Holistic Health

The view of the human being in western culture has been strongly influenced by two philosophical views. One is that of Descartes, famous for his dictum "I think therefore I am", which identifies the individual solely with the mind, the thinking function. The other is that of Newton, whose mechanistic philosophy assumed everything in the universe, including human beings, to behave like the workings of a clock: simple cause and effect.

A holistic health focus regards the individual as a combination of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions. The mind-body split of Descartes limits our ability to connect to our fuller self; and may be a factor in the experience of self-alienation. What is necessary for optimal health is that these four quadrants be in balance. When the imbalance is threatening the health of the overall self, then a part of self will call for attention. For example:

• Mental disharmony - may manifest as confusion, restless thinking, inability to concentrate, catastrophic thinking etc.
• Emotional disharmony - may manifest as guilt, depression, shame, panic attacks, generalised anxiety etc.
• Physical disharmony - may manifest as fatigue, somatic (body) complaints, feeling uncomfortable in the body etc.
• Spiritual disharmony - may manifest in hopelessness, meaninglessness, mistrust, a profound sense of isolation or alienation etc.

From an holistic health perspective, these are not 'problems' but clues to how to achieve balanced, optimal health for the whole self, indicating where work needs to be done in order for change to happen [see 'Change Process' under self-esteem]. In addition, holistic health does not regard a person in isolation; but as part of an interconnected web that links with other people (family, friends), the environment, and the planet.

Click here for more on understanding emotions (adobe pdf)