Sister Dixie Vargo, interviewed by MysticMag, brings a compassionate and tailored approach to relaxation therapy, blending Christian-based practices with holistic wellness. In her insightful interview, she emphasizes the importance of customizing sessions based on individual needs, using innovative methods rooted in Christian contemplative prayer traditions.
Sister Dixie’s Wholeness Meditation & Creative Practice, inspired by lectio divina, provides a unique and intuitive exploration of well-being, steering clear of traditional wellness assessments. She integrates spiritual principles into coaching, helping clients reimagine a more approachable divine presence for personal growth.
Beyond therapy, Sister Dixie addresses practical challenges, offering personalized relaxation recommendations for clients dealing with chronic illnesses or caregiving responsibilities. Her “toilet practices,” brief relaxation exercises for quick breaks, exemplify her pragmatic approach to daily integration.
In her commitment to staying updated, Sister Dixie engages with the evolving field through faith-based resources and newsletters, such as MysticMag. She acknowledges the influence of pioneers like Dr. John Travis and Elaine Ferguson, showcasing her dedication to continuous learning in holistic wellness. Sister Dixie Vargo, featured on MysticMag, emerges as a knowledgeable and compassionate guide in the journey toward holistic well-being.
How do you customize relaxation techniques to address individual needs and preferences?
It’s of utmost importance to customize relaxation practices to the client’s individual situation, temperament and felt needs. I do this in a few ways. It begins with the free introductory session where the client shares their needs and I briefly explain my Christian-based, spirit-centered, whole-person approach and we discuss whether we think this is a good fit for us to journey together.
If the client decides to move forward, they complete a Client Visit Questionnaire which outlines their preferences as it relates to optional components of their sessions. What sensory experiences would they like to be included? Are there preferred contemplative spiritual practices that they want to incorporate? How much do they want to talk and what kind of conversation do they want to have? As a person on the Autism spectrum myself, I understand that options like these are essential for some clients. I even offer an immersive experience option where the client doesn’t have to speak at all if that is preferred.
At the next visit, I take my client through a Wholeness Meditation & Creative Practice. Using the Christian practice of lectio divina as a foundation, I slowly read through a passage from the Holy Bible and offer prompts for reflection. Clients are invited to jot down notes or just hold their answers in their hearts during this practice. I’m not a fan of test-like wellness assessments because too often clients can be quick to answer the question with either, 1) what they think you want to hear, 2) what they wish were true, or 3) what their inner critic says. By using a Lectio Divina meditation practice, the exploration is more intuitive and more accurately captures the way things actually are in their life at present.
The creative practice the client does at the end of the session is to draw a flower, which increases the client’s understanding of wellness as a process where healing is a natural response to their connection with God, the earth, and other life-giving resources available to them. Then, using the flower as a point of discussion, I guide the client through an exploration process of what area of wellness they feel drawn to work on first: body, mind, heart, spirit, or relationships with others. Future visits will incorporate relaxation practices based on the client’s chosen area of growth and the preferences indicated in the questionnaire.
What innovative or unique relaxation techniques do you incorporate into your sessions to enhance effectiveness?
Throughout my various training programs, I noticed that many of the wellness practices I learned about are nearly identical to Christian contemplative prayer practices, many of which have been practiced in Christian monastic communities for centuries. It seemed to me that Christian monastic communities throughout history have been stewards of holistic healing, perhaps without even realizing the effects that these practices could have on the whole person.
I wondered if it was possible to use these forms of contemplative prayer for their holistic wellness benefits and began experimenting personally and with my clients. The answer was YES!
So, I now use contemplative Christian prayer practices such as lectio divina, centering prayer, imaginative prayer, and healing frequency worship as the primary healing modality in my client appointments, wellness classes, and support groups.
How do you ensure that clients can continue and integrate relaxation practices into their daily lives beyond the therapy sessions?
Most of my clients are persons with chronic illnesses or caregivers. Often they may be both, a caregiver that also has one or more chronic illnesses themselves. Depending on the shape of the client’s life, they may have more or less time to lean into relaxation practices. Do they still work? How full is their schedule with medical appointments? What do their energy and pain levels look like throughout the course of their day? I consider all of these when I choose which relaxation practices to recommend to the client to use between sessions.
In the case of a wellness class, like my Let’s Talk About Stress virtual course, I suggest a list of strategies to try and have the students choose which one makes sense to them. I also guide the student through what I call “toilet practices”. These are 2-minute practices that one can do during a quick restroom break. Everyone goes to the restroom. By lingering there just a couple extra minutes and intentionally engaging in a relaxation practice, one can find their center and move into the next part of their day with less stress.
How do you integrate spiritual principles into your coaching sessions to foster personal growth and well-being?
Many of my clients have been attending church most of their lives. One of the hurdles that we often bump up against in relaxation therapy is a view of God that is unfriendly. Perhaps the client was taught as a child that God was strict, quick to condemn, and reluctant to forgive or help. This type of view about God can often cause spiritual distress in Christian’s lives.
Through meditation on more encouraging passages of the Holy Bible, I gently introduce the client to a reimagined view of God as a friend, healer, beloved family member, advocate, and guide. One image I often share with clients is a view of God as One who is sitting on the edge of a seat, leaning forward. That God is eager to connect, converse, and take action in our lives. In my experience, the Persons of the Trinity are often much more open and ready to communicate, and to be in a relationship with us, than we are in return.
Much holistic healing can be found by exploring our internal resistance to God, ourselves, and others. God is not afraid of our responses, our strong emotions, our hesitations, and our confusion. The Bible is clear that God welcomes all of us, as we are right now, and is more than willing to journey with us to where we want to go.
How do you stay updated on the latest wellness research and trends to enhance your inventory assessment approach?
In the last decade, we are seeing many more faith-based approaches to holistic healing than ever before. Books by professionals like Dr. William Malarkey, James Wilder, and Aundi Kohlber, or personal stories by people like Susie Larson, Becca Stephens, and Amy Julia Becker offer Christians new, science-based approaches to healing our whole person. I use many of these resources in the caregiver/chronic illness support group that I lead through my church. I also find e-newsletters such as the ones from Wholetones, Getting Still, and Natural Living Family helpful in continuing my education.
It’s also important for me to be continually learning from pioneers who have paved the way before me. Drs. John Travis’ Wellness Inventory, Elaine Ferguson’s Spiritually Empowered Coach, and Stratford Career Institute’s Relaxation Therapist training programs have been hugely influential to my understanding of whole-person wellness and holistic healing methods.
