The downsides of relying on health fads
instead, take a whole system approach to your wellbeinG!
Have you noticed the wave of self-help fads telling you an ‘ice-bath’ first thing in the morning and that bizarre massage with the sucky-things is the best way to health and happiness?
Or that a vegan diet is the answer to all your health problems?
Or even the latest sci-fi technology that will make the cells in your body as efficient as superman??
There’s nothing wrong with taking a cold plunge, having soothing essential oils around us, or eating vegan. However, when it comes to living a healthy life, mentally, physically and spiritually, I believe many of us have fallen for the trap of putting the ‘icing on the cake’ so-to-speak, before baking the cake (hold on…cakes are not a very healthy analogy….!).
Perhaps a better way of looking at it would be to remember that the human life form is a living system. All parts of this system have to be in harmony for true wellbeing. We are not like a computer or a machine, where you can swap out a defective part, or just put a bit of oil on a squeaky wheel, or a quick slap of paint over rotten weatherboards. A lot of health fads give the idea that health comes from the outside, rather than from an ongoing harmonious relationship between our environment and our unique inner self.
You can't afford to get sick, and you can't depend on the present health care system to keep you well. It's up to you to protect and maintain your body's innate capacity for health and healing by making the right choices in how you live – Dr Andrew Weil
What is True Wellbeing?
True wellbeing means we understand and take care of our whole mind & body system.
Being physically fit does not tell the whole story
Our culture, which is obsessed with appearances, comfort, and doing more and more, thinks physical health indicators tell the full story. Having a chiselled physically fit body, may make you (and others) think you are all-good and healthy.
But it is possible to be physically fit, and mentally and emotionally very unwell. Especially if you are at war with yourself inside, with competing voices inside you telling you, you are not good enough one minute, or absolutely amazing the next. That sugar hit you got looking at your social media feed wont help with this.
We all have an inner voice of wisdom
However, there is a deep still inner voice of wisdom in all of us, our true essence. Have you felt it? Its like when we go from being a wave in the ocean, to being the ocean itself.
In Buddhist and Hindu philosophy, this is sometimes called the Atman.
It’s hard these days to feel this inner essence, because our culture is doing its best to distract us from who we are, to who it wants us to be.
No amount of technological advance or fast-paced luxury living will help you find fulfilment
Our culture wants us to be busy buying shit, scurrying around faster and faster, becoming more and more self-obsessed. These are all perfect to stoke our insecurities and gives the corporates plenty of opportunities to invent new gadgets to soothe and distract us. They create luxury ‘escapes’, and promote the latest health fads, offering a quick fix to fill our void of discomfort and unfulfillment.
No amount of luxury living or even the latest artificial intelligence and technology will help us find fulfilment. Even if we could live to 120 years old, does it really matter, if our days are mundane and we are in turmoil on the inside.
A harmonious blend of physical, emotional, spiritual and environmental health
True health and wellbeing involves a harmonious blend of physical, emotional, spiritual and environmental health. It’s a process, not a few simple steps. It’s a commitment to making the harder decisions and taking brave steps in your life to say no to corporate interests and their gadgets and digital trinkets. Also going ‘with what’s popular’, and a few short stints of ‘gluten free, dairy free, sugar free’ caramel slice, will not bring you wellbeing.
The ultimate life coach is within you
I’ve been on a wonderful experiment in my life over the last 10 years to find a greater sense of wellbeing mental physically, spiritually and environmentally (learn more in this blog). I’m so grateful to have found practices that can quiet the mind, and open the heart, like yoga or meditation. For me this has been life changing. As well, learning how to have awareness of my inner voices and which ones I want to have lead me and help me connect with my deeper essence, has been very steadying, and empowering.
This you could say, is realising that the ultimate life coach lives right inside all of us!
Some practical thoughts on finding our True Wellbeing
Get the foundations right, before the fancy fittings
Like building a house, you will need to do the deeper work – getting the foundations right before you put on the roof and start filling you house with fancy furniture and fittings. Most people are not willing to this because it takes a good look at the parts of your life you have not been willing to change until this point. So, after a while the foundations slump and crack, and you have major repair work on your hands.
Connecting with our whole human system means digging deep, asking the big questions of yourself, being willing to make change from a place courage, being willing to do what it takes, and stepping into a life-long process of pursuing a meaningful life - a life of purpose.
From my own experience, and what I’ve heard from other wise people, here’s a few questions to help you start getting curious about pursuing true wellbeing.
Do you feel like your life is lacking meaning, like there’s got to be more than this? Great. This is a good first step to start a personal enquiry. Do not ignore this. Get curious. Start seeking.
What do you really want in your life? Ask yourself some honest questions. What are your unique gifts? Where are your unique gifts valued in your current life – and where are they not? How could you prioritise your own health and happiness first? Who do you want to be?
What stories are you holding on to? Stories that that might be preventing you from being a braver, more inspiring version of yourself? Where are you triggered in areas of your life?
Are you seeking the comfortable life over the fulfilling life? What are you willing to do have true wellbeing? Look outside the options presented to you, there are always lateral options.
Could you live more with less? Could you give up that big salary and live in a smaller home? Or use that oversized back yard to grow vegetables for those really struggling? Is it possible to pursue a lifestyle where you could value experiences over belongings? There will be trade-offs. You can’t have everything.
Run toward wellbeing, not away from something. If you have a health condition, instead of having a ‘running away from mindset’, think of heading toward something that brings you back your ‘life force energy’. Running toward something that brings you joy, is a better approach than running away from something you don’t want.
Spend some quiet time alone Get out in nature, do some yoga, the stillness and moments of quiet reflection is where we get a glimpse our true self, without the influence of other people agendas and the noise and needs of the external world.
You only need to know the direction, not the destination. Take a leap of faith. You don’t need to know all the steps before you take action.
It will take some courage but there is help and encouragement out there
If you want to go deeper with this, I explore these topics with at my retreats and workshops. Here we spend time on connecting our minds and bodies through yoga, stepping back from our busy lives to reflect and feel our inner essence, and supportive sharing with others.
Also, in earlier blogs I have shared some links to inspiring wise minds and teachers who can help guide us on the path to wholeness.
….and remember, you are connected to the deep intelligence of the universe
You are connected to all other living systems, and therefore abundance Not material abundance and social status, but , the deep life force that brought us into being and keeps us alive and vital. It is a wisdom way beyond what we will every fully understand. We only can glimpse it when we reclaim our times to be quiet, centred and living in the present moment.
Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting something go every day - Zen Proverb
Check out my upcoming wellbeing offerings in Christchurch. Click the image below to book.
Jo Jarden is a certified personal trainer and yoga teacher in Christchurch New Zealand and the founder of Heart and Mind Yoga studio. She has 10 years experience in health promotion in New Zealand and Australia including management and promotion of national chronic disease prevention programs. She now helps people one on one with their wellbeing through yoga teaching, personal training, workplace yoga and wellbeing workshops.
Qualifications include:
Certified Yoga Teacher Santosha Yoga Institute, Registered Australian Yoga Alliance 2017
Certificate in Advanced Personal Training, Fit College New Zealand, 2016
Bachelor of Science with Honours Public Health. University of Canterbury, New Zealand 2006
Bachelor of Arts Mass Communication and Psychology. University of Canterbury, New Zealand 2005