personal health journal 4

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Chapter 2A Lecture

Access to Health Thirteenth Edition

Focus On

Cultivating Your

Spiritual Health

Did you PREPARE and did you LEARN?

• Define spirituality.

• Define religion.

• Explain how spirituality and religion differ.

• How might psychotherapy be considered a form of spirituality?

• How might your personal spirituality be enhanced based on what you have read?

Spirituality

• Although attendance at religious services may decline during the college years, interest in spirituality and ethical considerations increases.

• Data indicate that college students have an increased interest in:

– Attaining inner harmony

– Developing a meaningful philosophy of life

– Seeking beauty in life and becoming more loving people

What Is Spirituality?

• Spirituality is an individual's sense of peace,

purpose, connection to others, and beliefs about

the meaning of life.

• Harold G. Koenig, MD, one of the foremost

researchers of spirituality and health, defines

spirituality as the quest for answers to the

ultimate questions about life, meaning, and our

relationship with the sacred or transcendent.

Spirituality Integrates Three Facets

• Healthy relationships— treating ourselves and others with respect, honesty, integrity, and love—are a sign of spiritual well-being.

• Values are our principles—not only the things we say we care about, but also the things that cause us to behave the way we do.

• People who are spiritually healthy are able to articulate their purpose in life and to make choices manifesting that purpose.

Meaningful Purpose in Life

• What career goals do you have?

• Do you hope to marry and have or adopt

children?

• At the end of each day, how would you want

people to evaluate you and what you did and

said during that day?

Spiritual Intelligence Is an Inner Wisdom

• Physicist and philosopher Danah Zohar coined

the term spiritual intelligence.

• She defines spiritual intelligence as "an ability to

access higher meanings, values, abiding,

purposes, and unconscious aspects of the self."

The Benefits of Spiritual Health

• The National Center for

Complementary and

Alternative Medicine

(NCCAM) has evidence

showing that spirituality has a

positive influence on health

and wellness, which may

result in improved immune

function, cardiovascular

function, and/or other

physiological changes.

Physical Benefits

• The National Cancer Institute contends that

spiritual or religious well-being may:

– Decrease anxiety, depression, anger,

discomfort, and feelings of loneliness

– Decrease drug and alcohol use

– Decrease blood pressure and the risk of

cardiovascular disease

Physical Benefits

• Spiritual or religious well-being may also:

– Increase a person's ability to cope with the

effects of illness and with medical treatments

– Increase feelings of hope and optimism,

freedom from regret, satisfaction with life, and

inner peace

Psychological Benefits

• Studies have shown that spirituality is

associated with reduced levels of anxiety and

depression.

• Some spiritual practices—like yoga, prayer, and

meditation—can positively affect brain chemistry

the way an antidepressant might.

• People who have found a spiritual community

also benefit from increased social support.

Stress Reduction Benefits

• The NCI cites stress reduction as one probable

mechanism among spiritually healthy people for

improved health and longevity and for better

coping with illness.

What Can You Do to Focus on

Your Spiritual Health?

• Yoga is one of the foremost methods of seeking transcendence through physical means. Yoga may involve controlled breathing, physical postures, meditation, chanting, and other practices to cultivate unity with the Atman, or Absolute.

• There are several forms of yoga to explore, so you should make sure to choose a form that seems right for you.

Train Your Body

• Energizing your body with jogging, cycling, aerobics, or other exercise that you enjoy can also contribute to spiritual health.

• Move your exercise routine more toward spiritual health by acknowledging gratitude for your strength and speed and remaining mindful of your breathing.

• Be at one with your body—think of vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch as portals to your spiritual health.

Expand Your Mind

• Psychological counseling is often a first step toward improving spiritual health.

• A study of the world's major religions, spiritual practices, and sacred texts might help a person to achieve spiritual fulfillment.

• Discover what spiritual practices might be available on your campus and in your community that would help you to expand your spiritual awareness.

Tune in to Yourself and Your Surroundings

• Contemplation might help resolve issues you are facing right now.

• Being mindful can have spiritual value by bringing you into the moment to become fully integrated into reality.

• Meditation might help empty your mind of clutter and help you cultivate stillness.

• Prayer might bring the mind into focus to communicate with a transcendent presence.

Reach Out to Others

• Altruism, the giving of oneself out of genuine concern for others, is a key aspect of a spiritually healthy lifestyle.

• Serving others can be done in many ways— consider what you might have done in your past and what might you consider now as a result of reflecting on spirituality.

• Environmental stewardship is the personal responsibility we each have toward our environment.

Find Your Spiritual Side through Service

• What do you do for neighbors and within your

community without being asked and without

announcing it?

• Have you ever volunteered your time and

energy for anything?

• How mindful are you of global poverty and

injustice? Have you ever done anything to

reduce either of these?

Assessing Yourself–A Personal Inventory

• Go online to the Live It! section of www.pearsonhighered.com/donatelle to take the "What's Your Spiritual IQ?" assessment.

• Consider again your purpose in life, what meaning your life has, and how you can improve your relationships by what you do.

• Aim to live more closely to your values and principles and to contribute, in some way, to improving your community.