Ep 7: Holistic Balance

What does it mean to be holistic?

Being holistic means considering the whole person and their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. It means taking into account all aspects of an individual's life and how they impact each other. 

It involves understanding the connection between mind, body, and spirit, and how they all interact to create a balanced and healthy lifestyle. 

Holistic approaches to health focus on the individual and emphasize preventative care and overall wellbeing.

What is holistic balance?

Holistic balance is an approach to wellness that considers the whole person — body, mind, and spirit. It is based on the idea that all aspects of an individual's life are interconnected and need to be balanced in order to achieve optimal health and wellbeing.

This includes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Holistic balance is achieved through a variety of lifestyle practices, such as eating a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, meditating, and pursuing activities that bring joy.

Does holistic mean natural?

Holistic means looking at the whole picture, so it can encompass a lot of different things. In the context of health and wellness, it usually means considering the mind, body, and spirit when making decisions about health and wellbeing.

Natural holistic approaches typically focus on using natural remedies and treatments that are gentle, safe, and don't rely on harsh chemicals or medications.

What are the components of holistic well being?

Holistic well-being is a concept that refers to a state of physical, mental, and emotional health. It is important to maintain balance in these three areas to achieve overall well-being.

The components of holistic well-being include proper nutrition and exercise, stress management, sleep hygiene, and relationships with friends and family.

Additionally, engaging in activities that bring joy, purpose, and meaning to life can be beneficial to one's holistic well-being. Taking time to connect with nature, practicing gratitude and mindfulness, and expressing yourself creatively are all examples of activities that can help promote holistic well-being.

How can I develop myself holistically?

Holistic development is an important part of personal growth and well-being.

To develop yourself holistically, start by reflecting on your current lifestyle and identifying areas of your life that you would like to improve.

Consider incorporating activities such as mindfulness, exercise, healthy eating, and setting goals into your daily routine. Make sure to take time for yourself each day to do something that you enjoy, and that brings you joy and peace of mind.

Additionally, practicing positive affirmations and self-care can help you to foster self-love and appreciation.

Finally, be sure to invest your time in meaningful relationships and activities that will help you to grow and improve as a person.

What is holistic healing?

Holistic healing is an approach to health and wellness that takes into account the whole person, including their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. It focuses on treating the root cause of illness, rather than just the symptoms, in order to promote overall health and wellbeing.

It takes into account lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, environment, stress, and mental health, and uses natural therapies such as herbs, nutrition, massage, and acupuncture to promote healing and balance. Holistic healing is a gentle and holistic approach that seeks to restore balance and well-being to the entire person.

How do you lead a holistic lifestyle?

Leading a holistic lifestyle is all about balance and being mindful of your overall physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. To begin, start by making small changes to your diet. Incorporate more nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. On top of that, make sure to stay hydrated and get plenty of sleep each night.

Additionally, spending time outdoors and engaging in physical activity is an important part of leading a holistic lifestyle. Exercise can reduce stress and boost your mood and overall health. You can also practice relaxation techniques, such as yoga and meditation, to help you stay centered and focused.

Lastly, make sure to take care of your mental health by connecting with friends and family, engaging in meaningful activities, and taking time for yourself.

How do I start holistic healing?

Starting holistic healing can be an exciting journey!

There are many different paths to explore and it can be helpful to research and discover what modalities work best for you. It is important to explore the different paths and find one that resonates with you, as everyone is unique and will have different needs. It can be helpful to start with some basics such as eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of rest, and engaging in regular physical activity.

Additionally, mindfulness and meditation practices can help to create a foundation for holistic healing. There are many resources available to help you explore and start on your holistic healing journey.

What are examples of holistic healing?

Holistic healing is a form of healing that focuses on the body, mind, and spirit as a whole.

Examples of holistic healing include acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga, meditation, chiropractic care, aromatherapy, Reiki, and herbalism. Other approaches such as art therapy, music therapy, and nutrition can also be considered as they help to promote overall wellbeing.

Ultimately, holistic healing is about finding balance in life and taking a holistic approach to health and wellness.

How Holistic Balance is characterized in the self-help industry

BODY

This shows up in the industry with physical challenges such as the 75 soft/hard, or smaller steps like trying to get more sleep or drink more water. These small steps towards a healthier body. 

