Written by: Carla Atherton, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Health is a word that holds so many meanings that it has, in essence, lost all meaning. So, the words I use when I talk about this subject are Deep Wellness.
Deep Wellness is not only harmony and feeling pretty good most of the time in the physical body, but also in the mind, the emotional body, and the soul/spirit, as well. As most of us know by now, it’s a package deal.
And these are not just pretty words but universal truths.
Deep Wellness equates to feeling flow, meaning, and purpose in life (including, and sometimes as a result of, the challenges you encounter or the pain you may experience) and:
To be healthy and happy (vital).
To feel harmony and wholeness.
To access these states through experiencing life fully.
To share that with others.
And this requires harmony in all aspects of the self, including, as I said, not only in the physical body, but also in mind, the emotional body, and the soul/spirit.
Let’s further define and explore this notion of Deep Wellness:
I will tell you first that it is not perfection in our socially constructed sense of the word; it is not purity in that only light exists and no darkness; it is not feeling any discomfort, it is not a final destination of ascension, it is not an end result or a promised state of nirvana or heaven that is not accessible to most people. These notions of health reek, no drip, with condescension, judgment, and piety, and they are not attainable or even what we might want.
For me, I choose to live in this body, in this life, warts and all, while at the same time experiencing the unshakable essence of Deep Wellness.
So, what is it, then?
Deep Wellness is a connection to self, others, the world around us, the universe, where we have the capacity and wherewithal and trust in ourselves to move through uncomfortable states, always experiencing and learning, whole, holding the paradox of bliss and despair at the same time. Deep Wellness is joy, eros, awe that exist even as you cry, get angry, experience physical injury or discomfort. It is a dance with effort and non-effort, embracing what is and its totality; it is presence, being here now, courageous, fully alive. Deep Wellness is being able to move from survive to thrive, even when survival is all we seem to have at times.
Health is a dance not a destination.
“Healing is the return to what is original to you.” ‒ RJ Spina
It is not fixing what is “broken.” Because we are not broken.
The purpose of desiring Deep Wellness is not to seek perfection, but to realize the perfection that already exists.
Happiness isn't even the word. It's ecstatic, it's joyful, it's vital, fulfilled, full of purpose. And that purpose doesn't have to be defined with words or a mission statement or a grand declaration, or that we fail as a human being if we don't “discover” what it is. It is not one thing. Deep Wellness involves reconnecting to ourselves, to others, and to the world around us/the universe. Deep Wellness is stepping into the flow of life, your life.
And as we do that, as we experience our own existence and experience in its totality with discernment and curiosity (this sadness is normal, this big muscle is useful) rather than judgment (this sadness is bad, this big muscle is good), the purpose of life, itself, reveals itself to us. How’s that for a leap beyond just slogging along trying to be “healthy?”
Big shifts for today
Judgment into Discernment
Tolerance into Love
Check back for the next installment of this series: Shifting from Chronic Health Conditions, Emotional Strife, and Stress into Kick-ass Health Empowerment
Session 5: You Have So Much More Than You Think
Visit Carla’s website for more support, information, and opportunities for your health empowerment.
Carla Atherton, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Carla Atherton, MA (Masters in English Literature with heavy study in Psychology and Gender Studies), FDN-P (Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner), Transformational Nutrition Coach, Epidemic Answers Health Coach, Creator of the “Inspired Shift Method”, is a Health Empowerment Coach, Youth Wellness Coach, the Creator and Director of the Healthy Family Formula and the HFF Practitioner Training Academy, Host and Producer of the Children’s Health Summit, Author of Family Health Revolution, Mountains Rise from Earthquakes Writing Experience Facilitator, Holistic Family Health Consultant, Yoga Instructor and Mind/Body Facilitator, and Children’s Health Advocate. Carla works with people from all over the world to make any diagnosis irrelevant, to get out of their own way and into the ecstatic state of Deep Wellness they can and MUST enjoy through information, support, guidance, inspiration, and empowerment.
