Title: Spiritual Wellness 107
1Spiritual Wellness 107
- Rules for Retreat
- Pay Attention!
- Be accountable for your choices!
- You must respond!
- Facilitators will challenge you to learn through
experiential exercises! - Retreat as a journey
2Spiritual WellnessWhat is it? Is it related to
health?
3 A Part of Wellness!
- Wellness is defined as A dynamic process of
becoming aware of and making conscious choices
toward a more balanced and healthy lifestyle.
This includes learning new coping and
communication skills that address both the
positive and negative aspects of human existence.
4Balancing Seven Dimensions
- Social
- Physical
- Emotional
- Career
- Intellectual
- Environmental
- Spiritual
5Increased Awareness Levels
Level 4 Spiritual Being Meaning Realm
(Letting go!)
Wholeness-connection
-Ego-Goes!
Level 3 Psychological Motivational (Analysis
Paralysis of looking for why?)
Others
Level 2 Lifestyle Cognitive Behavior Changes
(Just do it!)
Self
Level 1- State of Health Diagnosis (Fact!)
6Obtaining higher level of conscious awareness
- Allows one to move from unconscious choice to
conscious choice - Allows one to accept present as is
- Decreases judges
- Brings consistency between values behaviors
7Norms for Safe Community
- 100 present to the work/lifeMust be aware,
accountable respondListen with soft eyesW/o
judgment and w/o fixingAsk open ended
questions
- Help focus the person to exploreOpen
communication with I statementsBe Invitational
not invasionalNO SHARE OR DIEIntentionally with
integrity of wordConfidentialityWhen things get
difficulty turn to wonder!
8Defense Mechanisms
- Denial minimization-protect ourselves by
refusing to acknowledge unpleasant things - Rationalization-intellectualize to rob the event
of personal significance - Projection displacement-turning outward
displacing feelings on other than the cause - Internalization-turning inward self-blame for
the problem
9Common themes in defining spiritual
- Spirit breath energy
- Universal connection to divine source Energy
Chi Qi light quantum physics love - Soul psycheego consciousness
- Mystic journey enlightenment transcending
experiencing life seeking meaning and purpose - Service to others
10Spirituality Defined
- A high level of faith, hope, and commitment in
relation to a well-defined worldview or belief
system that provides a sense of meaning and
purpose to existence in general and that offers
an ethical path to personal connectedness with
self, others, and a higher power or larger
reality. (Hawks, 1995 Am J Health Promotion)
11Interspirituality
- The sharing of ultimate experiences mystical
spirituality across traditions, the origin of
all world religions - Ontological roots that tie the various traditions
together - Openness to learn from others many paths
- Universal responsibility by the both the
individual and the global community to bound
together in a common humanity and common
aspiration for the truth
12Community structure
- Members share some kind of group prayer or
spiritual practice to augment their private
practice - Commitment to tripartite dialogue including
- Head
- Heart
- Hand
131st Element of interspirituality/Values
- Killing or harming
- Stealing
- Sexual misbehavior
- Lying
- Gossip
- Harsh or abusive speech
- Speech that causes divisiveness
- Covetousness in mind and behavior
- Hatred and malice
- Twisted or distorted understanding or views.
- Actual moral capacity To reframe from negative
actions
142nd Element of interspirituality
- Solidarity with all living beings
- Deep realization of the interconnectedness of
everyone and everything
153rd Element of interspirituality
- Adjust our external actions to our inner
attitudes - Wisdom
- Sensitivity
- Shifting from self to others
- Accepting others as they are
- Freedom from themselves
164th Element of interspirituality
- Egolessness
- Kindness
- Mercy
- Love
- compassion
175th Element of interspirituality
- Transformative spiritual practice
- Contemplative prayer, meditation, sacred readings
- Restful, active participation and presence in
liturgy and ritual - Music and chanting
- Yoga and martial arts
- Hiking and walking
186th Element of interspirituality
- Acknowledge faults, limitations and hidden
agendas - Joy
- Humor
- Transformation
- Consciousness
- The will
- The emotions
- The character
- The imagination
- Memory
- Actions orbehaviors
197th Element of interspirituality
- Generosity of spirit
- Lets go of squandering precious resources
- Appreciation of insecurity, marginality,
detachment
208th Element of interspirituality
- Selfless service and compassionate action
- Moral responsibility to all vulnerable brothers
and sisters - Affirm all as persons
219th Element of interspirituality
- Moral voice in situations that require witness or
response - Injustice, oppression, abuse of human rights, the
rights of the earth and other species
22Common themes in religion
- Religion to regulate tie back
- Religions teach basic precepts or laws of wise
and conscious human conduct to help us avoid
suffering.
