Spirituality, Wellbeing, and Health: understanding practices and connections. (X5000E)

15 credits, Level 5

Spring teaching

Wellbeing studies focus on what makes a ‘good life’. It takes in areas such as happiness, physical and mental health, economics, environment and spirituality. By linking theories of wellbeing to spiritual practices, this module provides a space to consider how we envisage and experience spirituality in a society often described as secular.

You’ll consider how spirituality is associated with health and wellbeing in contemporary societies. For example, in the growth of mindfulness practices in a range of health, social care and educational settings.

We discuss ‘belief’ in wellbeing (and ‘non-belief’ as part of this), considering differences between a religious and spiritual perspective, while treating people’s beliefs with care and respect. You examine evidence for the effectiveness of spiritual practices, such as meditation and prayer, for wellbeing.

We reflect on the ways individuals and communities use practices that have emerged from a spiritual foundation, such as:

• mindfulness
• martial arts
• chanting
• yoga
• shamanic work.

You'll examine concepts such as ‘flow’ and ‘self-compassion’, and discuss how and why they help describe spiritual practices and experiences in wellbeing. You also consider whether other practices, such as engaging in music and dance, can result in a spiritual experience.

The aim of this module is to:

• consider the construction of spirituality within contemporary society
• introduce theories of wellbeing that relate to spiritual approaches
• explore a range of spirituality-based wellbeing practices and consider their links with theory.

The module is structured to help consider the influence of spirituality within wellbeing practices of movement, stillness, sound and imagery. Teaching will encourage discussion and engagement, and includes optional experiential elements which will help promote an active engagement in module content.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 22 hours of contact time and about 128 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.