Our latest blog was inspired by an article in the Life and Arts supplement to the Financial Times from August of this year. The article’s author, Enuma Okoro, against a background of the stress and anxiety caused by environmental crises, human rights concerns, Covid statistics and much more, pointed out that all of this contributes to making many people’s lives feel both precarious and unmanageable.
In the article, Okoro stresses the need for positive rituals and coping mechanisms as a practical counterbalance. She concludes that humankind needs ways of tapping into emotional, mental and spiritual nourishment. even in this largely secular world where science and technology preponderates.
In such a world it is not surprising that the beliefs, practices and rituals previously engendered in churches, chapels, temples, synagogues and mosques have been allowed to atrophy to the point where few people are in touch with the the sureties taken for granted in less secular times.
The concomitant loss of these foundations to secular societies has seen people no longer able to cope with the stress and uncertainty that their fore-bearers were able to take seemingly in their stride.
In her well-crafted article, Enuma Okoro cites the influence on herself of the teachings of St. Benedict the 6th. Century Abbot of Nursia. Benedict in his “rule” proposes a daily regime divided equally between prayer, study and work as a method for structuring individuals in a meaningful manner over time.
A modern approach
Although few of us need or want a cloistered, monastic life, Benedict’s approach may be capable of helping with the unmanageable stresses, strains and traumas all too common today in our secular and technological societies.
Benedict’s way, it is claimed, is capable of helping people achieve a well rounded, balanced and positively balanced world view which may not be as extreme a method as it might appear at first glance.
Despite the cultural losses which have stressed and confused the population of this planet, all is not lost! In the world of the holistic therapies, a great deal of traditional knowledge and core values have been preserved and are waiting to be accessed by anyone requiring a stronger, healthier and more optimistic world view.
How we can help
Speaking to a practitioner of green medicine may be a useful counterbalance to the proponents of algorithmic mayhem, while modern rituals such as running, Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi Chuan and Chi Gung may be just as effective in producing well structured and well rounded individuals as was Benedict’s ‘Rule’ at an earlier time.
Certainly a day structured around prayer, study and work with a leaven of modern ritual is likely to provide a useful counterbalance to the constant litany of gloom and doom which bombards us all from the communications industry of today.
For anyone seeking a brief reprieve from the pressures and stresses of modern life, The Complementary Medicine Centre is open to all. From Homeopathy and Hypnotherapy to Acupuncture, we are highly skilled experts who have decades of experience providing relief to individuals from all walks of life. Contact us today to arrange a consultation.