WHAT IS HOLISTIC LIVING
HOLISTIC
/həʊˈlɪstɪk,hɒˈlɪstɪk/
adjective
PHILOSOPHY
characterized by the belief that the parts of something are intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.
MEDICINE
characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease.
WHAT IS HOLISTIC LIVING?
We life lives that are often so disconnected from ourselves that we forget to breathe. A life so fast, so rushed, and so focused on the external that we forget that a whole world lives inside us that needs to be nurtured.
Most of us continue with our lives knowing that something doesn’t feel quite right, whether it be mental, physical, emotional, we all have ailments. So many of us are compromising our lives, living in ways that don’t feel fully us. But we very often don’t have the time, resources or knowledge to address what is really going on, or even to understand that they are all connected.
A holistic lifestyle recognises the connection between our mind, body, soul and our external environment, and focuses on finding the root cause of our issues. It takes into account that so many things can effect us at a root level, and throw us off balance, and very often the ‘symptom’ is just one small part of the whole problem.
Holistic health looks at YOU. Not your symptom, not your side effect, but YOU. What do you need to enable a healthy and happy life. As well as looking at what we put IN our bodies, it looks at what we put ON our bodies, what we put our mind through, how we treat the world around us and how we are truly living our lives.
Living holistically isn’t just about crystals, tarot cards and meditation if that is not what works for you. There are no hard and fast rules to holistic living and that is the beauty. It is an exploration of self, a journey into finding what works for you, and what the right combination of practices, diet, exercise, works for your body, mind and soul. Whatever it is that works for you, it is about focusing on what helps keep your WHOLE SELF in balance, remembering that all parts of your are connected.
Maybe for you that simply looks like, more mindful eating, spending 10 minutes a day in silence as your drink your morning coffee, and walking to work instead of getting the bus. If these simple things help you feel more aligned, and more connected to yourself, then that may be enough for now.
Equally you may already want to go deeper. Maybe you are already have a really healthy diet, but still feel off balance and feel like you aren’t living your purpose. Do you need to start journalling everyday? Incorporate affirmations? Do some inner child work to find out what blocks you have in other areas of your life?
Holistic living, health and healing are not simply a woo woo philosophy. There is a lot of scientific evidence to suggest the connection between our mind and body. We know that an unhealthy diet can effect our mood, and vice versa, depression can manifest as disordered eating. Meditation has been proven time and time again to effect our physical body as well as our mind, helping bring our nervous system into a state of balance. Adaptogens when consumed can positively effect our mental state. On a more spiritual level, trauma work, soul healing, can help release and shift our limiting beliefs that are holding us back in our career or keeping us in bad relationships.
BENEFITS OF HOLISTIC LIVING?
Holistic living can benefit us in so many ways. It supports good mental health by decreasing our stress and anxiety. It supports our physical bodies in gaining more energy and more vitality. It helps us deal with overwhelm in our life, and provides tools to support us gaining clarity, purpose and passion.
By living holistically we develop more self awareness, and become more aligned with our truest, highest selves, and in doing this we are hopefully able to start living the lives we truly want and deserve.
SO WHY DON’T WE ALL LIVE HOLISTICALLY??
Living a holistic lifestyle can seem like a much bigger life change than it needs to be. In this day and age we are bombarded with the idea of wellness, mindfulness, manifestation, LOA, and it can be overwhelming. There are so many different practices, classes, courses, retreats promising to help sort out all kinds of things, It is hard to know where to start. It can feel like beginning life all over again. But holistic living doesn’t have to be a complete life overhaul, it is about finding ways to incorporate the things that work for you, that are accessible, affordable and that you feel comfortable with.
Ultimately it is about constructing a plan for yourself, that helps you vibrate on a higher level and shift some things in your life that are stopping you from truly living!
HOW DO YOU LIVE HOLISTICALLY?
On a basic level, a holistic approach to living is about remembering to nurture every part of yourself and making healthier, more mindful choices, that support your highest good, and not settling for any less.
Here are a few things to start looking at;
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is all about being in the now and bringing yourself to the present moment. Meditation, Breath work, EFT, Affirmations are all great places to start exploring. By learning to practice mindfulness we can feel more grounded, and connected, bringing awareness to our mind, body and soul, and shift our mindset so much.
Manage Stress
One of the biggest factors in our lifestyles today is stress. Stress is an important part of our lives, but the chronic state we live in isn’t healthy. It effects our mind, and emotional state, but also causes inflammation in our bodies that leads to other issues. Start by addressing areas of your life that bring you stress and try and identify ways to limit that stress.
Make Healthier Food Choices
We all know that we could eat healthier and that some of the choices we make aren’t the best for our bodies. Being more intentional and mindful of what we put in our bodies has a huge impact on our body and mind. Less sugar, more vegetables! Its that simple.
Self care
Regular self care is everything! Listen to your body, know how to tune in and listen to when you need to rest, and recharge. If you need a break, take a break. Practicing self care will ultimately help you show up in the best way in your life.
Movement
Move your body. In whatever way feels good. Go as gently or as intense as feels good to your body. Take cues from your body as to what you need on each day, but move! Create a habit of moving each day, whether it’s walking, dancing around your kitchen or going for a run. Exercise helps strengthens your body, and support in it resistantance to physical illness. It can also relieve stress and releases happy hormones.
Be Intentional
Find what makes you feel good. Do more of that. Be mindful of what your consume everyday, and start making a note of the things that make you feel good and the things that don’t. Find the things that are important to you, the things that light you up, and start making time for them each day.
Explore Holistic Medicine
Exploring all options, from supplements to energy healing gives you a bigger toolkit to pull from in times of need. Spend times working with herbs, learning about different modalities of healing and taking the time to try different practices will help keep you expanding your consciousness.
By focusing on all of these points we can start to slowly build a more sustainable, healthy lifestyle, and step up to the life we deserve!
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