Spirituality: The corpus callosum of the soul?

In considering the concept of spirituality and occupation, I am a little daunted by the topic. It's nice to talk about in an abstract sense, but in trying to apply it to myself it seems to be a much harder thing to grasp. Sure, engaging in occupation makes me feel good, accomplished, purposeful, and happy... but spiritual? That's something I'd never considered before. Perhaps it is related to the fact that spirituality has always been connected to religion in my mind, so of course I've thought of the religious things I do as being spiritual, but everything else? Not so much. I probably would have described everything else I do as more temporal. This being said, it seems that if I attach the word spiritual to the words "understanding," and "meaning," it becomes easier to see how the occupations I do on a daily basis could contribute to my spirituality. Something I do that enriches my spirituality is walking through nature or taking a long drive. I love spending time outside and isolating myself from the rest of the world. Yesterday, for example, after work I decided to just take a drive. I don't know the outskirts of Pocatello all that well yet, so I didn't really know where I was going. I just took off up into the mountains and ended up at a place called Mink Creek. Probably my new favorite place. It's when I do this that I'm able to center myself a little bit more and remember that I matter, what I'm doing matters, and nothing should make me feel otherwise. 

In my new occupation of chrocheting, I haven't quite reached that point of spirituality that I might in other occupations, such as going into nature. I think it takes reaching a level of satisfaction with what you find out about yourself in doing an occupation to make it spiritually uplifting. I hope as I continue crocheting I may reach that point and that it will facilitate new understanding and perhaps create a new way of enriching my spirituality.

In the "Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (2nd ed.)," the topic of spirituality is defined as "The personal quest for understanding answers to ultimate questions about life, about meaning,  and about relationship with the sacred or transcendent, which  may (or may not) lead to or arise from the development of religious rituals and the formation of the community." Occupational therapists claim six aspects of domain within their practice, including: areas of occupation, client factors, performance skills, performance patterns, context and environment, and activity demands. Previously, spirituality was placed in the "context and environment" category of an occupational therapist's realm of influence; however, spirituality has been moved to the "client factors" section, along with values and beliefs. Interesting, huh?
The benefit of including spirituality in the framework is the impact it may have as the practitioner reflects upon the client's understanding of meaning and sense of self. Often spirituality is seen as a part of the individual and not just something people surround themselves with. It is more than religion, or event a mere appreciation for the things we don't understand about life. It is inextricably connected to the very heart and core of a person's soul and serves as the single connection between all meaning in that individual's life. If an occupational therapist can understand just how great this concept is, and even attempt to reach it, the understanding to be gained will be greater than any scholarly article can possibly give. 

Yours Truly

References
American Occupational Therapy Association (2008). Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and process (2nd ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62, 625-683.