Word of the Day: Health
A teacher once described health to me as balance between all aspects of self. Said another way - alignment. In this state of balance or alignment all aspects of the self work together in harmony and agreement.
In my own practice I have come to associate health with integrity, meaning undivided wholeness. In this view of health, all of these balanced aspects described by my teacher are acting as one unified whole.
Upon exploration of the etymology of the word health, it seems that we are on the right track. Let’s explore the true meaning of health.
health (noun) : the state of being free from illness or injury
Health is rooted in the Old English word hǣlth which means “whole, wholeness.” This is also related to the Proto-Germanic word hailitho and the PIE kailo, both of which mean “whole, uninjured.” The words health, whole, heal, and holy all share common roots in Old English.
Usage of the word health has really increased in the last 100 years. In recent history it’s true association with wholeness has come more to the forefront as well. We see phrases like “whole foods” and “whole person care” used more frequently now than before.
The true meaning of health points us towards holistic (another associated word) approaches to healthcare. We are now recognizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to well-being. A true approach to health acknowledges that physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual factors are all a part of the whole. Holistic healthcare also looks to environment and relationships as part of the whole.
Taking cues from etymology, we are invited to look at the whole picture of well-being in our quest for health. This is a wonderful invitation to nurture ourselves in a variety of ways. Diet and nutrition, physical fitness, spiritual practice, mental healthcare, emotional wellness, and community relationships are all a part of the whole.
A friend recently shared this vision of health with me. It is a visual she holds for her acupuncture practice. The story goes something like this:
There are many parts of our self that are taking a walk together. They come upon another part of our self on the trail. This part of our self has twisted their ankle (experienced trauma) and is stuck. The able bodied parts of our self join together to lift up the injured part of self. We include it in the walk home. In the walk home, this aspect of self becomes mobile again and more confident.
When any one part of our self becomes injured, or out of balance, we can call on all of the other aspects of self for healing. Healing in essence is bringing all parts of self back into balance and unity. By the true definition health is wholeness.
