5 pillars of integrative health

Eat more veggies. Fast. Drink water. Drink herbal tea. Avoid sugar. Sleep. Meditate. Workout. Turn off devices. Read books. Learn new things. Find a hobby. Hug your friends. Tell your partner you love them. Love yourself. Go for a long walk. Spend time in nature. Find work you enjoy. Understand your finances. Manage stress. Talk to a therapist. Journal. Have faith in God. Or the Universe. Or the Earth. Or in yourself. Be kind. Be present.

WOO. That was exhausting.

Take a breath.

- I N H A L E - - - H O L D - - - E X H A L E - - -

There is so much noise in the wellness industry. An endless list of to-do’s in order to achieve health. That magic word that we all strive for. But what does health actually mean?

Health (hǣlth), n: wholeness, being whole, sound, or well.

Honestly, it means none of that AND all of that all at once. Truly — the definition of health is wholely and uniquely up to you.

Health or lack of health doesn’t only have to do with the physical body. There are other factors in our world that make up the wholeness that is each individual person. Today’s definition by the World Health Organization: a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease.

Hmm, interesting concept! If health is based on the well-being of many components, all of which can and will be affected invariably by external (and internal) factors, how are we supposed to be healthy all the time? Well, my dear, we’re not.

Health is a dynamic concept, not a fixed outcome.

Health vs. Wellness

Health is a state of being, whereas wellness is the active practice of living a healthy lifestyle.

Health refers to physical, mental, and social well-being; wellness aims to enhance that well-being.

If health is a dynamic concept, then we need to make choices in favor of our health. Every. Single. Day.

Perfection isn’t the goal - you can’t be 100% healthy all the time. Health is a lifelong process, so buckle up - we’ve got a lot to learn!

Western Medicine vs. Integrative Health

In Western Medicine, doctors are trained to look at the body like a machine. They treat afflicted areas with modern technology and procedures. The result can be that they heal the affliction, or just tame the symptoms. But once a doctor is done with their treatment, there is no way for them to actually create health in patients. That’s where Integrative methodologies for health come in, also called Holistic health.

Holistic health, lifestyle medicine - whatever you want to call it, is based on seeing the body like a garden. If the garden doesn’t get the right amount of sun, water, and food (and pests kept away), the garden won’t flourish. So when a plant isn’t looking healthy, you look for the root cause.

Both types of medicine work for different types of patients. Western medicine is great for trauma, acute conditions, and replacing joints and organs. Integrative medicine is meant to support ongoing, whole-body health and keeping chronic, lifestyle-induced diseases at bay.

Why is focusing on whole-body wellness so important? Because many illnesses form due to the choices we make in our life.

The rise of chronic conditions does not speak to their hereditary nature. The primary factor in the development of these conditions is a culmination of the environment in which we live and the lifestyle choices we make every single day. So why not begin making choices that make a positive impact on your health?

Okay, Michelle, so how do I start practicing whole body Wellness?

Our aim in life should be to feel nourished. A nourishing life is built by a fulfilling career, an energizing and rejuvenating movement practice, loving relationships, nutritious food, and a spiritual practice that soothes the soul. Besides food, the aspects of your lifestyle that fulfill you are the real fuel for joy and harmony.

To balance these lifestyle factors, we might have to make some intimidating changes. It might be difficult to face these fears, but the end result is so so worth it. This might look like taking a leap into a new career, ending a relationship that isn’t serving you, signing up for a marathon, or picking up a new hobby.

You see, you can eat all the kale in the world, but if you’re not nourishing yourself on a whole-body level, you will never feel your best. The catch?

There is no secret formula — each person is unique.

Every single one of us needs a unique formula in our wellness practice in order to feel good, strong, and healthy. Only you can decide for yourself what that formula is.

BUT HOW???

Well, I’m sure there are tons of different ways. But when you work with me we walk through 5 areas of whole-body wellness. These areas will be the foundation to establishing your unique wellness formula - what you need to look at and actively work at in your daily life in order to feel good. We will walk through exercises to determine where you feel nourished and where there is work to be done, walking through each area so you can begin to create your unique formula.

Breaking down the 5 pillars

Our entire lives are embodied in five areas: Home, Body, Mind, Heart, and Spirit. Each of these areas is composed of every choice you make, rooted both inside of you and out in your surroundings. Let’s break them down:

• Mind

• Body

• Spirit

• Heart

• Home

If you hit up Dr. Google, you’ll find about a million different frameworks for working towards health and wellness. So why choose mine? Because it’s simple. By condensing the various complex areas of our lives into five simple, relatable pillars, we can get to work on healing the chunks that we want a bit more “oomph” in.

Did this light you up? Does this sound like something your gut has been telling you that you need?

If so, I invite you to book a free mini-coaching session with me to get a taste for the way I work. No strings attached.