What is Spiritual Practice?
We use the terms human person, health, and spirituality often in holistic nursing practice, but what do they really mean? How are these concepts related? As I continue my personal and professional journey of spiritual development, I believe that people, health, and spirituality must co-exist; you can’t have one without the other. I wholeheartedly agree with Pierre Teilhard de Chardin that souls are on Earth to have a human experience. We are here to feel, to experience, and to learn and grow. The spirit is the conduit for the soul to embody the human person so it may fulfill its purpose to learn the lessons it has yet to master.
We can think of ‘human persons’ as Human Beings or Humans Doing. Human Beings are experiencing and learning, recognizing their spiritual needs are just as vital to living as their physical and emotional needs. Humans Doing focus on a checklist of accomplishments like keeping up with the Jones. Human persons can be both Beings and Doings; when our actions reflect our soul needs and we respect the flow of spirit within us, we can be of service to humanity and our Selves. When we are fully committed to our soul growth and lead with spirit, we feel vital and healthy- we feel connected and purposeful. When we are disconnected from our deepest desires, our soul callings, or intuition, we start to feel ill. It starts with our emotions; we may feel unsatisfied or even depressed. If we don’t look inward to find out why and make the necessary changes, our body becomes affected and we fall ill (Maté, 2003). The three concepts- the human person, spirituality, and health, are linked and interdependent. If a person is to be vital and healthy, they must have a sense of purpose and connection to self and others. They must be both a human being and a human doing. Spiritual care is a health behaviour (Como, 2007). Providing spiritual care is a Canadian nursing standard! (CNA, 2010). When we have a spiritual practice that guides us to find meaning and purpose, we feel energized and healthy. When we are disconnected from ourselves, we may experience dis-harmony, or dis-ease (Maté, 2003).
I think many people, myself included, think of meditation as the “ultimate spiritual practice.” Several years ago, I was told by someone I respected that because I don’t meditate regularly, I do not have a spiritual practice. This sentiment, combined with my own belief that a regular meditation practice was ‘what spiritual people do’, created a great source of inner conflict and self doubt. Even though I am always in communion with Source and spirit, I believed for years that I was not truly spiritual (closed-eye meditation still causes me anxiety). I have since broadened my understanding of spiritual practice.
Spiritual practice… is knowing we are worthy simply because we exist.
So, what is spiritual practice? It is a process of connecting to that intangible part of us that is as present as our minds and bodies, yet remains that elusive concept that scientists are unable to define in a concrete way. Spirituality and spiritual practice can’t be defined because each person approaches it in their own unique way. In all the years I have not meditated, I have still been developing a spiritual practice. It’s an ongoing process that needs to be tended to daily, and it evolves and grows, just as we do. There are innumerable sources detailing the ‘how and why’ of various forms of spiritual practices such as meditation, journaling, gratitude practices, mindfulness, etc. There are great benefits to ritual and routine when it comes to spiritual practice (Como, 2007), I do not dispute this! But if we only consider spiritual practice to be that time we have set aside for meditation (or journaling, etc.) we might dismiss the other more subtle ways we can connect to our spirits, our Selves, our higher power, and our fellow humans.
Spiritual practice can be as simple as thanking our food before we eat it, acknowledging the plants and animals who given their life to nourish ours. It can be enjoying the warmth of the dishwater while we wash the dishes from a meal spent with loved ones. It can be looking out the window and marveling at the sparkle of the snow, the wave of the grass, or the jumping in spring puddles. It can be extending grace to the driver who just cut you off, remembering that he too is a fellow divine human being. It can be as simple as enjoying a morning walk, or as complex as asking for a second chance. It is making the choice to embrace life with all its lessons; some are filled with ease and grace, some are more challenging to accept. It is knowing we are worthy simply because we exist.
Spiritual practice can be any way that you find connection, joy, and learning in the present moment. There are so many ways to connect to our purpose and serve humanity with all the beautiful gifts we have been blessed with. There is beauty and value in meditative and mindfulness practices that allow us to go inward and reflect, but they not the only way. There is a chance to find spiritual connection in literally every moment of our lives. It is a choice, a practice, a way of being, of accepting our faults and blessings in any way that honours our Selves, our higher power, and our fellow humans. Spiritual practice is what we make it, and in doing so, support our health as human Beings.
References
Canadian Nurses Association (CAN). (2010, June). Position statement: Spirituality, health and nursing practice. [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.cna-aiic.ca/~/media/cna/page-content/pdf-en/ps111_spirituality_2010_e.pdf?la=en.
Como, J. (2007). Spiritual practice: A literature review related to spiritual health and health outcomes. Holistic Nursing Practice (September/October), 224-236.
Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre. (n.d).
Maté, G. (2003). When the body says no: The cost of hidden stress. A.A. Knopf Canada.
