The Well of Being
Wellbeing or wellness. What does it really mean? I’ve thought about this a great deal in my quest to improve my own health. To thrive, rather than just survive. The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health. Their website lists the multi-dimensional aspects of holistic health (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, environmental). It is not an end goal but a lifelong journey.
It's complicated. And confusing. The global wellness economy was 4.4 trillion in 2020. Health and wellness advertising would have you believe that you are one step away from living your best life. If you only use their lotion, powder, infrared sauna, cold plunge, mushroom coffee, adaptogenic drink, aura ring, take an exotic vacation, experience sound healing, or meditate.
For the first thirty years of my life, I considered myself healthy. I could eat what I wanted, had strength, a decent amount of flexibility, muscle tone, shiny hair, and took my perceived wellness for granted. I did not give it too much consideration. That all changed two and half months after I delivered my first child, and I plunged into illness so devastating and painful that twenty years later I still work hard to overcome residual of terror from a body out of control. The worst part was, I had no diagnosis for the first fifteen years. Just pain. And disability. And unanswered questions.
This blog represents my search for answers, which has been filled with trials and errors, research, insights, and the seeking out of new solutions. For some reason I was given this experience and I have thought, “Why me?” many times in the past. When I review who I am now with who I was couple decades ago it does start to make sense. Drawing the timeline of my life showed me that with complex chronic conditions there is a gradual manifestation of illness, and many factors are involved.
I questioned how it is I could have wellbeing with a body that did not function as I thought it should. And that impacted my mind, my thoughts, my sense of hope and possibility. Until I understood. The journey has been inevitable. I had to accept the reality of illness, and take on the challenge of finding my way, a step at a time, to better health. It does not mean I return to who I was before, when I was “healthy”. It means I move toward vitality and aliveness, despite the illness and if I am so fortunate, to a definition of wellbeing that encompasses all aspects of life - to the answers that lie deep within, in one’s well of being.