Background

Sustaining the Soul that Serves is a program designed to facilitate the development of more centered, sustained, and productive leaders in the 21st century. It beckons leaders to adhere to the message flight attendants announce just prior to taking off in an airplane, “In the event of an emergency, be sure to secure your own mask before helping others.”

Sustaining the Soul provides a component missing in many professional schools and training programs: knowledge of how to renew and sustain oneself for work in the public sector. Based on intergenerational and cross cultural research, it provides opportunities for participants to secure their own masks, exploring creative expressions, meditation, journaling, nature, humor and laughter and other practices to renew themselves and to maintain peace and balance in both their personal and professional lives. Respectful of various cultural and spiritual traditions, Sustaining the Soul’s holistic training and curriculum is based on pilot programs conducted across diverse communities and belief systems on what practices cultivate self-renewal, health, and sense of connectedness. It invites leaders to explore four journeys and twelve pathways, which are based on a growing body of research that suggests that these practices do indeed reduce stress related illnesses and improve physical and mental health.