What's In Your Spiritual Pantry?

Spirituality is often misconstrued as having a religious affiliation with arnchurch, mosque, or synagogue. Nothing could be further from the truth.rnThere are many church-going individuals who attend weekly services whornare anything but spiritual. Likewise, there are many persons who follow arnregimen of meditation and private prayer who wouldn’t dream of enteringrna place of worship. The ideal can, perhaps, be found in a combination ofrnthe two. Spirituality embraces a number of other disciplines besides prayerrnand worship. Yoga, tai chi, reciting a mantra, chanting, and meditation arernexcellent channels for attaining spirituality. Whatever your current status in this area, you have reached a time inrnyour life when taking inventory includes looking at the spiritual you. Medical Science and Spirituality The acceptance of spirituality in medicine has grown. There have been overrn1200 studies on the healing power of faith and the effect of spirituality onrnone’s health. The body possesses a physiological response to repetition of arnphrase or action.rnDr. Herbert Benson at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston,rnand Dr. Harold Koenig at Duke University Medical Center have ledrnthe way in discussing the power of prayer, merging spirituality and thernsciences. Dr. Benson suggests that a person’s belief in a Higher Power canrnreduce visits to doctors’ offices by 35% to 50% a year. Persons who experiencernspirituality tend to have fewer medical symptoms. A study led by Dr. William Strawbridge of the University of Californiarnat Berkley, which was released in 1997, tracked more than 5,000 Californiansrnover 28 years. It revealed that people who frequently attended religiousrnservices had lower death rates, were more likely to stop smoking, had morernsocial contacts, and stayed married longer than those who did not.rnHealth experts tell us that when we share our innermost thoughtsrnwith God (Higher Power, if you will), our immune system gets a boost;rnour brains release chemicals that serve as natural painkillers and moodrnenhancers. There are now 72 medical schools in the United States offeringrnsome kind of course on spirituality and healing. In December, 2006, thernHarvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education and thernMind/Body Medical Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centerrnpresented a conference called “Spirituality and Healing in Medicine:rnPractical Usage in Contemporary Healthcare”. The emphasis was placedrnon showing doctors how to respond to patients’ spiritual concerns in arnsensitive way even though they may be pressed for time. Dr.Christina Puchalski of George Washington University, one of thernpresenters at the conference introduced what she refers to as the “FICArnquestions” that healthcare workers can ask patients. FICA, she explained,rnis a mnemonic device for faith, importance, community, address. Thernquestions healthcare workers are encouraged to ask are: Do you have arnfaith tradition? How important is it? Are you in a faith community? Howrnmight we address these issues in your healthcare? Dr. Benson emphasized that translating belief in God (and 90% ofrnAmericans do believe in God) into health and well-being is not an alternativernor complementary but… scientifically based and proven. Try Some of My M & M’s No, it isn’t those multi-colored chocolate coated peanuts that everybodyrnloves. The two things that have worked wonders for me are meditation andrnthe metamusic that I previously mentioned. That’s why I refer to them asrnmy M & M’s.rnLet’s talk about the nuts and bolts of meditation. It is quiet thoughtrnand reflection; contemplation on sacred or solemn subjects. There are manyrntechniques that can be used to teach your mind to become calmer and betterrnfocused. You don’t need formal training to do it. Here are some simplernguidelines to help you: •• Choose a time of day. Ideally, early morning is best. At first,rnyou may only want to spend 10 minutes in meditation. As yournprogress, you can spend a longer period of time. •• Choose a quiet space. The spot should be a place where distractionsrnare minimal. In good weather, a garden or sunroomrnenhances the experience. •• Mentally voice an affirmation or intention. Make a positivernstatement about the day you expect to have. For example: “Serenityrnwill surround me throughout the day”. •• Sit in a comfortable position. Many people sit cross-leggedrnon the floor. This isn’t essential but you may want to try it. Thernimportant thing is to assume a position that allows you to bernfocused. Don’t lie on a bed or rug. •• Be patient with yourself. Your mind does not always want tornfocus and you may find distracting thoughts surfacing. Don’trnpressure yourself when this happens because it will detract fromrnyour enjoyment of the experience. With time and practice it getsrnbetter. If you want to explore specific techniques, you can choose betweenrnEastern (most notably Buddhist, Tao, or Zen meditation) and Weste (Christian). There are several interesting web sites which offer excellent tipsrnon meditation.rnCheck It Outrn•• www.meditainment.comrn•• www.higherbalance.comrn•• www.Chopra.comrn•• www.learn-to-meditate.comrn•• www.ananda.orgrn•• www.meditationiseasy.comrn•• www.mediationcenter.com Finally, let’s take a look at what is NOT meditation. It is notrn**concentration: In meditation you don’t focus on a task. Yournsimply remain aware of the moment. •• relaxation: It is the outcome of meditation since the effect ofrncalm and serenity that comes with meditation makes you relaxed. •• religious practice: Meditation is not necessarily connected withrnany specific religion or ritual. •• state of mind: It is said that meditation is really the state of nornmind. Scientists tell us that there are four states of mind based onrnthe frequency of brain waves. When you meditate, you are in thernAlpha state where excess mental activity slows down. •• self-hypnosis: In meditation you don’t enter into a state of semiconsciousrntrance the way you do in self-hypnosis. You remain in arnstate of consciousness with an awareness of the here-and-now. •• thinking: Meditation transcends the thought process. Ourrnminds create all kinds of thoughts constantly but in the meditativernstate, you achieve an awareness that is independent of allrnkinds of thoughts. Metamusic, developed by the Monroe Institute, is a combination of exquisiternmusical selections and the Hemi-Sync®is an audio technology based onrnhow the brain functions naturally. It helps you safely alter your brainwavesrnwith multi-layered patterns of sound frequencies. When listening to thesernsound frequencies through stereo headphones, your brain responds byrnproducing a third “sound” (electric signal) called a binaural beat which encourages the desired brainwave activity. rnThe CDs produced by the Monroe Institute feature many titles with special blends of the Alpha, Delta, andrnTheta frequencies which slow excess mental activity and facilitate meditationrnand relaxation. A word of caution: Never listen to metamusic whilerndriving or using machinery. The musical selections range from New Age torntimeless classical pieces. There are many excellent books on the market that fallrnunder the category of spiritual reading. They can’t all be listedrnhere but I’ll mention a few that I have found to be exceptionallyrnworthwhile in my spiritual journey. - When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough by Harold Kushnerrn- A Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warrenrn- Everyday Tao by Deng Ming Daorn- Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victorrn Hansenrn- The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Choprarn- The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho •• Journaling: Keeping a daily journal (even if you only write arncouple of lines) is an excellent way to track your spiritual journeyrnbecause it is here that you can articulate your deepest thoughts. •• Silent Retreat: Whether you go to a retreat center, monastery,rnor spend the day at home, you can have a day that is totallyrnengulfed with tranquility. If you elect to do this at home, turn offrnthe computer, telephone, radio, and TV. Immerse yourself in thernstillness and watch what happens with the changes in your body’srnrhythm and activity of your mind. •• Beliefnet.com: This web site has something for everyone. Thernlink Faiths and Practices provides information on every religion.rnOther links include holistic spirituality, guided meditations, healingrnprayers plus much more. You can even take a personality quizrnby clicking on to Belief-O-Matic to identify your religious andrnspiritual beliefs. So there you have it! As you transition into a new stage in your life, you can move forward with confidence to nurture your spiritual self.