What is holistic Living?
Holistic living is a lifestyle approach that takes all aspects of our lives into consideration. Holistic living emphasizes the idea that humans are not the sum of their individual parts, but a dynamic and interdependent system. Gone are the days where we only looked at our physical wellbeing as the only measurement of health. Looking at your life holistically lets you see the big picture, knowing that it’s all interconnected. It is well known that living a holistic lifestyle nourishes the mind, body, and soul, but we can take the concept even further to five fundamental parts. In ancient eastern traditions, the five fundamental aspects of your life can be related to an element: earth, water, fire, air, ether. The element of earth represents your physical body and resources; water relates to your emotional health, intuition and relationships; fire relates to your energy, digestion, and movement; air relates to your mental health; and ether relates to your spiritual health, your contributions to the world, and your connection to the greater whole. Looking at your life from a holistic perspective acknowledges that all parts of your life contribute to your wellbeing and each affects the other. For example, if you are not getting enough sleep because of feeling anxious about your work, you may act distant or angry with your family, friends, and it can even affect the way you perceive the world around you. Each aspect of your life works together and affects each other. Let’s explore each element and how they relate to the aspects of your life in more detail.
Earth= Physical Health
The physical part of holistic living is typically the easiest to understand because it relates to your body and we can easily see when our bodies are in proper health. Nourishing the body requires taking a look at your nutrition, sleep patterns, and even the
This part of holistic living also relates to your resources in the physical world, whether that
Water= Emotional Health
This part of health focuses on an individual’s ability to be aware of their emotions and cope with both the positive and negative aspects of them. This also includes a person’s capacity for self-acceptance, self-esteem, and overall resiliency.
Fire= Energetic Health
According to Albert Einstein, “Everything is energy”. This aspect doesn’t just relate to the vitality that we feel in our bodies, but rather our frequency and vibration. We have all been in a room after a fight where we can feel the tension even without anyone telling us what has happened. We all have this ability to be able to sense another person’s frequency. This aspect of health also corresponds with our ability to be able to digest ideas and information and be able to utilize it in our lives to create change. This aspect of our health also deals with our ability to adapt to change and if there is enough energy in our system to create and sustain a change.
Air= Mental Health
Mental health is a topic that has been prevalent especially since the pandemic. Tending to the health of your mind is as important as tending to your physical body. As a society, we have been conditioned to force ourselves to fit into expectations. Whether it is working harder to achieve something, forcing ourselves to be more positive (even when we don’t feel it), ignoring our emotions, or agreeing with ideas when we don’t significantly impact our mental health.
Ether= Spiritual Health
This aspect of life varies greatly from person to person. Spiritual health means nourishing your soul and knowing what truly fulfills you. Knowing your values, living your life accordingly , and living with purpose are all essential to spiritual health. According to Tony Robbins, contribution is one of the top six human needs when it comes to living a passionate life. Over time, you’ll be able to create a deeper connection with yourself, others, and the world around you when you include this aspect of health into your life.
A holistic approach to life is essential to living a meaningful and purposeful life because it takes everything into account and encourages us to take responsibility for our health and well-being. We are active participants in our health and healing journey. It is centered around the idea that a meaningful life means something different to each person and we get to define that for ourselves. It isn’t a one size fits all approach but rather a way of life that encourages you to observe all of yourself.
