People noticed and respected families that included many old people, knowing that in those families must be industrious, wise, and spiritual women who gathered good foods, prepared meats properly, and made daily offerings and prayers to the spirits.
—May Louise Defender—
Until the recent past, the health of her extended family was a woman’s responsibility. Perhaps the American Indians were usually wise in appreciating the health-giving qualities of both good nutrition and spiritual practice. We sometimes forget how important a tranquil spirit is to our overall health.
Health, as a positive quality, expresses how well we integrate with the world. It’s measured by the success of our detachment from those things we can do nothing about, as well as our engagement with those things we can. A healthy organism cooperates with natural processes and throws off insults.
More and more, we are taking responsibility for our own health. If we live to ripe old age,
it won’t necessarily be because of our daughters-in-law or our nieces, but because we’ve learned to respect the balance of the body and the spirit.”Daily offerings and prayer,” that is, daily meditation and spiritual cleansing, is something we can all incorporate into our lives. Whatever our life span, it will be richer and happier if we nourish our spirit along with our bodies.
Many sources of wisdom are available to me, and the strong voice of the spirit sounds in them all.