The involvement of spirit is associated with lower levels of depression, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, and delinquent behaviors, as well as later onset of sexual activity (Wilson, New England Network).
The Spirit Dimension of Wellness
"What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality" -Plutarch
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men [and women]." -Frederick Douglas
"For every one of us that succeeds, it's because there's somebody there to show you the way out. The light doesn't necessarily have to be in your family; for me it was teachers and school." -Oprah Winfrey
The National Wellness Institute calls wellness "an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices towards, a more successful existence."
The Six Dimensional Wellness Model was developed by the institute's Dr. Bill Hettler to express the connections among these dimensions: social, occupational, spiritual, physical, intellectual, and emotional.
1. Social: Social wellness encompasses the individual's contribution to the environment and the community as a whole. It encourages living in harmony, not conflict, with the world around us.
2. Occupational: Work offers the opportunity for us to contribute our unique gifts to the world. It invites us to bring our values to a vocation that is personally meaningful, and notes the importance of the attitude we bring to our work. 3. Spiritual: The spiritual dimension embraces our search for life's meaning and purpose, encouraging open-mindedness, living a life true to our beliefs, and bringing us to a "world view" and spiritual wellness. 4. Physical: Physical wellness includes proper nutrition, regular exercise, and avoiding harmful habits. Learning to be aware of the body's signals will help in making wise decisions about health and seeking medical help.
5. Intellectual: Intellectual wellness speaks to creative mental activities, stressing lively interaction with the world. It encourages developing intellectual curiosity, sharing knowledge, and solving problems as they arise. 6. Emotional: Emotional wellness embodies self-esteem. Awareness and acceptance of a wide range of our own and others' feelings is essential to wellness and helps us welcome risk and conflict as a natural part of growth.
“Teaching and Leading from the Inside Out”
An Evening Program for Educators on October 1st
And a follow-up Weekend Workshop
for Educators
October 2-3
Boulder, CO
Creating space for Silence; speaking and listening with more Kindness and Respect, identifying "tools" or self practices for Calming and Strengthening;
This piece is excerpted from Twelve Exercises
for Mindful Parenting by Jon and Myla
Kabat-Zinn, authors of Everyday
Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting.
In recent years, rites of passage have captured the attention of educators, counselors, parents, and concerned community members who are asking the question:How can we support our friends, families, students, and community-members through life’s inevitable transitions in a healthy way?
When I consider the brilliant observations and analyses made in the last century by the great pioneers in child development, I am astonished that the key element…given here, and summarily called child-spirit…was missed for so long. -Joseph Chilton Pearce
Hannah Teter on Wellness
Hannah Teter, Olympic gold medal winner, talks about the impact of wellness practices on her everyday life as well as her life as an athelete and competitor. Click here to watch the video.
