Discovering The 7 Pillars of Holistic Health
The construct of health extends far beyond the physical plane, encompassing mental, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social wellness. As I was drowned by the silent screaming in my body, I found neither the lab results nor the perceptions of others could decode the deep-rooted narrative between my Mind and Body.
Physical Health
Our bodies serve as vessels, housing our essence. They deserve our utmost reverence and care. Just as a temple is revered, so should we adorn our lives with healthy foods, mindful lifestyles, restful sleep, invigorating exercise, and a code of conduct steeped in morality.
Acknowledging the broader concept of health is essential for most people to be fully recovered from slowly deteriorated health. By gradually revealing the scientific foundations, mastering our physical health is more and more about elevating our vibrational energy, infusing a balanced diet, supplementation with micronutrients, and a healthy lifestyle.
"Recognizing physical symptoms as a reflection of mental anguish is crucial in understanding and addressing our Holistic Health"
Emotional Health
Our ability to accept and navigate feelings through many challenges of life is determined by our emotional health. The full heights of emotional health require tuning ourselves for a fine blend of intelligence and regulation. Self-awareness, self-acceptance, the ability for self-compassion, emotional agility and living with purpose, as well as treating others with kindness and integrity.
Traditional Chinese Medicine sees the emotional system as an invisible digestive system of Chi that processes constantly produced emotions and integrates them into the circulation of our Mind, Body and Spirit.
Emotional blockage, even worse than a physical wound, often leaves a long-lasting cut. Buried wounds fester, manifesting physically. Traditional wisdom sheds light on the impact of major emotions on body organs. The five major emotions are associated with Five Elements, and five major body organs, which are:
Five Emotions
in Mind
Five Tastes
in Diet
Five Emotions
in Body
Five Emotions
in Nature
Excitement
Bitter
Heart
Fire
Anger
Sour
Liver
Wood
Grief
Spicy
Lung
Metal
Overthinking
Sweet
Spleen
Earth
Fear
Salty
Kidney
Water
These associations bring slow fermented impacts on each of these body organs respectively, through stagnation, depletion or an excess of Chi.
Studies (Stewart-Brown, S., 1998) have shown that emotional distress is often linked to ailments like cardiovascular disease and poor immune system. However, in the current medical system, there are no effective examinations to test for dysfunctions in other pillars of Holistic Health - only the physical aspect. People suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from ordinary life usually have no way to obtain formal diagnosis, not to mention getting medical help or remedies.
Fortunately, through modern research, refer to NeuroSPA, we have found mildly exaggerated stimuli can calm imbalances and restore normal connection between Mind Body and Spirit.
" Taking care of our emotional health is a dramatically increasing demand in the hustle and bustle world nowadays"
Mental Health
Mental health intricately ties to both physical health and emotional [Refer to my own experience in Holistic Health Metamorphosis]. It hinges on our cognitive abilities and brain functions. The main distinction between emotional and mental health is that emotional health refers mostly to our daily mood and emotions, while our mental health refers to our cognitive abilities that facilitate brain functions.
Contrary to popular belief, about 50% of all people will have a diagnosable mental illness at some point before the age of 40. Not to mention those who suffer, yet never see their doctor!
From persistent back pains to sleep deprivation, many physical symptoms have been cryptic messages of my mental health in the past. When I suffered from long-term stress and postpartum depression, I felt like the vessels of my neck were all blocked. My brain was severely lacking blood and oxygen. I often had to lie down with my head hanging out of the bed. Doctors and I both thought it was severe cervical spondylosis, until I lost sleep for seven days and nights in a row.
NeuroSPA, a therapeutic energy healing system with the Tech of Neuroscience, eventually soothed my nervous system and heal my chronic sleep problem. This in turn improved the quality of my sleep, soothing my nervous system even more, which relieved my anxiety and depression. Maybe we can expect new age integrative healing facilitates in the future! But for now, no modern doctor would have prescribed it as a solution， despite it is tremendously effective…
"Recognizing physical symptoms as a reflection of mental anguish is crucial in understanding and addressing our Holistic Health"
Intellectual Health
Intellectual health is about steering the mind for higher brain capabilities. For example, learning, critical thinking, decision-making, organization, communication, and problem-solving.
The recent scientific discourse around brain plasticity has revealed the brain's enormous potential to reorganize its structure and function in response to learning, experience, memory formation, or damage. This reorganization, or "re-wiring", is a testament to the power of the human mind. It also validates external treatments such as performance training, cognitive training, integrated and non-invasive brain stimulation, and balanced nutritional supplements as in Mega Vitamin Cocktail (or Orthomolecular Medicine as a method of alternative healing.
Neural plasticity shows that the capacity of intelligence is infinite – despite the fact that there is a “physical” limitation with how many neurons can fit inside of our heads. Orthomolecular nutrition working on the level of body cells and Chi meditation on the connection of Mind, Body and Spirit. With the perfect integration of modern bio-nutrition science and the ancient wisdoms , we are able to empower those neurons that help our brains harmonize “in a higher dimension.”
