By Sunny Cooper, M.S., M.Ed., Diplomate in Asian Bodywork Therapy (NCCAOM)
We've all heard of "Wellness". It has to do with keeping ourselves fit and healthy so that we can avoid the diseases that strike fear in the hearts of almost every American- cancer, stroke, heart attack, Alzheimer's, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS. It has to do with feeling better, being able to live up to our potential, and enjoying life more.
The information and methodologies that are available in the mainstream bookstores, fitness centers, and hospital wellness centers, while well intentioned and coming from some of the best educated and credentialed experts in the nation, seem to have unrealistic expectations. Many of the books on wellness and healthy aging would have us spending 4 - 6 hours a day on meditation, exercise, preparing healthy foods, self-massage, and doing stress-management. They leave a huge gap between the practical aspects of our daily lives, and trying to do what we need to do to achieve the goals of "wellness", "fitness", "good health".
As a student and practitioner of Massage Therapy and shiatsu over the last years, and as an ordinary person who wants to feel good physically and emotionally, so that I can be productive and happy in my professional and personal life, I have been looking for the missing link. Let's face it. Most of us are not going to do one-fourth of the things that are recommended in the books, fitness centers, and hospital classes. Furthermore, how can we decide what is really best for us? Jogging or Yoga? Raw foods or cooked foods? Take supplements or not? Aspirin, or self-hypnosis? A glass of wine each day or not? Take the medication prescribed by our doctor and hope the side effects are not too detrimental or unpleasant? Ignore a symptom, self medicate with over-the-counter meds or herbs, or see the doctor? Should we explore alternative therapies, or stick with the things we've always done?
As a holistic health care practitioner and educator working with clients and students every day, part of my job is to assist people in getting the information they need to make better choices about their health. Many have chronic pain problems such as headaches, fibromyalgia, back and neck pain. Others have high blood pressure, digestive problems, insomnia, menstrual difficulties, or depression. All of them are looking for answers and assistance, and all of them have been to other health care professionals such as doctors, physical therapists, mental health counselors, or chiropractors. They are continuing to search for something, or they are trying to avoid surgery or drugs. Most of them are well-educated and have read at least one book or website to get information or learn techniques which will help them. Almost all of them are confused about what they should do, and many are willing to try exercise or nutritional changes or meditation or bodywork, but don't know how to start. They come to see me because they are stuck. I tell them that our task is not to seek perfection, but simply to move in the direction of "Mo' Better."
Every physician, chiropractor, massage therapist, psychotherapist, nurse, physical therapist, or other health care professional sees people who are stuck too. All those people aren't stuck just because they aren't willing to learn or do things. We are stuck because of what we learned individually and as a culture. I have noticed that many of the people who come to see me come with the same expectations, limiting beliefs, and attitudes they learned in the mainstream medical system. I call these limiting beliefs, expectations and attitudes "thought viruses".
There are several "thought viruses" I have noticed which seem to be almost ubiquitous among people who are stuck. Luckily, each of these "thought viruses" has an antidote, and the up-side is that more and more I am hearing these expressed among my clients and fellow health care practitioners.
The three BIGGEST "thought viruses" I have observed in the people I work with are
1) A history of placing the responsibility and decision-making power OUTSIDE of self, in the hands of experts and authorities. The antidote is the desire to become more involved and more in control of their own lives, using professionals as partners and consultants.
2) Thinking there is "one best way" for everyone to eat, exercise, sleep, work, relate, manage a health challenge, and so on. The antidote comes with the understanding that not everything is for everybody, but there is SOMETHING for everybody, and it needs to fit into your life and you need to be interested and motivated to do it.
3) thinking of "health, wellness, fitness, and stress" as outcomes, goals, or THINGS, that people can have and hold, and should be instantly available, free of charge. People start to create change and healing in their lives when they think of them as ongoing processes, or ways of being, which usually require conscious choice and some cost, whether financial, time, or effort.
Holistic approaches can bring sense and sanity to many of the concerns mentioned here. As a society and as individual people, we can explore new and different attitudes and beliefs about ourselves, health care, and what will benefit us in the short-run and in the long-run.
Wellness is something we work on every day of our lives. Your personal wellness plan needs to be as unique as you are, and it needs to include things that you really enjoy doing!
Have a massage!
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