Oh, I had such a stressful day at the office!” “Thank heaven exam week is almost over. I’m totally stressed out!” “I’ve got a stress headache. That phone hasn’t stopped ringing all day!”

Welcome to the Age of Anx­iety. If our own weary bodies and spirits don’t convince us we are stressed out, we get steady reminders from self-help books, magazine articles, news reports, public lectures. Stress seems to be epidemic in our society today. The antidote, it appears, lies in finding ways to reduce those tensions and irritants which invade our lives and, in the process, sap our energy and impair our sense of contentment. The proposed solutions are as widespread as the problem. Typi­cally, they focus on eating and exercising well, getting sufficient rest, setting realistic goals, learning to relax through deep breathing or meditation.

All of these techniques have their place and promise a degree of relief. But, sadly, few experts on stress management suggest that drawing on one’s belief system in difficult times can also lead to peace and calm. In truth, when we get in touch with our spiritual roots and deepest beliefs, we unearth a mys­terious and powerful reserve that can help us in our darkest hours. “Meaning,” says psychologist Carl Jung, “makes a great many things endurable, perhaps everything." Continue reading here...