Supporting spiritual wellness is an integral part of my work with clients and it makes sense that this is so, because dealing with a devastating, debilitating chronic illness has forced the women I work with to reexamine their identity and purpose in life and to reconsider every aspect of how they are living their lives. Do you find this to be true for you as well?

Spiritual wellness can contain a religious aspect or it can be an existential sense of inner peace and purpose, connectedness to others and a reverence for life and nature unrelated to formal religious practice, and ultimately it can contain both religious and existential aspects of well-being.

The National Wellness institute states that spiritual wellness recognizes our search for meaning and purpose in our lives. 

 It includes the development of a heartfelt appreciation for the depth and expanse of life and the natural forces that exist in the universe and an understanding of the values, beliefs, and morals that guide our actions. 

Spiritual wellness can also be described according to four domains of connection: to oneself, to others, to nature and to the transcendent. 

Habits of spiritual practice

The habits of spiritual practice serve us well in calming and supporting the health of our nervous system. 

You can nurture your nervous system by training it to return to a state of peaceful, centeredness after a period of activity, by setting aside a few minutes or more, several times a week to practice deep relaxation. 

You can do this through meditation, gentle stretching, breathing exercises, imagery work, prayer, quiet walks, absorbing and savoring positive experiences to name just a few ways.

How do you incorporate spiritual wellness in your healing journey?