The Meaning

As of late, the term “wellness” seems to be all around us. We hear it from the media, in our favorite instagrammer’s posts and on the latest podcast episode. Everywhere you look, that word is being used to describe something we all constantly seem to be striving for.....But what IS wellness?

By definition, the word wellness means <The state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal> How is it, a word, so vaguely defined has taken the world by storm?

The evolution of wellness dates as far back as 3000 b.c. with Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine practices. Ayurveda is known to be a holistic system that strives to create harmony between mind, body, and spirit; the idea being maintaining balance between the three will prevent illness. Where as Traditional Chinese Medicine outlines that cultivating harmony in ones life will lead to greater health and wellbeing.

Later came Greek and Roman physicians and philosophers, who adopted the belief that illness was a product of diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors, and focused on the prevention of sickness instead of simply treating the symptoms.

Years later, the 19th century brought us Homeopathy (a system that uses natural substances to promote the body’s self healing response) and Osteopathy (a holistic approach to manipulating muscles and joints to promote good health).

There have been several key movements in the last 50 years, leading up to what could be deemed the “tipping point” of 21st century wellness. For so long, society grew in a direction of modernization in medicine, farming, and even health insurance . Many of the aforementioned practices, dating back thousands of years, were replaced with something newer, better, faster, stronger, cheaper, and easier.

Now here we are, looking inward on all of our “advancements” and searching for our individual ideas of wellness. Wether that is spiritual growth, a dietary shift, self care practices, or just a general curiosity; it’s something that intrigues is all.

I am amid my own personal wellness journey, and couldn’t help but think that I am not the only one who is completely fascinated by this word and all of its unique and independent meanings to each of us. So, I hope you join me as I learn, grow, and share all of the many facets of such an intriguing word.

*I will be sharing opinions and facts on any and all wellness related topics, interviewing some of the industries leaders, and searching for the most pertinent information for all of us. If you have any suggestions on future topics, please share in the comment section below. Thanking you all in advance for your continued curiosity and in turn support in my journey.

**Information for the above was gathered from the following sources:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxford

https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/kcs/WHPL_Canon_We_Wellness_Its_orgins_Theories_and_applications.pdf

https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/industry-research/history-of-wellness/