The holistic approach to health

Many people seem to be fine but if we dig a little deeper we realize that disharmony, sadness and hatred are not far off. What does it mean to be healthy? Does it mean having beautiful skin, a wasp waist and a perfect weight? Or to have the blood values ​​all in order and no disease? What about emotional health? How many times a day do we meet people in excellent physical health, but bent by sadness, anger and unmanageable emotions?

Health, as yoga and Ayurveda teach us, is to be seen from the angle of union between body and spirit. This way of seeing things is cultivated in yoga and many other mindfulness practices. Awareness allows us to always be attentive to the choices we make, therefore to take care of ourselves, through food choices, exercise, inner calm, the first step to optimal health.

There are several elements on which the holistic approach to health is based, some of which are often neglected: physical health, nutrition, emotions, social well-being, spirituality, intellectual curiosity, financial independence and the environment.

These pillars are actually just points of reference, not precepts. The path to well-being is in fact individual. Each person’s genetics, personality and environment determine the personal definition of well-being. This is why it is important to take a personalized approach.

When it comes to “physical well-being,” one immediately thinks of exercise. Doing regular physical activity is certainly a fundamental pillar but it is not the only one. In fact, the body doesn’t just need to move: it needs to rest well, have good hygiene and a healthy diet. It is also important to have a personalized approach to nutrition, since needs differ according to age, sex, activity level and metabolism. Emotional well-being includes the ability to swim in the infinite sea of ​​our emotions, know how to recognize them, communicate them to others and learn to share them. Social well-being is about cultivating positive relationships with others and developing good conflict management skills when difficult relationships arise. Relationships are fundamental in the life of a human being. Spirituality is an individual journey in the life of each of us. Difficult to define but important to make sense and direction. Stimulation of the mind for a good level of intellectual well-being. Discuss with others, keep the curiosity to learn new things alive. Financial well-being may sound strange in a holistic approach to health, but financial problems are a major source of stress. Being financially healthy means living and planning for the future, at least for the programmable part, with greater serenity. Do not forget the environment, which is of fundamental importance. Whether it is the environment in general understood as planet earth or the family or work environment.

And you, how do you manage all these pillars of well-being? What is your personal holistic wellness recipe?

To promote the holistic well-being, we like to organize holistic journeys in which many of these pillars of well-being are wisely mixed and fully experienced in places of great naturalistic beauty. Whether it’s a yoga retreat in Thailand, an Ayurveda retreat in India or Europe, a yoga holiday in Tenerife, our travel proposals are moments of detachment during which to be able to contact each other deeply, learn healthy nutrition, learn to recognize what is good for us, through yoga, meditation, natural medicine, Ayurvedic treatments, personal growth workshops. All in magnificent paradises and taking advantage of rest and beauty. Do you want to try our recipes? Find them on www.myidealtraveling.com.