The Five Pillars of Holistic Wellness are defined as the balance of our mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and social wellbeing. If these are in balance, then we have a much greater capacity to flourish and grow, and to endure life’s challenges and stressors with ease. If our foundation is strong and connected, then our energy force is more likely to flow.

The Spiritual Pillar ~ Dr. Martha Reid, ND

“Be your best, surrender the rest.” ~ Dr. Martha Reid, ND

Over the years in my life, I am learning there is little we control in the world around us. All we really seem to have say over, in my opinion, is how we meet each moment. And our ability to meet the difficult moments we face, in a way that we would like, has a lot to do with the vitality we hold within ourselves.

Our vitality is something we do have a lot of say over. It is the terrain of our bodies so to speak: how we eat, how we think, how we move, how we feel, how we sleep. These things define the health of our terrain and are largely within our ability to control. By shifting what is within us, we can meet the world outside of us with greater ease, and in this way, we may shift the
outcome.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”  ~ Reinhold Niebuhr

Nourish the garden of your body and the temple of your soul and then accept that the rest is outside of your control.

Emotional Wellness ~ Dr. Jenna Scott, ND

Emotional health is the reflection and understanding of our feelings. It is not only the ability to identify feelings but also the ability to accept, manage and express those feelings. This pillar of health encompasses much of how we interact with and receive the world around us. Mental health is important for understanding information, but our emotional health is responsible for telling us how we feel about said information.

Signs of optimal emotional wellbeing include self-awareness, healthy communication, coping skills, decision-making skills, caring relationships, and a positive affect. When emotional health is compromised, it impacts other aspects of our health including mental, spiritual, and physical.  Emotions, or feelings, are physical sensations felt in or around the body.  For example, the butterflies felt in your stomach before doing something new, or the tightness felt in your throat during a difficult conversation.  These sensations provide us with important intel of how we are feeling separate from our thoughts or behaviours. Once the sensation is identified, we attach a feeling word or emotion to it.

The ‘Feeling Wheel’

A tool for this exercise is ‘the feeling wheel’ which includes a variety of feeling words. For example, the butterflies felt may be excitement or nervousness, and the tight throat may be embarrassment or shame. Once the emotion is identified, we work towards accepting the feeling  for what it is, without judgment or trying to change it. The emotion is an entity on its own; it does not define you nor has to dictate how you behave. The practice of identifying and naming emotions brings us clarity and the ability to think straight and rationally problem solve. Often, once a feeling has identified the intensity of the sensation will peak, then naturally fall away.

You can start connecting to your emotions by connecting with your body – remember, emotions are physical sensations! Set aside intentional, quiet time to check in with your body, such as meditation or body scan, or move
your body with yoga or a walk. Another way of connecting with your emotions is to talk about them. You can do this with your ND, counselor or with a trusted friend. The practice of talking about how you feel will not only help to identify your emotions but enhance your communication skills.

Other ways of supporting your emotional health include:

• optimizing your sleep
• fueling with nutritious foods
• creating meaningful connections

Emotional wellness is not an end goal, rather an encompassing element in all parts of our life. The continual practice of nurturing our emotional health will help to create a deeper, meaningful relationship with ourselves and the world around us.

Mental Wellness – Krista Amey, RHN

A healthy mental wellbeing allows us to move with the ebb and flow of life.  It enables us to make better choices and to be resilient when life throws us challenges. It permits us to share our gifts and skills with others and to contribute to the greater good. Healthy mental wellbeing helps us maintain clear boundaries, good communication and helps to nurture our relationships. One facet of mental wellbeing is mindfulness or staying present. The concept of time is a human construct. Far too often do we dwell on the past or fret about things in the future, which may or may not even come to pass. Living in the present is our natural state and it helps us to maintain a calm mind and balanced emotions, allowing for mental clarity,
focus, and a more healthful physical, emotional, social, and spiritual existence.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” ~Buddha

Physical Wellness ~ Dr. Martha Reid, ND

Body, Mind and Spirit: an integrated whole.  Move one, and the others will follow!  If you feel stuck in any area, simply move. Try some breath work…take a contrast shower…stretch. And if this seems too much, just start by moving the pool of Qi (or energy) within you. Acupuncture can help!

Acupuncture is an ancient form of medicine, all about moving Qi. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, when Qi is blocked, pain results (physically or emotionally). Acupuncture helps remove these blockages so that your Qi can flow more easily. Acupuncture is helpful for numerous health conditions including, physical pain of virtually any sort, post-exercise recovery, mental health (anxiety, depression, etcetera), digestive disorders, inflammation, menstrual
disorders, fertility and so much more!!

Social Wellness ~ Stephanie Burke, PN

Social wellness is about maintaining harmonious relationships with your friends and loved ones. I think we are all feeling a type of loneliness that we have not quite felt before during this global pandemic. Along with a sense of losing control in terms of whom we can and when we can spend time with our loved ones and it has started to take an emotional toll on us.

I grew up in a small community in Manitoba and being born biracial, I never quite felt like I fit in socially where I came from. It wasn’t until my later teens that I realized it is not the colour of my skin that is holding me back socially, it’s my attitude and outlook on life that is. Now I consider myself a bit of a social butterfly, so I wanted to share my journey.

With Covid going on a lot has changed in our social calendars. We are no longer able to freely fly, travel to see loved ones, have social gatherings with friends, or even smile at someone walking past us on the street. So how can I fill my social cup so to speak? I say utilize your time spent outside like going to the market or taking a walk. Say hello to strangers through your mask and bring an elderly neighbour or friend a sweet treat to let them know you care for them.  Take advantage of technology such as zoom, face time, what’s app and the Canada Post. I just bought some nice paper/stationary and started writing letters to my friends and family just to let them know just how important they are in my life.

The thing we cannot do is completely self isolate and start feeling sorry for ourselves and our situations. Let us try and support each other the best we can right now.  You feel good when you are doing something nice for another. Try to
remember your cup is always half full not half empty, making that shift in perspective can be so gratifying.