1. WHAT IS SPIRITUALITY? Spirituality is a personal journey. It has been defined in many ways: as the “innate yearning,
A s you ought not to attempt to cure the eyes without the head, or the head without the body, so neither ought you to attempt to cure the body without the soul... for the part can never be well unless the whole is well... You must begin by curing the soul.
longing for harmony and wholeness”, “the strength to go on”, the “experience of striving for self-transcendence, to be in a relationship with the other” (author unknown), and “the energy within each person that looks for meaning and purpose in life”. There is a difference between spirituality and religion. Religion is an organized system of
Plato
beliefs, practices, rituals and symbols while spirituality is a personal quest for answers to questions about life and meaning. Not everyone will need religious care, but all need spiritual care. Spirituality is the whole life of the person lived in relationship with the transcendent (God). Spirituality can be expressed in many ways – formal and informal. Some people do not belong to a religion but still lead highly spiritual lives. Others live out and express their spirituality within an institutionalized religion. 2. SPIRITUALITY AT END OF LIFE Spiritual care is an integral part of hospice palliative care. As people approach death, they reflect on the meaning of life. They tend to review their life, evaluate the choices they’ve made, and search for some kind of meaning in their illness (e.g. Why me? Why now?). Most of us want our lives to be meaningful and useful: to have a sense that our lives counted for something.Some of the ways that people find meaning include: • Belonging to a caring community – which can be a group of family and friends, including the hospice palliative care team – that nurtures all members • Telling their stories – including stories of shame, pain and grief – so they can move from a sense of guilt or anger to forgiveness • Healing old wounds – when stories are shared and accepted with love and in a non- judgmental way, it can be a great relief for a person and help heal long-held pain. • Experiencing moments of transcendence or peak experiences – such as a beautiful sunset or a new insight – or feeling a sense of awe and wonder
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