Both the Chinese Chi practice and Chinese Traditional Medicine believe: the circulation of Chi is the essence of human health. Chi is the micro-energy of heaven and earth, that detoxes emotional and physical blockages. It is said the invisible paths of Chi in each human body are very similar to the shape of gyrus in brain - the conceptual paths of information processed by the human mind. There is frequently a blockage, excess or deficiency throughout these systems, which affects the functions of both mind and body. As a matter of fact, Chi meditation is the ancient form of holistic transcendence, leading to both health and performance.
* It’s important to keep in mind that “re-wiring” can be positive or negative at all times!
Positive inputs are essential.
"The journey towards Holistic Health is such a wonderful maze, each turn shedding light on a different facet of health. It is about understanding and accepting the intertwined nature of these facets and finding the balance amidst them"
Social Health
Social health builds our capacity to interact and form relationships within our family and community, and adapt to social situations. It has a profound impact on our physical health and mental health [Read my real story of Holistic Health Metamorphasis], which may even have an influence on our lifespan.
Ancient Greek philosopher, scientist and educator Aristotle mentioned in his book Politics: “In essence, human is a social animal.” However, the social aspect has been a severely overlooked scope in the concept of Holistic Health in the past. Only in recent years, it has become seen as integral to personal wellness, so much so that the World Health Organization (WHO) considers it as a part of their definition of health:
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence
of disease or infirmity.”
Very similar to infectious diseases, both positive and negative energies can also be transmitted from person to person. Building positive and supportive in-person connections, participating in local communities, and setting boundaries with toxic individuals are all strategies for enhancing our social health.
Aesthetics Mindful Living
When I experienced depression and social withdrawal because of the toxic relationship, I was able to bounce back to having a healthy social life through Aesthetic Self-transcendence [shop Mindful Living – “Opening soon, register to get notice!”] - the practice of connecting with beautiful aesthetics, turning my ordinary life into brilliant sparkles!
The construct of health extends far beyond the physical plane, encompassing mental, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social wellness. As I was drowned by the silent screaming in my body, I found neither the lab results nor the perceptions of others could decode the deep-rooted narrative between my Mind and Body.
Spiritual Health
Spiritual health doesn't require us to be religious. This facet of health can involve exploring the meaning of life in philosophy, living a purposeful life, experiencing personal transcendence, and seeking the fullness of true success.
The origin of the word “religion” means to “reconnect to…”, which means, traditionally, it was a topic about spirituality and the connection to nature. Vibrational energy remained a primary discussion in both western and eastern thoughts. Despite regular lab tests indicating physical health, Chinese ancestors admitted this invisible micro-energy is also a part of “micro-” nutrition, leading to significant physical changes. Over time, Chinese Traditional Medicine is, in fact, a type of energy healing [Shop NeuroSPA]. Its key concept is Chi.
Acknowledging the vibrational energy exchange among people and within the Health Trinity of ourselves can explain why kindness and empaths often need additional nutrient supplements in both substance and Chi to avoid the sub-health that comes from the depletion of micro-energy.
"Those who take care of themselves spiritually are often healthier physically, and vice versa"
Sexual Health
Contemporary concept of personal sexual health involves the understanding that sexuality is a natural and spiritual part of life, respecting sexual rights, such as the right to love and to be loved, having the ability to access sexual health information, education and care, as well as being able to experience sexual pleasure, satisfaction and intimacy when desired. All of them are within ethical boundaries.
Acknowledging the vibrational energy exchange among people and within the Holistic Health Trinity of ourselves can explain why kindness and empaths often need additional nutrient supplements in both substance and Chi to avoid the sub-health that comes from the depletion of micro-energy.
"Nowadays, sexual health is such a unique aspect in Holistic Health that it’s important to address it separately from the other pillars"
Overcoming the Trauma Experience
My life took an unexpected detour in 2004 when I decided to quit my corporate job and move to Edmonton, Canada. A daunting new world greeted me, where domestic violence and threats entangled me in our haunting 5,000 square foot house.
One night, in the thralls of severe domestic violence, my breath was in my ex-husband’s chokehold until I felt the chill of death brush past me. Desperate to escape this house of horrors, I flew back to Beijing, landing on the doorstep of my parents’ home, without even my suitcase… All I had was a fresh batch of trauma in tow.
At the lowest frequency of my mental health, I felt like drowning. Yet, in that chaos, I found a flicker of realization – the intricate link between Mind, Body, and Spirit. It dawned on me that the blurred outlines of my emotional and relational boundaries had also vanished the boundaries of my physical cells:
Identify the Imbalance
With the frames in my mind destroyed by long-term depression and insecurity, I became extremely tolerant and numb on my feelings. At the same time, showed on body cell test in modern nutrition labs, my cells were also lost the ability to flush out the toxins. The balance of Yin and Yang in my body was twisted and no longer had a solid boundary. My existence - both tangible and invisible, was a complete and total mess