Why is Integrative Wellness so Important?

The Power of the Mind-Body Connection

 

When you seek healing for something out of balance in your life, you’ll probably seek help from someone who will focus on theis specific thing you’re having trouble with.

Perhaps you’re dealing with tension headaches that just won’t go away. Ones that last for days.

You can’t sleep… you can’t concentrate...you’re frustrated and cranky…

 Because nothing is helping. 

So you go and see a conventional medical doctor. They might prescribe you some pain medication to help ease your symptoms. These take the edge off but…something isn’t right. Something went unaddressed. 

Something is missing.

What is Holistic and Integrative Wellness?

Integrative wellness is a whole-person approach that uses proven strategies to help reduce the risk of disease by making appropriate lifestyle changes. It takes each person’s individual needs into account and promotes health and wellness through a variety of different methods — both conventional and alternative. 

Integrative health practices ask the individual to look beyond conventional ways of healing and take an active role in their own healing. To take part in the decision-making process and decide how you wish to be taken care of, and how you want to take care of yourself. 

It considers the entire being, not just the one organ or body part needing to be treated.

Maybe those tension headaches you’re experiencing have an emotional component that also needs to be addressed. The pain medication might help relieve the symptoms but does nothing to address the cause.

Holistic wellness is a very important part of the integrative health experience. Its very foundation is to care for every part of you, not just the physical.

Holistic wellness is centered around five dimensions of wellness. All of these dimensions must be addressed and nourished — because if one is thrown out of balance, it can trickle down and create an imbalance in every other area of your life.

The Five Dimensions of Holistic Health

• Physical
• Emotional 
• Social
• Spiritual 
• Mental

The Physical aspect is your physical body, and what is traditionally looked at when we talk about health. The appearance. Physical symptoms are easier to treat and easier to see. Our physical health depends on how we care for our bodies. Our daily habits and choices, where we live, what we eat, what we drink….all of this contributes to our body’s physical health.

It’s not about dieting, working out in excess, or obsessing about eating healthy. It’s about finding a healthy balance between what gives you a strong and healthy physical body and a love for yourself — exactly where you are. 

Mental health is how well we process the information in our lives. To be able to think clearly and make positive decisions. Stress and anxiety are always going to be a part of life. It’s how we deal with those things that are important.

The Emotional aspect is how we feel about our processed information. This is often the most overlooked dimension. It’s so important that you learn to manage and cope with your emotions in a healthy and constructive way. Otherwise, emotions and traumas that aren’t dealt with properly can manifest as physical and mental symptoms. 

Social health is about connection and community with people who love and support you. It involves your ability to nurture healthy relationships, and develop deep connections. It’s about being involved in a like-minded community where you have similar interests and values. 

The Spiritual aspect is a connection to your soul. Your purpose, values, your satisfying and meaningful connections with other people and with a higher power — however you might define it. The most elusive and intangible dimension, but so important for a deeply satisfying life. 

These five dimensions illustrate the connection between your mind and your body. 

The Mind-Body Connection: Its Power in Action

The mind-body connection is the communication between your thoughts, feelings, and physical health. 

How you feel influences what you think…

 …and how you think influences how you feel. 

Your thoughts have power. Your feelings are felt somewhere in your body — they don’t only exist in your mind. 

For example, when you’re anxious you might feel it in your stomach. You feel nauseous. Your breathing becomes rapid and your heart flutters. You might cross your arms over your chest to give yourself a sense of protection. 

Now, what are you thinking when you’re anxious? You might be thinking that you need to find a way out of a situation, or that everyone is looking at you strangely. These anxious thoughts can make those feelings worse. 

It’s a vicious cycle.

On the other hand, when you feel confident and self-assured, your head is held high. Your heart rate slows down, and you feel calm and relaxed. 

You might be thinking that people are enjoying your company and that you are having a good time. People are drawn to you. You’re magnetic.

What you think and how you feel can have a huge impact on your health and well-being. Negative thinking patterns — like self-criticism or catastrophic thinking — can have serious health consequences and these patterns can be really hard to break. 

The brain and the physical body are not two separate things operating all on their own. They are deeply woven together. Hormones and chemicals in your body that are associated with certain emotions can have real, tangible, and physical effects. 

Take stress as another example. 

Everyone feels stressed and anxious from time to time. Some people feel it most of the time. That “flight” response is our body’s natural response, telling us there is danger, that we need to run. It’s a normal and sometimes necessary response to survive. 

But most of the time when we experience stress and anxiety there is no actual — immediate — danger, but we still feel that response in our body as a result of that stressful situation. Stress can be how the body responds to any challenge or demand in your life. When you feel stressed or anxious, especially long-term, your body can experience:

• Weakened immune response
• Digestive issues
• Longer healing times 
• Mental health decline
• Problem sleeping
• Memory and concentration issues

This is why it’s so important to address not only physical symptoms but mental and emotional ones as well. 

Everything is connected.

Nurturing the Self with Integrative Wellness

Mind-body therapies are healing techniques applied by a trained practitioner which promote bodily relaxation and mindfulness. These therapies inspire the body and the mind to influence each other.

Some examples of mind-body therapies include:

• Acupuncture and acupressure
• Massage
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Touch therapy
• Movement therapies 
• Breathwork 
• Guided imagery
• Singing or chanting
• Sound and vibration/drumming
• Chiropractic work
• T’ai chi or Qigong 
• Yoga
• Healing touch
• Hypnotherapy
• Neuro Linguistic Programming
• T.I.M.E Techniques
• Tapping/EFT

Creating healthy habits that facilitate mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and physical health is important for so many reasons. It keeps everything in balance. Even little things such as setting boundaries, self-care, taking time to yourself, and slowing down to enjoy the small moments can make a huge difference in your life.

We need to take care of ourselves mind, body, and soul so we can fully allow the experience of joy, curiosity, and love into our lives.

The power of the mind-body connection is strong and if there is any disconnect, we feel it everywhere. I know the power of this because I have lived it and have experienced this disconnect in my life firsthand. I’ve worked diligently to re-connect every part of my being so I am able to do this work with you.

I care very deeply about addressing the whole person. So much so, that my whole brand is centered around it. I strive to bring this process into all the work I do.

When you heal yourself emotionally, physically, and mentally you’re able to connect to that little flicker of light within you. Your spirit. Your soul.

That’s why I believe so deeply about caring for the whole aspect of who we are. So we can nourish our souls and bring forward the calling of who we're meant to be in this world. To feel comfortable being present in every moment because we feel so deeply aligned in our bodies, in our minds, and in our souls. So that they all work for a greater good to bring forth something so beautiful and authentic in our lives.

So let me help you re-integrate back into your fully authentic self — so that you can live the life you’re meant to live.

I see you. I honor you. Every part of you.
If you’re ready to step into this higher version of yourself, book a free clarity call with me here.