Contributed by Suzi Craig, Chief Strategy Officer
How can a spiritual practice support your mental health?
That’s the question we asked some local Connecticut spiritual leaders and they also shared how this work impacts them personally.
As we are exploring in our #31DaysofWellness, there are multiple paths to supporting your wellbeing, from art to gardening and pet therapy to social connection, and lots in between. Long ago I gave up a religious affiliation, but continue to find my way to create a spiritual practice that is not separate from who I am or what I do, but is a part of my everyday life.
Hearing from different spiritual leaders allowed for some truly enlightening conversations. It was clear that, although the perspectives where unique, mental wellness in the here-and-now is very much a part of their world.
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[su_column size=”1/2″] Dr. Brandon Nappi
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Erica Thompson
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Dr. Brandon Nappi is a mindfulness facilitator, speake
r, and writer who passionately believes in the capacity of the human spirit to awaken. Inspired by the common wisdom of the world’s spiritual traditions, he has dedicated his life’s work to sharing the transformative power of mindfulness practice. Brandon founded Copper Beech Institute in 2014 and is the institute’s executive director. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and has completed a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Aquinas Institute of Theology and has received extensive mindfulness training from the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Brandon is a lecturer at Yale Divinity School. Check out free offerings from Copper Beech Institute.
Erica Thompson is the Senior Minister at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford, CT where she leads a congregation committed to inspiring inquiry and curiosity, foster greater acceptance, and making a deep impact on their community and beyond. She was born and raised in rural Minnesota and earned her undergraduate degree in Social Work from Concordia College – Moorhead, Minnesota in 1997. Following college, Erica worked with the US Peace Corps in Guayaquil, Ecuador for three years. She graduated seminary at Princeton Theological Seminary – Princeton, NJ in 2003 and was called to be the Associate Minister at Old South Union Church in Weymouth, MA in January 2004. Erica is the first woman to hold the Senior Minister position at AHCC. For online worship, workshops, Taize practices and more, go to the AHCC Calendar or the AHCC Videos on Demand.
Today’s #ThrowbackThursday topic was in recognition of last year’s important discussion on the mental health benefits of being spiritual or religious. Check out last year’s blog post for #31DaysofWellness, 2019 – “Feeding the Soul is Good for the Mind”.
