What is Holistic Living & Why is it Important?

What is holistic living & why is it important? What a rich question.

In a world where we work hours on end and never take time for ourselves, we are bound to get sick.

But wait, I can’t be sick, you say?

“I have a conference call tomorrow.”

Or perhaps an important meeting with your client. As a society, we no longer give ourselves time to heal and instead revert to methods that will deliver the quickest fix.

So you’ve taken an Advil for your headache, or you’ve purchased an allergy pill to help clear those sinuses only to realize it’s not allergies you are fighting but a common cold.

Lack of sleep, Poor Diet, Dehydration, Stress, Unstable Relationships, Emotional Disconnect, Mental Exhaustion, Physical Drain, Poor Digestion, and Headache. The list goes on and on.

Which symptom are you wrestling with every day just to make it through your workday?

The majority of individuals are dealing with at least one of the above.

But has anyone ever took a pause to observe the current state of their being? Perhaps asking the question of “ why” is this happening? What is going on in my body? What am I dealing with in my life?

Perhaps not, and the sad truth is that some of us may never even think about going there.

We are programmed to rely on the medical system and our GP’s to provide all of the answers.

What if some answers to our daily problems lie within?

With patience and dedication to our bodies, we could come together and heal as a whole rather than treat a specific symptom.

That’s why in today’s blog, we will cover the questions “What is holistic living and why is it important?”

The information provided is to introduce a perspective shift, to funnel in a new method to incorporate with your current one.

***Just to make things clear, this is not an alternative for medical help or a replacement for your current medical regimen recommended by your doctor.

Now that we’ve established some ground rules let’s begin.

1. What is Holistic Living?
2. Why is Holistic Living important?
3. How do you integrate Holistic Living into your life?
4. What are the benefits?
5. Practices you can incorporate into your day.

Holistic living means having balance in your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual being. It is about keeping harmony in all areas of your life and approaching healing from the perspective of being whole.

We mean addressing health concerns and complications from all aspects that make up who you are.

You have to admit, there are areas of your life you probably would rather not talk about. However, they are essential to consider so you can get a better understanding of your current state.

To put this into perspective:

Take a look at your body. It is a complex system with sub-systems and functions that work together simultaneously. If you were to remove our nervous system from the body, we would just be meat and bones.

What we are trying to say is that you can’t have one without the other. When a system in your body fails, the likelihood of the problem being connected to something else is very-likely.

Are you starting to understand now? How treating a symptom is the same as putting a bandaid over a wound that clearly needs stitches. It is only temporary.

Our bodies are designed to respond to complications and problems by showing symptoms. When we can no longer handle that symptom, we are forced to look at it. But the key here is to look beyond the pain and take care of our health before the alarm bells are popping off.

The way we look at the importance of holistic living is by noticing overall general health, eating habits, whole body care, etc.

BUT…

One particular element that we want to look at that answers the question as to why holistic living is important is the relationship that we have to our bodies and practically to ourselves.

When we have a healthy relationship with the body, we are more likely to respect it and respect ourselves.

The body is not separate from you; it is a part of the whole that makes up who you are. This is where the work begins, by bridging the gap.

Back to what we were saying, holistic living is essential to having a healthy relationship to your body and your sense of self.

It looks like this:

The next time you have a headache, your first instinct is not to take a pill to make it go away but instead step back and hear what your body is trying to say.

Step back and observe where you are. What if your body is having an emotional response to a situation by showing physical symptoms. Knowing that, would you assess the situation differently?

What do you think would change in your day to day life if you listened to your body? If you chose to connect closer to yourself to better understand your needs and desires.

Can you spot the difference?

Baby steps.

No one is asking you to go out there and be a holistic guru, coach, or teach others how to do it.

Now that you have a new perspective in mind, can you think of things that you can reflect on in your life that would bring you closer to yourself, the people around you, or necessary decluttering and unpacking emotional baggage.

We suggest looking over these four categories to help you get started:

** The table above is meant to stimulate thought. Grab a piece of paper and a pen. Access your life in those 4 categories.

Can you see how they are all related? How one can compensate for the other during more difficult times?

You know the things that need attention or change.

We are giving you a bit of a push, but it’s up to you to take matters into your own hands.

The benefits of holistic living are giving yourself time to heal to restore the body to optimal health.

Small changes that you choose to make every day, one decision at a time, actually build a stronger foundation and support for the body’s different functions.

We will share 5 of our favorite practices on how to actually do this whole holistic living thing. Like we mentioned earlier, baby steps. Pick one or pick one of your own methods and stick to it.

The goal here is to slowly introduce change and embody methods that serve you best.

1. Time out.

Give yourself a 20 minute time out everyday and do absolutely nothing. Turn off your phone, sit or lay down anywhere you like and just be.

2. Recycle Energy.

Everything in the house was made with energy from another person or heavy-duty machinery. Now, that’s a lot of energy coming in and out of your home.

So recycle energy by reusing plastics, donating things you don’t need, and be mindful of the corporations you support by spending money at their establishments. (That last one holds a lot of weight.)

3. Eat Clean Foods.

This is posted up everywhere. But the next time you sit down and have a meal, observe how you feel. Notice how fast or quickly you are eating. What is your energy level after consumption? We are curious to know what you find out!

Our favorite practice. Breathe in the aroma and let the flavors tickle your taste buds!

4. Be Active.

Move your body. Doesn’t matter how you do it as long as you dedicate 30 mins at least 3x/week to moving your limbs, stomping your feet, or perhaps the old-fashioned crunches in your living room.

5. Mindfulness.

There is a lot of hype about being mindful and what that looks like, but our goal is to keep it simple. With your new awareness around holistic living and what that looks like…

What can you be mindful of in your life?

Perhaps it’s mindfulness during meal-time or full awareness when going for a run, or maybe mindfulness looks like your undivided attention when connecting with loved ones.

Pick anything that will draw you closer to yourself.

It is a small task that you do each day, and give it your undivided breath and conscious attention.

There is a team of people that are looking forward to supporting you on this journey.

You are not alone, and this road is not always easy. But with the right tools and encouragement, you can do this.

Here is our contact info for when you want to get in touch!

We hope you gained some value from reading our “what is holistic living & why is it important?” blog. Our therapist loved putting this one together!