The term “holistic wellness” gets thrown around a lot, but what exactly is it? Simply stated, it’s an integrated approach that considers body, mind, and spirit as key components of overall health, and utilizes numerous non-medical disciplines to achieve it. Looking to incorporate more holistic wellness into your own life? Here are five popular practices to consider:
Yoga
While yoga is seemingly everywhere now, there are still some misunderstandings about this ancient practice from India. It’s common for people to think of yoga as simply a stretch class that people take to improve balance or flexibility. While yoga does provide those benefits, physical poses are only one small part of a much bigger whole. There are eight “limbs” of yoga that cover body, mind, and spirit, including asanas (the poses), pranayama (breathing), and dharana (present-moment awareness).
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is another ancient discipline that originated in India. Its premise is that any disease or health issue is due to a form of imbalance in a person’s consciousness or physical body, and healing comes from achieving balance. In Ayurveda, people have a primary “dosha,” Pita, Vatta, or Kapha. Each dosha needs different types of food, activity, seasonal adjustments, and rest to maintain balance.
Acupuncture
The practice of acupuncture began more than 3,000 years ago as a component of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TCM views the human body as a composition of more than 2,000 acupuncture points connected via meridians. Practitioners believe that the flow of energy called Qi (pronounced “chee”) through the meridians is the crux of good health. They use thin needles on acupuncture points to release unhealthy energy blocks and stimulate positive Qi.
Energy Healing
Speaking of energy, energy healing is another holistic practice becoming more and more mainstream. Reiki is one of the most well known energy healing practices. It has roots in Japan, and is performed by trained healers who use their hands to direct energy to promote the recipient’s own healing response.
Meditation
Meditation takes literally hundreds of forms, but one general definition is the process of centering oneself in the present moment. It’s usually performed in a seated position with the eyes closed, but walking meditations and “meditation in motion” practices are also common. Formal disciplines like Transcendental Meditation (TM) involve personal mantras and an entire lifestyle centered around TM, while other practices simply involve sitting quietly for a few moments and paying attention to the five senses to calm the mind.
NextEvo Naturals is a health-driven company with a vision of helping its customers achieve next level wellness. We combine ancient traditions like the use of ashwagandha for stress relief, and modern scientific rigor like lab-testing our CBD for proven potency. Whichever approaches you take, we wish you continued good health and wellness of all kinds!
