Leisure and spiritual well-being relationships: A qualitative study

The purpose of this qualitative study was to uncover the processes that lin k leisure with spiritual well-being. In-depth interviews were conducted wit h eight people who had an expressed interest in spirituality. There was una nimous agreement that participants associated their leisure activities and experiences with their spiritual well-being. An attitude of openness, balan ce in life, nature settings, settings of personal or human history, setting s of quiet, solitude and silence, and "true to self" activities were all co nducive to spiritual well-being while busyness, noisy settings and activiti es, and incongruent activities were detrimental to spiritual well-being. Mo st of the themes identified were consistent with writings on spirituality, conceptual discussions of leisure and spirituality, and previous research f indings. The most important implications arising from this study may relate to leisure education.