RLS) asked U.S. adults about six activities they might do for spiritual purposes. Here are some key findings:
- 48% say they listen to music for spiritual reasons weekly or more often.
- 40% find time to look inward or center themselves weekly or more often.
- 30% exercise for spiritual reasons weekly or more often.
- 23% meditate weekly or more often.
- 15% visit a nature spot such as a waterfall, mountaintop or river for spiritual reasons weekly or more often.
- 7% practice yoga for spiritual reasons weekly or more often.
Overall, 63% of Americans report that they engage in at least one of these six activities, for spiritual reasons, at least once a week.
Americans who identify with a religion are more likely than religiously unaffiliated adults (those who identify religiously as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular”) to say they participate on a weekly basis in at least one of these spiritual activities (71% vs. 45%).60
The survey also finds that 3% of U.S. adults say they go on a spiritual retreat more than once a year. An additional 11% say they do this about once a year or every few years.
Read more about Americans’ self-reported participation in the following spiritual activities:
- Listening to music
- Looking inward or centering yourself
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Visiting a nature spot
- Practicing yoga
- Spiritual retreats
Listening to music
Nearly half of U.S. adults (48%) say they listen to music for spiritual reasons at least weekly.
An additional 6% do this monthly, while 12% do this less often. And 33% say they never listen to music for spiritual purposes.
These rates vary widely across religious groups. Roughly seven-in-ten members of historically Black Protestant churches (72%) say they listen to music for spiritual reasons on a weekly basis, as do 65% each among evangelical Protestants and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (widely known as Mormons).
Jewish Americans and religiously unaffiliated adults are much less likely to say they listen to music for spiritual reasons.
Looking inward or centering yourself
Four-in-ten Americans say they find time to look inward or center themselves for spiritual reasons at least once a week. About three-in-ten say they do this for spiritual reasons monthly (11%) or less often (20%), while 28% say they never do this for spiritual reasons.
About six-in-ten Latter-day Saints (61%) report that they look inward or center themselves for spiritual reasons at least once a week, as do 55% of members of historically Black Protestant churches.
By comparison, religiously unaffiliated adults – particularly atheists – are less likely to do this. Indeed, two-thirds of atheists (68%) say they never center themselves for spiritual reasons.
Exercise
Three-in-ten Americans say they exercise for spiritual reasons at least weekly, while an additional 6% say they do so monthly, and 16% do so less often.
Adults who identify with a religion are far more likely than religiously unaffiliated Americans to say they exercise weekly for spiritual purposes (34% vs. 21%).
Meditation
Overall, 23% of U.S. adults say they meditate for spiritual reasons at least once a week, and an additional 7% report doing so monthly. Upward of one-fifth of Americans (21%) meditate for spiritual purposes less often than that, while 48% say they never meditate for spiritual reasons.
Roughly three-in-ten or more members of historically Black Protestant churches (39%), Buddhists (38%), Hindus (36%), Latter-day Saints (34%) and Muslim Americans (32%) say they meditate weekly or more often.
Jewish Americans and religiously unaffiliated adults are among the least likely to say they meditate for spiritual reasons.
Visiting a nature spot
Three-in-ten Americans say they spend time in nature (for example, by visiting a waterfall, mountaintop or river) for spiritual reasons at least once a month, including 15% who say they do so weekly.
An additional 29% of U.S. adults say they experience nature this way, but less often. And 39% say they never visit nature spots for spiritual reasons.
Practicing yoga
One-in-ten Americans say they practice yoga weekly (7%) or monthly (3%) for spiritual reasons.61
Hindu Americans are especially likely to engage in yoga for spiritual reasons: 32% say they do this once a week or more often. An additional 11% of Hindu Americans say they do this monthly, while 25% do so less often and 30% say they never do this.
Spiritual retreats
Overall, 3% of Americans say they go on spiritual retreats more than once a year. An additional 11% say they do this annually or every few years, and 13% do this less often. More than seven-in-ten (72%) never go on spiritual retreats.
Hindus and Latter-day Saints are among the religious groups that are most likely to participate in a spiritual retreat.
