- afterlife
- what a person believes will happen after death; a place where the spirit goes after the death of the physical body
- agnostic
- someone who believes that ultimate reality is unknowable
- atheist
- someone who does not believe in any divine being or entity
- baptize
- to initiate or adopt into the faith (particularly Christianity)
- breathwork
- a technique involving intentional, controlled breathing to interrupt the stress cycle and promote relaxation
- congregation
- a group of people who worship together
- ethnicity
- the cultural, social, and ancestral characteristics that define a group of people sharing common historical roots, language, traditions, and often geographical origins
- faith
- a belief in something without proof
- healer
- an individual using faith and prayer to facilitate healing
- holistic care model
- a framework that recognizes the interconnectedness of physiological, psychosocial, and spiritual well-being in patient care
- hope
- the desire for a certain outcome and the belief that it will happen
- journaling
- the act of writing one’s thoughts and documenting one’s feelings in a journal or diary
- karma
- the notion that one’s future happiness is caused by present actions; actions performed with good intent lead to future happiness, whereas actions performed with bad intent lead to future unhappiness
- kosher diet
- a diet that adheres to Jewish dietary laws (kashrut), governing which foods are permissible based on specific religious guidelines such as the separation of meat and dairy products and prohibitions on certain animals and their products
- love
- a strong feeling of affection
- meditation
- a focused way of deeply thinking and reflecting that promotes awareness and acceptance
- mindfulness
- the practice of being present in the moment and aware of one’s thoughts, feelings, and environment
- pastoral care services (also, spiritual counselors)
- individuals who offer support to patients in exploring and expressing their spiritual needs
- prayer
- the practice of communicating with a higher power or divine entity
- qigong
- a traditional Chinese practice that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques, and focused intention
- reincarnation
- the idea that a person’s soul or spirit is reborn into a new body
- religion
- a unified system of beliefs, values, and practices that a person holds sacred or considers to be spiritually significant
- remembrance and renewal (R & R)
- a practice that involves reflecting on the past while simultaneously revitalizing or rejuvenating oneself for the future
- ritual
- a defined practice that individuals or groups use to commemorate or cope with something
- spiritual distress
- a disruption to a person’s belief or value system
- spiritual healing
- a complementary form of medicine that embraces practices such as prayer to help a person focus on healing
- spiritual well-being
- a person’s sense of purpose or meaning in life
- spirituality
- a profound feeling of connection to a greater power than oneself, as well as the practices used to explore this feeling
- transcendence
- the experience of a reality beyond the physical or literal world
- yoga
- a practice that combines physical postures, controlled breathing, and mindfulness techniques to harmonize the mind, body, and spirit