1. Regular exercise

2. Eating a balanced and nutritious diet

3. Staying hydrated

4. Getting enough sleep

5. Taking regular breaks throughout the day to stretch and move around

6. Practicing good hygiene habits

7. Doing yoga or stretching

8. Practicing deep breathing techniques

9. Going for walks or hikes

10. Taking breaks from screens

11. Getting regular check-ups and health screenings

12. Massaging muscles

13. Spending time in nature

14. Reducing alcohol and tobacco use

15. Taking supplements or vitamins as needed

SOUL

A massive part of the industry is finding what works for your soul. There are many holistic healers that are geared towards this aspect of the balance. Whether that’s meditation or “becoming supernatural,” this is about finding what works for your soul. This typically looks like: 

1. Spending time in nature

2. Practicing gratitude

3. Practicing forgiveness

4. Practicing compassion

5. Engaging in meaningful conversations with loved ones

6. Helping others

7. Spending time with animals

8. Doing charitable work

9. Engaging in spiritual practices like prayer or meditation

10. Finding a creative outlet

11. Spending time alone in reflection

12. Reading spiritual texts

13. Taking time to unplug and disconnect

14. Setting aside time for self-care

MIND

Mind is about getting your thoughts in line with what your soul feels. It's about thinking appropriately, reacting the way you would be proud of, and stimulating your physical brain as well. 

1. Meditation

2. Journaling

3. Reading

4. Listening to podcasts

5. Learning a new skill

6. Doing brain exercises like puzzles or crosswords

7. Practicing mindfulness

8. Setting goals and tracking progress

9. Taking breaks throughout the day

10. Writing down positive affirmations

11. Eliminating negative self-talk

12. Practicing gratitude

13. Spending time in nature

14. Listening to calming music

15. Engaging in creative activities like painting or writing

Resources

Mindfulness Practices

One of the most common is any type of mindfulness practice. So this could range from meditation to mindful breathing through grounding or humming even. Anything that makes you focus on the present moment and feel into your body with your breath. 

Some resource include:

• Jay Shetty - Think Like a Monk

• Meditation apps - Calm

• James Nestor - Breathe

• Grounding therapy exercises

Nutrition

Another common topic is nutrition. The self-help industry is HUGE on lifestyle changes that mean adding and removing specific foods or nutrients to your daily life. Let’s just call it for what it is, diet fads wrapped up in good packaging. 

No matter the way you look at it, if we are monitoring our food in a way that restricts us rather than listening to what our body NEEDS, then it’s a diet fad. Also all the weird things people are doing nowadays (like eating bee pollen) or the amount of cleanses that are being thrown at us to clear out our guts.

There’s just too much information out there to know what is right for us and trying things can help us find those, but can also keep us in a cycle of self-hurting rather than self-healing. 

• The Mind-Gut Connection by Emeran Mayer

• Superlife by Darin Olien

• Challenges like 75 hard/soft 

Yoga

Back to physical ways to connect with our mind-body-soul is yoga.

Yoga is a thousands of years old tradition that was created as a spiritual discipline to focus on harmony between mind and body. The word “yoga” literally means “to unite” in Sanskrit  (derived from the root ‘Yuj”). (Government of India) .

That being said, throughout the thousands of years it’s now an industry that estimated at $107 billion USD in 2023 (Grandview Research, Retrieved June 2024) 

If that isn’t self-help industry, idk what is. 

The benefits to yoga exceed connection as it also promotes flexibility, strength, balance, inner peace for your soul and many other health benefits surpassing just connection.  

• Yoga with Adriene

• Black Yogi Nico Marie

• Take a yoga class with baby goats or puppies in your area!

Healing Energies

Energy healing - back to the woo-woo and uncomfortable at first. But these types of things do populate A LOT in the self-help industry. 

Reiki, acupuncture, crystals, aromatherapy, chakras, sound baths, reflexology, and so much more!

I don’t know much about a few of these, however crystals, aromatherapy and chakras are up my alley! Those things work for me. Whether it’s having crystals all over my house or on me when I go into stressful situations. It works for me knowing the calming energy of amethyst is going to be there or the good luck from tiger’s eye. 

If you believe in it or not, try it before you knock it! A lot of it has been around for thousands of years so there’s got to be something to it right?

Affirmations and visualization 

The best way to connect your mind-body-soul is to use affirmations and visualization. 

This is affirming your mind using your physical words on what your soul needs to hear. 

Visualization also puts your entire being in that place and lets you experience how it would feel. This allows your nervous system to test how you would react in the expected situation. Also, this could give yourself something to look forward to. 

• Anything Gabby Bernstien

• 101 Essays that will change the way you think by Briana Wiest

• I am - Daily Affirmations App