Spirituality Health – September-October 2026
Summary
Spirituality & Health Vol. 3 No. 5 for September/October 2026 puts "Decluttering as a Spiritual Practice" (p.22) on the cover — Rona Cherry's argument that clearing physical and digital clutter is a legitimate contemplative discipline, not a productivity hack. The issue also features Bruce Lipton on how Earth is fighting back against environmental degradation, Tama Kieves debunking five myths about A Course in Miracles, and a special "Books We Love" section (p.37) that caps the reading season.
The cover feature traces the author's 30-day decluttering experiment, measuring inner calm against square metres cleared. "Four Ways to Treat Your Body Like a Sacred Text" (p.18) by Emily Hedrick reframes exercise as scriptural interpretation. "The Biologist of Belief Takes on Darwin" (p.38) is Karen Brailsford's extended conversation with Bruce Lipton, in which the epigenetics pioneer argues that environmental signals can override genetic programming within weeks. "The Warrior Monk of the Jet Age" (p.52) by Allan Hamilton, M.D. profiles a former fighter pilot who became a Zen priest — a narrative that bridges two worlds that rarely meet in the same article.
Regular columns include Rabbi Rami Shapiro's "Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler" (p.8), Kevin Anderson's "The Soul of Therapy" (p.10) on integrating psychedelic integration into talk therapy, and Paul Sutherland's "The Heart of Happiness" (p.60) on gratitude metrics. "Creaturely Reflections" (p.67) observes the spiritual behaviour of urban foxes. "Toolbox" (p.62) recommends five apps for digital decluttering, directly supporting the cover theme. For readers who value a mix of mystical theology, environmental ethics, and practical spiritual hygiene, this issue delivers a coherent autumn package.
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Content Guide
▸ Cover Story / Spiritual Practice
p.22 · Decluttering as a Spiritual Practice
Cherry documents her 30-day project of removing one object per day and journaling the emotional resistance each removal triggered. She connects the KonMari method to the Buddhist concept of impermanence. Readers who try the accompanying 7-day decluttering calendar report reduced morning anxiety scores.
p.18 · Four Ways to Treat Your Body Like a Sacred Text
Hedrick offers four somatic practices — walking a labyrinth, eating a single raisin for 5 minutes, chanting while exercising, and lying still for 10 minutes post-yoga — each framed as "reading" the body. The article cites research on interoceptive awareness and its correlation with spiritual well-being. Each practice requires no equipment and fits into a lunch break.
▸ Interviews & Profiles
p.38 · The Biologist of Belief Takes on Darwin
Brailsford's interview with Bruce Lipton covers his transition from cell biologist to epigenetic evangelist. Lipton claims that 95% of illness is not genetically predetermined and that belief alone can shift cellular receptor behaviour. The conversation includes his critique of neo-Darwinism and his vision of Earth as a conscious planetary cell.
p.52 · The Warrior Monk of the Jet Age
Hamilton profiles a former F-16 pilot who became a Zen priest after a near-crash experience. The narrative alternates between cockpit-decision training and monastery discipline, finding common ground in both requiring "single-pointed awareness." Aviation and meditation rarely get juxtaposed this effectively.
p.26 · Five Myths About A Course in Miracles
Tama Kieves, a former corporate lawyer turned ACIM teacher, corrects the belief that the Course is a religion, requires a guru, or promises a pain-free life. She offers a 10-page quick start for newcomers who find the text impenetrable. Anyone who has picked up ACIM and put it down in confusion will find this clarifying.
▸ Special Section
p.37 · Books We Love
A multi-page roundup of 12 spiritual and self-help titles published in 2026, each reviewed by a member of the S&H contributor network. Genres range from Celtic mysticism to psychedelic integration. The section includes direct purchase links and a "start here" recommendation for each tradition.
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Editor's Take
This is Spirituality & Health's strongest issue of 2026. The cover theme — decluttering as spiritual practice — is accessible without being shallow, and Cherry's first-person narrative gives it texture. The Lipton interview is the kind of long-form science conversation this magazine does better than anyone. The fighter-pilot-turned-Zen-priest profile is genuinely surprising. The weakness is the "Books We Love" section: 12 reviews in 2 pages means each gets about 100 words, too little for real critical evaluation. "Sacred Earth Connections" (p.16) by Cylvia Hayes feels like environmental policy writing, not spiritual writing — it belongs in a different magazine. Still, the ratio of strong features to filler is unusually high, and the cover-to-back reading experience is coherent.
Strengths
• Decluttering as spiritual practice is fresh and practical
• Bruce Lipton interview is a career highlight for the magazine
• Fighter-pilot-turned-Zen-priest profile is genuinely surprising
Weaknesses
• Books We Love section is too compressed for real criticism
• Sacred Earth Connections reads like policy, not spirituality
Verdict: Recommended — A coherent, practical autumn issue anchored by a genuinely fresh cover theme and one of the magazine's best interviews of the year.
