Many of us grew up with a limited understanding of health.
We tend to view health as a phenomenon of the body,
disconnected from mental or spiritual events. As such, we
may pay close attention to our physical health while
neglecting other areas of human experience. Yet increasingly
we are finding out that the state of our mind, emotions, and
spirit have significant impact on both our health and our
recovery when illness strikes.
The concept of holistic health has become generalized to
include many things: the use of herbs, the use of mental
imagery, the use of hypnosis, to name a few. Some people
equate the concept of holistic health with the New Age
movement. What I'd like for us to consider here is the idea
of holistic health as consisting of an attitude of wellness
in ALL areas of human experience -- body, mind, emotions,
and spirit. With that notion of holistic health in mind,
let's take a health inventory. I'll pose a few questions to
you in each domain and a few examples.
Think of your body for a moment. In general, how is your
health? Do you cope with a chronic health problem? If so,
how responsible are you as far as medication is concerned?
Do you miss or skip doses frequently? Now think of stress.
What kind of regular stress do you experience? Where do you
feel it in your body? (Muscles? Stomach? Headaches?) What do
you do to pleasure your body on a regular basis? (Bubble
baths? Exercise? Massage?) Are any of your physically
pleasurable activities potentially destructive or addictive
in the long run? (Drugs? Overeating? Alcohol abuse?) How
aware are you of your senses? Can you list five pleasurable
experiences for each sense? If you wanted to relax, which
sense would you engage? (Listening to music? Watching TV?
Smelling the flowers?)
Now think about your world of attitudes and ideas -- your
inner mental world. Do you harbor resentments toward anyone?
Do you have a little voice inside your head that is
constantly passing judgment of you, criticizing you at every
turn? Do you accept the conclusions of that voice without
question? Do you ever use your imagination to picture
relaxing scenes? Do you often spend time thinking about
what-ifs? Are many of those what-ifs unpleasant ones? What
are your gifts? What is your reaction if I ask you "What
have you done for yourself in the past week?" What do you
like to read? When is the last time you read something for
pleasure? For personal growth?
Now think about your emotional world? How often do you get
angry over trivialities? Do others see you as moody? What
are your biggest fears? What do you do to celebrate? Is your
way of celebrating in any way self-destructive? (Alcohol
abuse? Overeating?) What do you do when you feel like
crying? Let it flow? Bottle it up? When was the last time
you cried? Who are your favorite comedians? When was the
last time you heard a good joke? Can you tell a funny story
about yourself?
Now think about your spiritual world? Do you ever meditate?
When was the last time you did? If prayer is meaningful to
you, do you allow yourself prayer time on a regular basis?
How often do you indulge in activities which cause you great
guilt or shame? How often do you feel on the edge of
despair? Do you regard yourself as a good or a bad person?
If you have a belief in God, do you find comfort or fear in
that relationship? Are you or have you ever been angry with
God?
There are many more areas within each domain of human
experience which enter into the concept of health. The
challenge is to consider each domain, not just that of body,
when you ask yourself, "How am I feeling today?" |
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