Articles
The Journal on Active Aging brings articles of value to professionals dedicated to older-adult quality of life. Content sweeps across the active-aging landscape to focus on education and practice. Find articles of interest by searching the article archives in three ways: Enter a keyword in the articles search bar; click on search by topic; or type a keyword or phrase in the general search bar at the top of the page.
Topic- Spiritual wellness
Mindfulness and meditation: research to practice by Terry Eckmann, PhD
Think of mindfulness and meditation as an exercise of the mind that can support physical and cognitive wellness throughout the lifespan. By regularly incorporating these practices into daily life, individuals can improve their sleep and nurture a positive attitude, which along with regular exercise, nutritious and well-balanced diets, social interaction, and learning and doing new things, is an important component of brain and body health. Mindfulness and meditation can be done by anyone, anytime, anywhere, and for as long as the practitioner feels comfortable. Delve into the benefits in this article, and gain easy-to-implement approaches to use with your residents or members.
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Spirituality drives performance by Adam Smith, MA, and Dustin Nabhan, DC, PhD
Whether it involves a race, a dance or a presentation, human performance benefits when people's lives include a sense of purpose and incorporate spiritual practices such as mindfulness.
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Death by design by Colin Milner
Life is finite. For many of us, this fact goes unrecognized until later in life. But, for Dr. Stephanie Ludwig, PhD, MA, MDiv, this was not so. At a young age Ludwig experienced the death of a sibling. This catastrophic event caused her to ask questions that many people wait until later life to explore--questions such as: Why do these things happen? Why do we live? And why do we die? In search of answers to these and other questions, Ludwig found herself on a journey of self-reflection. At 19 she declared a theology major in college, hoping to find absolute answers to her questions. She did not. Yet, this did not deter her as she sought to come to terms with her own mortality--something she says many don't do until faced with a loss. Ludwig is still exploring life, and ultimately its end, all these years later, including most recently as the former Director of Spiritual Wellness for Canyon Ranch, a global leader in the wellness movement. ... It is due to Ludwig's unique journey and training that I interviewed her for the second season of my podcast, Colin Milner Rethinks Aging With .... I reached out to her to learn how we -- as individuals and as active-aging professionals - can ensure, as best possible, that we and our residents and members, family members and friends not only live well, but die well, too. As someone who has spent decades focused on quality of life for adults ages 50+, I found the discussion profoundly meaningful. And as International Council on Active Aging CEO, I wanted to share that conversation with you. Let's dive in!
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Spiritual health and active aging: A perspective by Stephanie Ludwig, MDiv, MA, PhD
Each morning 67-year-old John gets on his road bike and cycles through the northern foothills of Tucson, Arizona. Each year he gets slower, he says, but he always returns home from riding with a sweaty, relaxed, smiling face that radiates joy. John has ridden solo and with other cyclists for decades, and continues to do so because it brings him peace in body, mind and spirit as well as a sense of community. It also inspires him to be of service to others. Over the years he has found creative and meaningful ways to share his passion for cycling and bike-friendly communities through volunteerism and philanthropy. The physical, emotional and mental benefits of an active lifestyle are documented by researchers, and well known through direct experience by people like John. Far less considered are the benefits of an active lifestyle for spiritual health--especially approaching exercise and movement as spiritual practice.
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Brookdale's Ageless Spirit initiative supports spiritual wellness in later life
Established in 1978, Brookdale Senior Living ... “is committed to providing an exceptional living experience,” comments Public Relations Manager Andrea Turner. Optimum Life®, Brookdale’s philosophy of well-being, “establishes the foundation for a positive aging experience by supporting the whole-person wellness of residents and associates through six key dimensions,” Turner says. “Each year, the Optimum Life team identifies one dimension of wellness as the foundation for developing an annual wellness theme,” states Carol Cummings, BSN, RN, CHWC, director of Optimum Life development. “As part of the theme, a campaign is launched that includes educational and health promotion programs developed to enrich the lives of residents and associates and further position Brookdale as a leader in senior health and wellness. The most recent program, The Ageless Spirit, focuses on the spiritual wellness dimension.”
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Support spiritual wellness through creative outdoor design by Jack Carman, FASLA, and Nancy Carman, MA, CMC
Wellness—it’s a concept we are instinctively drawn to. As health and wellness professionals, to instill wellness in a community or facility, we need to break it down into various components to help us understand its role in creating positive quality of life. Of all the dimensions of wellness—physical, social, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and vocational—spiritual wellness may be the most personal and possibly the hardest for us to quantify. Yet spiritual wellness is also the dimension that adds depth and meaning to the other five.
What does spiritual wellness mean? In 1975, the term “spiritual well-being” was defined by the National Interfaith Coalition on Aging, a National Council on Aging special interest group, as “the affirmation of life in relationship with God, self, community and environment that nurtures and celebrates wholeness.” The spiritual aspect of wellness, as defined by the National Wellness Institute, “recognizes our search for meaning and purpose in human existence.” It is a lifelong journey in which we seek ways that demonstrate “values through behaviors, such as meditation, prayer and contemplation of life/death, as well as appreciating beauty, nature and life.”
