What does holistic really meAN?

The word Holistic is from the Greek word Holos meaning ‘whole’

It means looking at a whole system or person not just one individual part.

If somebody came to me for Yoga or Reflexology with a knee pain, I would not just think knee pain, I would look at what caused the pain in the first place. Knowing about someone’s movement, their diet, their routines, their habits, their sleep gives me a much fuller picture into how I can help to the best of my ability.

It is not about me prescribing something I am not trained to do, thinking I can fix everything-it is having as much information as possible for the best possible outcome for a client.

As humans we are all connected with each other, and the body is one interconnected piece too.

The nervous system for instance is intertwined with the muscle system. The Endocrine system is linked also to the Nervous system. It can be likened to a set of Dominos- when one is knocked over the position of others can be too.

Holistic can often be used to describe different therapies such as Massage, Yoga, Reiki and Acupuncture.

These therapies do not just work on one specific part of the body or mind but the whole- focusing on harmonising all the different parts so they body is betterbalanced and more at ease.

What really makes these therapies holistic is the intention and the way they are carried out- not just by adding the name to a treatment menu because it sounds right.

In my personal opinion, a holistic treatment should not just be carried out as a routine session but genuinely intended to unite body mind and spirit.

I understand my own energy plays a part in how a client may feel. By honouring my own boundaries and grounding myself before a client I give the best chance of delivering a higher quality treatment. If I came to a client rushed and stressed, that energy could transfer to them which is not the goal I want to achieve.

Thinking about how the body feels, where the mind is anchored to and how the breath is moving will all affect how relaxed someone can feel.

The surroundings are also important. The sights sounds and smells can also affect how people respond.

Notice the difference in the morning if you come down to last nights dishes, cups stacked in the sink, bins full, or if you have a clean kitchen to make your morning drink. You would probably feel calmer and more at ease in a tidy kitchen.

When we take a holistic view of our whole lives we can often begin to understand the impact one area has on another. If we work late and we cant get into bed until 11pm but have to be up at 7am we are likely to feel more tired than someone who does not have to get up until 9am purely because there is more time to rest. If we are going to the gym three times a week and walking a dog daily but drinking wine every day, we can be still likely feel run down and weak because although one area of life is functioning well, it is affected by another.

Over the last few years I am beginning to understand more about the connections of everything and see where I can be thrown of balance. I like to look at a week as a whole. Some days with the best will in the world will be very busy and not well balanced but overall I hope another part of the week will be more peaceful to bring some equilibrium.

I look at what work I am doing, times to exercise, what food I am eating and what I am doing for self care and fun.If I see an imbalance, I try to alter it before the week begins.

If we just look at one area for example money it doesnt give us a clear picture of the surrounding factors such as time and rest.

A good life coaching technique is to write down all the different areas of your life such a Family, relationships, health, job, home, money, fun and rate them out of 10 of how content you feel. Seeing them side by side may help you realise why this is so and how one area can affect another.

Then pick one area this week you would like to work on to get a higher score and review the following week. You may find as a consequence other area get higher or lower as a byproduct. This is a great way of seeing how holistic your life really is.

Remember life is full of highs and lows and rather than striving for a perfect life, see if you can just bring a little more balance to it.

Thank you for reading and wishing you a wonderful week ahead.