Finding Harmony During Challenging Times:
Seven Practices to Enhance Your Spiritual Wellness

by Susan Tate

Last week I was on the Washington State Ferry, gliding serenely across Puget Sound on my way to give a wellness presentation on the Kitsap Peninsula. After the ferry left the dock we heard an announcement informing passengers that the U.S. Coast Guard was conducting a security drill. It seemed we were going to have two boats accompany us as we traveled across the water on this beautiful spring morning. As I looked out the large windows, I saw one of the Coast Guard boats to my right. I was quite rattled to see a man in the bow of the boat sternly gripping a long machine gun that was firmly pointed straight ahead.

Somehow, I didn’t feel safer, I felt sadder. Sad and challenged by the thought that the world seems to have so much more fear, tension, intolerance, and discord than ever before. The serene harmony I’d felt a few moments earlier evaporated. As I attempted to digest what I was seeing, I realized that in some countries people wouldn’t think twice about seeing (or hearing) machine guns in their daily life. I had to make a conscious decision to access aspects of my spiritual wellness to help me process this unexpected experience during my dearly loved ferryboat ride.

What is spiritual wellness? Spiritual wellness involves asking questions about everyday experiences in the world, and pondering things that may not ever be completely understood. It means finding a sense of peace and harmony within one’s self as we travel life’s path of rough and smooth waterways and highways.

The spiritual dimension of wellness holds a place for us to recognize our search for meaning and purpose in our human existence. Spiritual wellness also includes the development of a deep appreciation for how expansive life is and an awareness of the natural forces that exist within our vast universe. Machine guns accompanying me that day on my treasured-always-peaceful ferry ride is a man-made force that is a fact of life in this world, and I struggled to make sense of it.

To help me get back to a more harmonious and peaceful state of being, I took a few breaths and re-focused my attention on the absolutely incredible scenery around me. The snow on the majestic Olympic Mountains in front of me looked simply divine. To my left, the Seattle skyline was slightly visible through the morning haze. I could even see the Space Needle pointing to the heavens. And ever so lightly behind and between the clouds, I could make out the edges of my beloved Mt. Rainier. To my right, I saw beautiful Whidbey Island and the vast expanse of blue waterways that eventually spill out into the ocean.

The Coast Guard boats then did a quick crisscrossing maneuver behind the ferry. I took another deep breath. I turned my view away from the boats and looked forward once again. To my delight, I saw two whales lightly emerging above the surface of the water. They were playfully performing a circular swim-dancing duet. Ah, I was back home in my body and soul now, as the discomfort and tension of the vision of machine guns dissolved into the background.

The National Wellness Institute suggests, “You'll know you're becoming spiritually well when your actions become more consistent with your beliefs and values, resulting in a ‘world view’." I could see where the security drill might be necessary, but it didn’t have a place in the everyday view in my world. My rational self was able to understand the reasons behind it and yet still note my own personal discomfort. I believe it was my reservoir of spiritual wellness that supported the process of what I was thinking, feeling, and observing. It helped bring me back to a more harmonious state.

Are there times when you want more harmony? As I have strengthened the spiritual dimension of my own wellness path, seven spiritual activities and resources have been crucial in creating harmony. Everyone defines “spiritual activities” in their own way and I want to note that the following resources are not affiliated with any religion. I encourage you to explore which activities feel right (if any) for you to add to your own practices of spiritual wellness.

Seven Practices to Enhance Your Spiritual Wellness

1. Start your day with five minutes of inspirational reading, music, or meditation. I often begin my day with Karen Drucker’s beautiful song, “Morning Prayer.” (From her latest CD Songs of the Spirit IIII)

2. End your day with your own thank-you prayers or by mentally listing ten things you were grateful for that day.

3. Consider learning about the powerful Hawaiian prayer practice called Ho'oponopono. It has simple, peaceful, and poignant lines: Dear God (Or whatever you call the Divine) I am sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. And I thank you. You may want to view this seven-minute Ho'oponopono meditation on YouTube to see if this appeals to you.

4. Listen to healing music that sooths your soul. My favorite is the healing music to support the “healing stream” practice created by Bruno Groening. This free music is available by clicking on “download” and then “music.” My personal favorite is an instrumental entitled, “II Gitarre 2.”

5. Subscribe to a daily message that uplifts your spirit. Abraham-Hicks Publications has a daily quote I read at the start of my day. Click here to subscribe. The top corner of their banner says, “You are loved. All is well.” If I read nothing else, it’s a great reminder that makes me smile each morning.

6. Create or discover a daily affirmation or short prayer that inspires and directs your day. Gay Hendricks shares what he calls the “Ultimate Success Mantra” in his recent book, The Big Leap. “I expand in abundance, success, and love every day, as I inspire those around me to do the same.” I love this affirmation since it includes others too!

7. Find ways to access the healing power of love. If it calls to you, check out the work of Robert G. Fritchie’s work through the World Service Institute. This organization teaches people how to apply Divine Love as a healing energy to amplify spiritual wellness.