Empowerment

Empowerment is the key to personal and societal transformation. It is the bedrock of social justice and a prerequisite for the elimination of poverty, oppression and inequality. Empowerment is necessary for all dimensions of our being – our minds, bodies and spirits. (There is no rigid separation between these dimensions of course, but the description is useful as long as we remain mindful of the overlaps between the three.)

The empowerment of our minds comes through literacy, numeracy, a broad education, discernment, reliable information sources, independent media, access to books, the internet and other technology, a safe and nurturing environment, rich friendships and accessible mental health care. It is inseparable from a spiritual path that frames our worldviews and trains our minds and intuition through prayer and meditation. It is also inseparable from the empowerment of our bodies, since healthy bodies and brains are essential to empowered minds. Meditative traditions have long known this, but modern neuroscience is also revealing in greater detail the profound interconnections between our heads, hearts and guts that give rise to what we call our ‘mind’.

The empowerment of our bodies comes through safe and nutritious food, clean water, a safe and healthy environment, affordable health care and exercise. It is inseparable from the empowerment of our minds since how we view our bodies and how we think about our health, including the kinds of food we eat and the kinds of activity we engage in affects our bodies. It is also inseparable from the empowerment of our spirits, since body practices such as meditation, yoga, tai chi and meditative dance forms such as Five Rhythms are powerful means of integrating body, mind and spirit, and unlocking deep subconscious energies through the movement of the body.

The empowerment of our spirits comes through wide reading, wise teachers, humble searching, a willingness to question long-held beliefs, and a willingness to open ourselves directly to God or Ultimate Reality through prayer, meditation and other spiritual practices. Our spiritual path frames our understanding of our purpose in life and governs our understanding of the connections between our minds, bodies, and spirits.  Empowered spirits are inseparable from empowered minds, since a narrow worldview, constricted reading, a fearful or defensive disposition, and magical thinking will warp our spiritual and psychological perspectives. Work on what Carl Jung called our ‘shadow’ sides is also essential for empowered spirits and minds. Shadow work involves working with a qualified professional on the less favourable aspects of our personalities that we would rather keep hidden, or perhaps aren’t even aware of. Empowered spirits are also inseparable from empowered bodies, since unhealthy bodies can affect our spiritual paths in ways that cloud our judgement. Healthy bodies engaged in spiritual body practices such as yoga, tai chi and dance, or in sports, also nurture spiritual development and empowered minds.