Week 5 - Natalie Lortz

        More and more, to me, spirituality just seems to be the gateway to and development of the practice of universal truths. For example, "transpersonal mindfulness" (which includes "'transcendence', 'empathy towards others', and 'embodiment of other's 'self'") and mindfulness (which is defined as "'awareness of the 'self' and also leading to 'self-empathy'") both are fancy ways to describe empathy and the concept that we are more than just our minds. It allows for Oneness and does not totally buy into the fact that everyone is so separated by barriers impossible to cross that there is no hope of understanding each other on a deep level. Maybe this is just a personal standpoint..., but OF COURSE we are more than our minds! Our mind is merely a tool governed by the soul; it is not the driver unless we choose to give it that power.

        Personally, I am loving the rise of spiritual studies and the integration of which into health practices. The diagram from this week's reading that describes the pictorial description of a chaplain-patient interaction was probably the most intriguing interpretation of a patient-healer interaction I've ever seen. It deeply involves empathy as a main part of the process and empathy is the most significant factor in meaningful human connection. In order to heal, people need to feel heard, seen, and understood, whether by themselves or a third party. Further, a super important aspect of this diagram is the allowance of the Chaplain's own healing. Healers are humans too. To expect them to be a perfect person, able to fix others without needing help themselves, is a toxic yet prevalent idea for all individuals. The prevailing obsession with perfection is not only impossible, but feeds into the toxicity of "not needing" anyone or anything else, that we are perfect on our own and to need time to heal, process, or lick our wounds is a trait reserved for the weak. To not be open to the possibility of healing points to a need to heal.

       As I've said before, I aspire to be a therapist that integrates these healing ideals into my practice and, hopefully, into my patients. Though I don't plan on joining a clergy anytime soon, I do plan on using the practice of empathy and mindfulness (transpersonal or not) into my daily interactions with others.