Page 239 - Nursing: The Philosophy and Science of Caring

t he s ev e n c ha kr a s
connecting us to universal energy, sometimes referred to as the “Divine
power system” of the universe (Myss 1996:64). In other words, for
every physical aspect of the body and its manifestation on the physi-
cal plane, there is a metaphysical overlay of an energetic life force.
This perspective gives an entirely different meaning and purpose to
understanding how to assist with basic human needs; it incorporates a
sacred energetic framework whereby self and others can be helped to
co-create their own health and healing while learning to live life more
fully. Or this framework can help nurses assist others in more fully
mobilizing the energetic life force of self and other through the sacred
act of attending to so-called basic human needs.
According to Myss in her 1996 work (my guide for the perspective
here), “our biological design is also a spiritual design” (1996:64); thus,
energy and spirit come together. It is interesting that this biological-
spirit (energy) connection view of humanity and nursing phenomena
has been advanced by Nightingale (1969) and Martha Rogers (1970)
and explored by others, including Macrae (2001), Newman (1994),
Watson (1999, 2005), and Watson and Smith (2002).
Myss (1996) makes these connections more explicit, however, inte-
grating the spiritual-energetic system with the biological-physical,
including health challenges, physical and emotional suffering, illness,
and diseases. She therefore creates possibilities for understanding that all
human stress corresponds to a spiritual (or metaphysical) crisis at some
level—thus presenting an opportunity for deeper learning and evolving
of one’s consciousness (Newman 1994) toward healing/health.
Finding solutions for assisting self and other with basic needs then
takes on an entirely different meaning, inviting each person to gain
insight regarding his or her own energy system and accessing, redi-
recting, and balancing one’s own spirit/energy/power for reclaiming/
returning to one’s original wholeness-of-being.

Chakra EnErgy Body SyStEm
This revised framework acknowledges the connectedness of each
basic need and the holographic nature of all the needs, in that the
needs of the whole (person) are contained within each part/each
act. The entire caring consciousness embraces each part/each act.

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