Beyond Wellness
There is this general common belief that what we need to do here in this world is heal, heal not only the world but ourselves. That healing seems to be the goal, and health is its ultimate reward.
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Health and healing not our life’s goal
The idea portrays that if we only mange to heal ourselves, to fix our past traumas as well as to live a balanced healthy live – oh then we will have no other choice but will naturally be happy and enjoy a pleasure-full life. However, overcoming our problems, and healing illnesses does not instantly lead to happiness. While a relative level of wellbeing and inner balance are naturally a prerequisite for our wellness they are non-other than a foundation, ground zero, upon which we can start climbing, building, growing.
If we have not reached ground zero we are in a kind of “minus zone”, we are trying to fill up leaking holes, to compensate for self-love. Comforting our sorrows and tend to our wounds needed, but also we must move on from that stage. Like a broken limb, which needs our tender care to recover, yet this recovery stage needs to be understood as temporary.
There is not growth that doesn’t start with a general level of health and wellbeing. But that is the starting point not the goal.
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Getting a Passport
Similarly – we need a passport, flight ticket and to get to the airport, to go fly to new place – but that is only the prerequisite of going to an unknown land and experiencing all that it has to offer. If we are not fit for that, such as if we are not in good physical, metal, psychological and spiritual wellness we can never even reach that airport let alone the desired destination. We will be firstly working on getting there. At times this process take much time and effort, but, knowing that there are places we can go to and explore might motivate us to proceed and get going, aiming our horizon, beyond that airport. If our only goal is to make it to get a passport and flight tickets, there simply is no real chance we will make it beyond that point.
Health is an everlasting dance of balance. If we are too strict with ourselves that too is unhealthy and not a very fun way to live.
I clearly remember when studying traditional yoga in India, how we learned the importance of not sticking to the rules too much. While traditional yoga is a stick discipline, being too rigid with regard to the rules is regarded as a hinder, just like many others.
The point of keeping in good health is that it is not to be taken as a dogma or an idea. We must embody it, it must become natural for us, a basic expression of self-care. Once we develop good habits and know what a good feeling really is, we naturally will not have any pull to stuff like junk food (really! This is not a myth), why would be? It smells terrible and tastes terrible and makes our body feel terrible. Same with unnatural washing powder / soaps / perfumes / air purifiers etc., etc. – they smells so artificial and just bad. This is not a concept or an ideology but a personal experience. A personal repose as appose to attractiveness.
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Survival vs. Blossom
The same goes for the place we live, work and the people we surround ourselves with, they all naturally need to support us. Not as a goal but as our base, only then in the supportive environment can we really blossom.
But this is not something that can happen in a day. If you have taken the time to develop unsupportive habits or for example grew-up surrounded by certain negative influences – from states of mind to even tastes or smells, these can psychologically remind you of your happy times or just provide comfort for other reasons. Once habits are formed it takes time to change them. They seem “natural” as we are familiar with them. This feeling of familiarity makes it so appealing to turn to them for comfort. They can easily have an addictive effect on us. In such cases there is a need for cleansing and untraining you senses form their acquired unsupportive habits.
But again, finding balance is important and wonderful but yet still – is not the goal. It sets the ground upon which we can build and grow and expand and rejoice. Not from a place of lacking and filling but from a place of wholeness.
Once we know where we are heading it is make it easier to walk.
