As a certified wellness coach and lecturer, I’ve identified seven wellness concepts or areas that are the most popular or impactful in the modern wellness industry. Curiously, these seven concepts all have one thing in common: They were originally created, developed, used, taught, and shared by a deeply diverse group of people from around the world. In my experience, these seven are also the easiest to implement regardless of someone’s socioeconomic background or access to resources. Yes, people can spend thousands of dollars and lots of time pursuing each one, but none require expensive investments of time or money. Most are free, and all can be incorporated into anyone’s existing daily routine.
Here are the seven practices:
- Plants That Help Us Heal
The use of plants as traditional medicine is widespread in history, though cultural traditions vary and have different names. They include Ayurveda (India), traditional Chinese medicine (China), Kampo (Japan), shamanism (South America), and Western herbalism (Europe and North America). Every group of people around the world has benefited from the use of plants to address ailments and help the body heal. In today’s world, the use of botanicals and other plants as supplements has become a multibillion-dollar industry, but I promise you, you don’t need a ton of money to use them.
- Going Within
Meditation, mindfulness, visualization, and contemplative practices help us connect our physical and emotional sides. These practices don’t require any spiritual beliefs, and they aren’t meant to replace someone’s religion. They are like “mental workouts” that calm our bodies and our minds and instill peace. We can use them effectively to enrich our understanding of what is sacred and miraculous within.
- Yoga and Other Forms of Movement
Movement is an integral part of wellness. While there are a number of movement-related practices, and all are helpful, I focus mostly on learning, using, and reclaiming yoga, as its popularity and benefits deserve special attention. In addition, yoga is the quintessential example of a popular wellness practice developed by people of color in ancient times that is now embraced by all regardless of age, health, or circumstance.
- A Plant-Based Diet
Some wellness experts like to say, and with good reason, that improving our health is “80 percent about nutrition, 20 percent about everything else.” Just like how putting crappy oil in a luxury car can reduce the car’s performance and longevity, what we feed our bodies can impact our ability to stay healthy and to heal after illness. Modern data supports the dietary practices of our ancestors, which emphasized a whole-food, plant-based diet. This doesn’t mean becoming a full-on vegan (unless you’re ready), but it does mean adjusting the balance of our diet to include more health-promoting plants and less meat and processed foods. As the ancients understood, our wellness depends on what we eat.
- Oil, Water, and Heat
For centuries, people around the world have used some combination of water, oil, and heat to help foster wellness — from saunas, steam baths, and sweat lodges to hot oil and Swedish massage. These are, to me, some of the funnest wellness practices because they not only promote healing but restore our mind and soul as well. Many cultures around the world have used these basic ingredients to promote wellness, and you can embrace them, too.
- Music and Community
Social wellness is a vital part of achieving a state of well-being. And what better way to engage in a loving way with our community than with sound and music? Cultures around the world have long used sound and music as an integral part of the healing process. Meanwhile, all types of community contribute to wellness. Community is a critical ingredient without which we can never be whole and well.
- Grounding and Nature
“Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The concept behind this popular biblical quote (from Genesis 3:19) predates the Bible, and it is corroborated by modern science. We are part of the earth and the earth is part of us. Embracing practices that help us reconnect with nature and that protect and honor Mother Earth can help improve our health. The seventh wellness practice reminds us that we are not far removed from our ancestors and that we are an integral part of all life. By fostering, in simple ways, our connection to nature, we reclaim our rightful state of wellness.
The Key to Success Is Preparation
I remember when I went out on my first real date as a teenager. I was so anxious and eager for it to go well that I spent hours preparing and anticipating every detail of the outing: my outfit, my hair, my mannerisms, even my smile. I rehearsed conversations, coming up with dozens of potential scenarios and practicing anecdotes in my head to make sure I sounded smart, witty, cute, funny, sexy. Maybe you had a similar experience! I got advice from my friends, who coached me on how to behave, what to say, what not to do. Developing a new wellness lifestyle can be just like anticipating that first fancy date. We have to prepare for the known and the unknown to ensure that we are as successful as we want to be.
Typically, pursuing wellness means changing bad or unhealthy habits and replacing them with better, healthier ones. I know from experience how challenging this can be. Change always seems daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, our bodies are used to change: We are basically a new human, with new skin, bones, hair, and cells, every few weeks. The rotation of the earth and its orbit around the sun ensure that our environment is constantly changing — daily, monthly, quarterly, annually. Change is as much a part of us as the air we breathe. If we embrace change as a positive, it can become as easy as the passing clouds in the sky. That said, when changing habits, it helps to prepare and make changes slowly.
Preparation is the key to success. I can’t stress this enough. No one succeeds in a goal without some form of planning — and in some cases, like a first date, quite a bit of planning. Often when we start something new, we are excited and eager for the experience. We imagine success: charming our date or getting into better shape with revitalized energy. But will our initial excitement, our good intentions, be enough to sustain us along the bumpy road ahead? Do we know what we really want? Do we know what our goals are? Do we know why we’re doing what we’re doing? Are we emotionally ready for change?
Excerpted from the book from Reclaiming Wellness: Ancient Wisdom for Your Healthy, Happy, and Beautiful Life. Copyright ©2022 by Jovanka Ciares. Printed with permission from New World Library — www.newworldlibrary.com.
