StressReliefthroughLeisureandComplementaryand.pdfVIP

Illuminare Volume 8 (1), 2007 1 Stress Relief through Leisure and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Keema M. Walden, Indiana University When thinking about Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), many times people tend to think about health. This article discusses the need to start thinking about these health practices as leisure pursuits as well. This qualitative study used interviews of CAM practitioners to learn why people seek alternativ e therapies and to show the close relationship between leisure activities and CAM. The leisure literature shows gaps by not including various alternative modalities that are considered as leisure by others. This article aims to fill this gap between leisure and health, or more specifically, the relationship between leisure and Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Keywords: Leisure, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, stress, health, practitioners, recreation A qualitative study involving interviews with three providers of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) will be presented. Due to the high levels of stress reported in modern citizens and the negative effects of stress on human psychological and physical health, the researcher was interested in what providers felt were the benefits of the CAM modalities that they provided. Since these practices are offered to people during their leisure time, the author felt that CAM should be examined as a component of leisure. This paper provides a review of the literature on stress and leisure and presents the results of a qualitative case study. The Nature and Impact of Stress Stress is a state of anxiety that is produced when events and responsibilities exceed one’s coping abilities (Seaward, 19