Glimpses of ancient hindu spirituality: areas for integrative therapeutic intervention

Abstract

There is a paucity of scholarly work on Hindu spirituality in a social work context. For practitioners to be competent when working with Hindus, a deeper understanding of the beliefs and practices that underpin their faith and their use of ancient Indian healing practices when confronted with problems is critical. This paper journeys into Hindu sacred scriptures, prayer and worship rituals, astrology, ayurveda and meditation and explores their potential to create integrative synergies with conventional social work therapy. It also highlights the important role of the Guru in the fabric of Hindu healing and the importance of validating this together with the other realms of Hindu spirituality in practice.

Keywords:

• Hindu
• traditional
• healing
• therapeutic