Front entrance to Ursuline Hall.

Spiritual

Spiritual wellness is your way of engaging in relationship to that which is greater than you. Your spirit is your inner self and helps you discover meaning in the world around you, events in life, and life’s purpose. Your spirit connects you to others.

Your personal spirituality is an important component of spiritual wellness. This spirituality can be different for each person, as we see in the lives of great spiritual leaders and the saints. Some examples of spirituality are developing compassion, contributing to society, giving, belonging to an organized religion, praying, meditation, and/or being at peace with nature. Spiritual wellness involves your awareness and practice of values, morals, religious faith and ethics. Spiritual wellness involves
a personal journey that includes a desire to understand the other and that which is greater than us. It does not stay with us and translates into action. It is formed by wisdom, justice and compassion.

Signs of Healthy Spiritual Wellness

  • Discovering a sense of meaningfulness in your life and knowing that you have a purpose to fulfill in life
  • Valuing yourself, others, and the Sacred
  • Exploring what spirituality means to you
  • Incorporating spirituality into your everyday life

Strategies to Enhance your Spiritual Wellness

  • Take time for quiet reflection or prayer
  • Read inspirational books
  • Explore what spirituality means to you
  • Practice/incorporate faith, hope, forgiveness, love, social support and prayer into your life
  • Attend worship or a service in your own faith tradition, or explore one you’re less familiar with
  • Explore ecumenical and multi-faith dialogue
  • Visit the Brescia Chapel and sit for a moment of peace, solace, solitude, sanctuary and beauty, silence, prayer or meditation
  • Consult with Brescia’s Chaplain
  • Attend Mass at Brescia Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Sunday at noon in the Ursuline Hall Chapel
  • Visit a Church, Temple, Mosque or Synagogue
  • Practice meditation- this is an experience of relaxing the body, quieting the mind and awakening the spirit. Mindfulness Meditation Drop in happens at Brescia every Wednesday until April 5th, 2017 1:30-2:30pm in the Rose Room, UH
  • Attend a service in another tradition to better understand the Sacred and others
  • Grow in your relationships with others by spending quality time with loved ones
  • Be at peace with nature – go for a walk in the forest and practice mindfulness
  • Take a walk to Brescia’s very own labyrinth (located behind St. James Building)- Labyrinths can be used as a prayer or meditation tool to find peace, manage stress, assist with decision making, self-exploration and personal reflection
  • Attend a symphony or visit an art gallery or museum
  • Take up art classes, or crafting
    Colour a mandala- mandala means “sacred circle” and is used as a transformative healing tool
  • Try yoga- “yoga” means union and this practice integrates the mind, body and soul
  • Drop by the Supper Club at Brescia. It gathers every day in the Mercato at 5 pm

Benefits of Spiritual Wellness

  • By alleviating stressful feelings and promoting healing ones, spirituality can positively influence immune, cardiovascular(heart and blood vessels), hormonal, and nervous systems
  • Improve coping skills and social support
  • Foster feelings of optimism and hope
  • Promote healthy behaviour
  • Reduce feelings of depression and anxiety
  • Encourage a sense of relaxation

Resources

Off-Campus  
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On-Campus   
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  • Priest/ Chaplain- Brother David Connolly
  • Director of Campus Ministry
    • 155 Mother St. James Building
    • 519 432 8353 ext. 28258
  • Muslim prayer room – located off the auditorium in St. James Building
  • Brescia Chapel - located in Ursuline Hall
    • Regular Mass Times:
      • Sunday – 12:00 p.m.
      • Tuesday – 12:00 p.m.
      • Wednesday – 12:00 p.m.
      • Thursday – 12:00 p.m.
      • Friday – 12:00 p.m.
Online   
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Recommend a resource, tool, tip or app that has helped you with the seven dimensions of wellness by emailing the Student Life Centre.

References
http://iwellness.uwo.ca/spiritual_wellness/index.html
https://www.unh.edu/health-services/ohep/spiritual-wellness
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/treatment/spirituality
http://brescia.uwo.ca/life/campus-ministry/
http://www.unb.ca/fredericton/wellness/dimensions/spiritual.html