What does Holistic Health mean?
Holistic health considers the whole person - mind, body and spirit. All three need to be in balance so you can live your happiest, healthiest and best life. Being healthy is more than just eating well and exercising, you need to nourish your spirit too and accept yourself for who you truly are. Ancient cultures across the world understood the value of the mind, body, spirit connection far better than we do today. We have not been taught!
When I changed to a more holistic way of looking after my wellbeing, my health and life really improved and my stress and anxiety greatly reduced just by making a few small changes and following certain practices which I wanted to share.
Are you really living a healthy life?
A few years ago I thought I was relatively healthy but had no concept of holistic health. I tried to exercise as often as I could and eat a healthy vegetarian diet (most of the time). The exercise was a vain attempt to keep looking reasonably fit and still be able to enjoy the chocolate fix and extra glass of wine. My spirit was neglected but I chose to ignore it as it was too confronting (sound familiar?) Most of the time I felt exhausted, frazzled, disconnected, short tempered, constantly anxious and stressed out, always in a rush and somewhat discontented with life in general. I had no idea that mind, body and spirit all needed to equally addressed in order to live a truly happy, healthy life.
Does this sound like you?
Now I hate to admit this in my role as a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach/practitioner but I want to be honest here. At that time in my life if someone mentioned Meditation I thought they were slightly whacky or part of some crazy religious sect. I had never heard of Mindfulness and would have felt too busy to take any notice of it anyway. I thought Tai Chi and Qi-gong were slow exercises for pensioners and as for yoga...well I just couldn't see the point to be honest. Terrible, right? Getting hot and sweaty and burning a serious amount of calories was the only way to health and wellness as far as I was concerned.
My view of how to live a healthy life had to change
My view of what it meant to be truly healthy changed a few years ago along with changing circumstances in my life. One of which was falling badly (face plant included) and doing quite a bit of damage whilst on a run. I wasn't looking where I was going as I was too pre-occupied with the worries in my head so neglected to see the tree root! As a result I was forced to slow down and re-assess things in general which was not an easy or pleasant experience to say the least but in a surprising twist it turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened.
What changes did I make to improve my life?
After some research into how to help myself heal both physically and mentally, I decided to try the practices which I originally had no time or interest in - Yoga, Qi-gong, Meditation etc. These were the only things I could manage to do for a while as they were slow and gentle and allowed me to get moving again. In the process it allowed me the time re-connected back to my self and assess what was important in life which gave me a new found purpose.
I also discovered the healing power of Reiki during this time which I combined with Crystal and Aromatherapy. I reduced processed food and alcohol, spent more time in nature, practised Mindfulness and Breathing exercises to help reduce anxiety, tried EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and generally started to pay more attention to my health wellness on all levels in a more holistic way.
What were the results of a change to a more holistic lifestyle?
The results over a few weeks were surprising. I turned into a much happier, more centred, clear-headed and calmer human being. My anxiety was much less and I could handle stress a whole lot better. I didn't need the wine or chocolate fix and I was generally a nicer person – I even liked myself and that was a new thing! This gave me a greater interest in holistic health in general which I eventually trained in so I could share the benefits with others.
Are you struggling to cope with life and feeling out of sync with yourself?
If you are struggling to cope with life and feeling out of sync or disconnected from yourself, constantly stressed out and consumed with anxiety, then it is worth taking a more holistic approach to your health and wellbeing. You have to be honest with yourself and look at all areas of your life and take the time to make small changes such as introducing mind, body, spirit practices, overhauling your diet to reduce junk food, excess caffeine and alcohol, using more natural products, spending time in nature, trying Mindfulness and Breathing exercises, ditching the toxic friends and monitoring your own negative self-talk. Therapies such as Reiki can be very beneficial too. It took me a while to realise how badly I was out of sync and I suffered for a long time and put up with a lot of rubbish from people in the process as my self esteem was low.
Take charge of your own health and wellbeing
The power is in your hands to live a happier, healthier life. Don't let yourself be ruled by what is happening in the big bad world and get caught up in the drama. Take the time to stay grounded, connect back to yourself with mind, body, spirit practices to find the calm within, be your own best friend and really look after yourself on all levels. When you temporarily lose your anchor in the chaos of life again, you will know how to navigate the storm and find your way back to safety.
Don't beat yourself up if you are struggling!
Don't beat yourself if you are finding yourself in a similar situation and feeling lost, anxious and stressed out and far from healthy. There is always a way back to a happier, calmer you and a better way of living when you take a more holistic approach to your wellbeing. I found the pathway back to myself and I can help you too if you are not sure where to start. You are not alone.
If you are feeling like your life is off track and want to learn more about Holistic Health and Wellness and ways to reduce stress and anxiety then visit www.Lincsholisticwellness.com. You can also sign up to the monthly newsletter so you don't miss anything which might help you (FREE gifts available!)
Every little helps right?!
Sharon K
Holistic Health and Wellness Coach
Reiki Master/Teacher
You too can make a few small changes for a better life!
FREE Holistic Health Tips available to download here
Disclaimer
Information for general educational purposes only and not intended to replace medical advice