23Criticism when spirituality vs religion
- From Religion new age is ego driven self
oriented blank mind room for devil to come in
man makes up rules vs god - From Spiritual born again religion is ego
I.D. with religion judgements comparisons
over which religion is better turns to division
of people vs uniting people - Equalizer Premise for Spiritual Wellness
24What do we know about spiritual wellness
practices health
25The Spiritual Wellness Journey are similar
both
- seek wholeness
- seek meaning and purpose in life experiences
- establish, maintain and reassess our spiritual
value systems and social/materialistic values - integrate acquired ego self with
true/essential soul self
26Spiritual wellness is based upon 3 premises for
social and ecological sustainability
- How we are unique and special?
- How we are similar and different?
- How we are connected?
27 Is Spirituality Related to Health? Current
Threads
- Epidemiological data
- Clinical data
- Ethical Debate
28Epidemiological Data Protective Factor
- Physical and mental health
- Coping mechanism
- Recovery times
- Overall mortality
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Depression
- Substance abuse
29Ethical Issues/Debate
- All started with -Alternative medicine
- Speculation that linking faith and health may
cause harm (guilt) - Departure of established expertise of physicians
outside their domain - Standoff between physician or patient interest in
direction of care - Research in this area is bad science
- Asking participants to change spiritual belief
30Clinical Data is Limited
- Relaxation response/meditation/ imagery/yoga
- Explanatory styleOptimism/pessimistic hope
- Health Locus of Control Internal/external
- Self efficacy/Self Esteem
- Fighting Spirit/Hopelessness
31Clinical data continued
- Mind-Body Link (PNI-peptides)
- Prayer lt complications following CABS
- Contentment
- Forgiveness
- Placebo effect initially 70 lt to 30 over
time
32Explanatory style
- Optimistic
- gt strength of immune system
- Enhance resistance of infections, allergies,
auto-immunities - ltCancer
- Pessimistic
- gtanxiety,depression, guilt, anger
- Changes blood flow gtchance of CAD
- Compromises immune system low ration
helper/suppressor T-cells ltlymphocytes
33Research findings in CAD CA (Ornish, Love and
Survival Rachel Remens Commonweal)
- Nutrition 10 of calories from fat 60gm of
soy/day meditation or prayer 20-30min/day
physical exercise walking 30-60min/day - CommitmentgtTrustgt VulnerabilitygtIntimacygt Healing
- Fear/No Commitmentgt Mistrust/ Cynicism
gtHostilitygtClosing OffgtIsolationgtDiseasegt
Premature Death
34Effective relaxation response
- Progressive relaxation Autogenic Training
Zen/YogaTranscendental Meditation Prayer
Guided Imagery http//www.healthjourneys.com/ - For physiological relaxation-response must
include - Repetition of word, sound, prayer, thought,
phrase or muscular activity - Passive return to the repetition when other
thoughts intrude
35Some Basics of the psychological/emotional
dimension
- Knowledge alone doesnt change behavior
intention with action does - Relapse is normal
- Emotions feelings influence behavior more than
thought - Perception is reality whether visualized, felt,
or actually seen
36Basics continued
- Feelings appear to be true they come and go
- Feelings keep us present with infinite
possibilities - Thoughts of desire and fears keep us stuck
- Identifying similarities in personal life
stories elicits similar feelings, the essences
of compassion and forgiveness
37Whats next in spiritual wellness?
