One of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) types of complementary/alternative practices is mind and body medicine. According to the NCCAM, “Mind and body practices focus on the interactions among the brain, mind, body, and behavior, with the intent to use the mind to affect physical functioning and promote health” (2012, p. 2). In the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (Barnes, Bloom, & Nahin, 2008), mind and body practices were among the top 10 therapies used, with 12.7% of the subjects using deepbreathing exercises, 9.4% using meditation, and 6.1% practicing yoga. Interestingly, yoga and deep breathing were often used by children.

Because the philosophy of nursing is holistic, “spirit” was added to the title for this part. Not only does the mind affect the body and the body the mind, but the spirit also has an impact on a person’s overall functioning. Nursing has moved away from the Cartesian philosophy in which the body and mind (and spirit) were seen as functioning independently of each other. Cartesian philosophy has for centuries dominated Western medicine. Refuting this dichotomy can be seen in the impact that a severe headache has on one’s ability to think, to move, and to pray.