2016-06-30
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.
-Krishnamurti

From "Wellness," by Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D., p. 29 in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Body-Mind Discipline, Edited by Nancy Allison:

The wellness paradigm holds that there is no separation between mind, body, spirit, and emotions. All aspects of the human condition are so tightly connected that it is impossible to distinguish one from the other. An ancient theory that is supported by many experts in several disciplines suggests that each aspect of the human condition is comprised of energy, with the most dense energy being the most obvious and tangible: the physical body. Here are definitions for each aspect of the wellness paradigm:

* Emotional well-being is best defined as the ability to feel and express the entire range of human emotions from anger to love, and to control them, not be controlled by them.

* Physical well-being is defined as the optimal condition of each of the body's physiological systems. These include pulmonary, cardiovascular, nervous, immune, reproductive, urinary, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and digestive.

* Mental well-being is understood as the ability to gather, process, recall and communicate information. Like a computer, the mind can gather and store mass quantities of information.

* Spiritual well-being is defined as the maturation of higher consciousness as developed through the dynamic integration of three facets: relationships (internal, how you relate to yourself and a higher power, however you conceive this to be; and external, how you relate and interact with all people in your life), a personal value system, and a meaningful purpose in life.

* * *

Also on Beliefnet:
  • Why Balance in Our Bodies is Often Reflected in Our Lives


  • Sign up to receive Health & Healing insights in your inbox everyday.

    more from beliefnet and our partners