- SPECT machine? Neurotheology
- Speculation about higher power neurotheology
neurobiologists - Are neurological changes associated with
spiritual experience due to brain causing those
experiences or perceiving a spiritual reality
38What component of spiritual wellness heals?
- Altruistic love- self giving, caring love that
values the other highly and has the intention of
giving full life to the other (Fetzer 2000) - Could altruistic love be the component of
spiritual wellness that provides protective
factor? - http//www.fetzer.org/ Multidimensional
Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality for use
in Health Research
39What questions might we ask to measure
spirituality?
- Are you active at least 2 hrs/wk in volunteering
help for your neighbors? - Do you value relationships more than obligations
at work or for payment? - When helping others do you expect them to follow
your suggestions? Do you expect something in
return? - You have someone special whom you have felt love
and supported by not romantic - You feel you have an inner source of strength and
guidance that comes through you to others.
40What we hope to learn from coping with no exit
events results in Spiritual Growth hero/
heroine journey
- Growth in wisdom
- Learn to love better
- Attributes we gain forgiveness, compassion,
empathy, hope, faith
41Ritual or Disciplined Practice
- Defined as
- taking time for self to train or actually
perform over time - by intentionally making a choice, having the will
or faith to do so - until such practice becomes a habit
42Generic Spiritual Practices Related to Health
- Intentionally Choice/Will or Faith
- Silence, centering, grounding, letting go
- Self balancing with humility
- Food as nourishment of the soul
- Activity involving body-mind-spirit
- Being part of community
- Emerge one's self in nature sustainability
- Service to others without regret
43Practices that nurture spiritual wellness
- Centering - Retreat a time of solitude
- Emptying - Process of cleansing, letting go
- Grounding - Time to access intuition,
imagination, intellect - Connecting - Reaching out, sharing true self with
others, being supported supporting, serving
44Intervention strategy
Nature offers an endless source of spiritual
nourishment
45Retreat
A time apart for silence, solitude reflection
46Relaxation, meditationor prayer
We should not allow the bewildering array of
techniques to distract us from the aim.
47Establish lifestyle routines that allows
participants to relax, trust and surrender to the
process
Fitness is having enough energy leftover to
handle an emergency or enjoy a good glass of wine!
48Nourishment
Community sharing around food and Recipes
provides substance to satisfy hunger for
connection, as well as, very low fat diets.
49 Story telling
Participants transfer their life story to their
spiritual journey giving it meaning and
purpose.
Facilitators intuitively weave the groups story,
enabling people to bring their full experience
to the retreat.
50Intentional communitynorms allow for...
Creating a safe space Changing the question How
can I help you? to... Do you have
everything you need?
51Facilitators use experiential exercises
Participants experience personal boundaries,
explore feelings, listen, resolve conflict, and
express love and anger.
52People that have feelings are not broken
Isolation comes with significant loss. People
are given space to grieve, find their own meaning
and build intimacy with others.
53We talk of death as a challenge
Death tells us not to waste time. Death teaches
us to tell each other right now we love each
other.
54Participants challenge their past story to find
meaning and purpose
55Participants set personal health goals that are
consistent with their meaning and purpose
Love heals people, both those who give love and
those that receive it.
56Ritual bestows a protected time and space to stop
and reflect...
..to make meaning out of life transitions and
acknowledge or express forgiveness and
appreciation
57Correlation of Spirituality and All Health
Related Behaviors
58Conclusion
- 78 of participants reported increased changes in
spirituality - Changes in spirituality were associated with
- Well-being
- ? Meaning and purpose in life
- ? Anger
- Patients partners want to integrate
spirituality - Further research to support this integration is
needed
59Lifes Story A hillbilly Approach
60The generic spiritual story is based on Joseph
Campbells work known as the heros
journey.