Chavah Wellness provides general educational information on various topics on this website as a public service, which should not be construed as health care advice. These are my personal opinions only. See my full disclaimer here.

If you’re like me, you heard the term “Holistic Wellness” and you thought to yourself, “What exactly does that mean?” Is it like natural health? Is there a spiritual element maybe? It seems a little broad, and pretty hard to define. What exactly is going on here? 

Holistic Wellness is actually pretty simple, and oh-so-cool if you ask me, but I kinda geek out over wellness stuff, so maybe don’t ask me! But, you’re here, so I want to make this really easy to understand so you can feel comfortable diving into this incredible wellness space and resource for your health. So, we’ll cover five areas that define Holistic Wellness and set it apart in the big, wide health world.

1. Wellness is a view of the whole person, not just the body. 
2. The many pieces of our wellness are interconnected. 
3. Ancient Healing meets Modern Science. 
4. Measuring for wellness, not illness. 
5. Individuality in health and healing, a.k.a. Biochemical Diversity.

If this sounds like something you’re interested in, let’s dive in with #1.

Wellness is the whole person, not just the body.

At the very foundation, Holistic Wellness is viewing the health of a person as a whole. So it’s much more extensive than just the health of our body. The Wellness Wheel below shows that there are many aspects that play into our overall health as a person.

Body, Food, Rest, Water, Air and Sun all play a part in our health on a larger level. Underneath, we also see Relationships, Purpose, Spirituality, Mindset, Career, and Finances all come into play too.

The many pieces of our health are interconnected.

Wellness coaching is based on the belief that our health is deeply interconnected. The Wellness Wheel shows the many elements of our being that require health to be well balanced, and they each play off of each other in some way.

As a very common example, stress eating is a symptom of an emotional need, not just a food or physical need: the two are interconnected. 

If you want to stop binging on sugar, your plan needs to include a healthy way to manage your stress emotionally, as well as changing your body signals and cravings. There’s a food element and an emotional element. Both need to be addressed to see lasting change. 

Now, this is a complete 180 from modern medicine, which views our health as the body alone, and views the body as a set of individual parts, kind of like a machine. But we are so much more than parts alone. God created our bodies to be intricately connected in a way we are just barely beginning to touch the surface of with modern science.

Ancient Healing meets Modern Science.

A long time ago, our doctors were a person, or people, in a community who had a variety of herbs and tinctures they used to promote healing. They prescribed certain foods and natural remedies for the body.

Before they had science to back up their claims, they relied on results alone, trusting their first hand experiences of healing. They honored the wisdom passed down from generation upon generation of knowledge that touted the healing properties of the world around them. 

There’s no denying that modern medicine has it’s benefits, it can be life-saving in moments of desperate need. However, things like medications can also take their toll on the body if not used wisely. 

Holistic Wellness aims to combine the ancient traditions of healing with the science and growing knowledge of today, to build health in a way that’s naturally healing and sustainable over a lifetime.

Measuring for wellness, not illness.

Another way Holistic Wellness stands apart is its view on true wellness. Standard Western Medicine measures illness – in Holistic Wellness we measure overall wellness or health. The goal is not for you to just be “not sick”, but to reach your full wellness potential.

You can see an example of this in the picture below. There’s an obvious measurement of illness to the right, then there’s a measure of wellness to the left, and a space that’s kind of in the middle. 

Have you ever been to the doctor, or know someone who went, to find out what’s going on with their health and after many tests they were told “you’re fine”. Yeah, I got that too. 

But I wasn’t fine and I knew it! That’s because I fell into the pit in the middle. I knew my body was telling me something wasn’t right – I wasn’t fully healthy and well. But, in medical terms, I wasn’t sick enough to test positive for an actual problem.

Therefore, I fell into the medical middle pit – “just fine”. But not fine. And totally lost about where to go from there! Enter, Holistic Wellness. 

To get out of the pit and build your health we focus on the foundational needs of the body and how to restore and promote the body’s natural function to the best of its ability. This can often be done through natural solutions like lifestyle changes, food as medicine, and herbs and supplements. 

It’s not rocket science. However, if you’re not used to intentionally and strategically stewarding your own health then it can feel like you’re stuck in the world’s largest maze and you have no map to find the way out. 

That’s where wellness coaching can be a lifesaver. More on that later. 

Individuality in health and healing, a.k.a.  Biochemical Diversity. 

Lastly, Holistic Wellness is based on a core belief of Biochemical Diversity. That means that there is no one-size-fits all solution. No ONE diet that’s perfect for everyone. No singular solution to build health. No perfect workout plan for all. Even herbs and supplements will cause your body to respond differently from someone else. This could feel really discouraging. You might think, “Great, now I’ll never figure out how to be healthy!”

I totally get that. I do! I searched and searched for answers, but I always came up short handed because I was searching for other people’s solutions to be my solutions, and they never quite fit – like a puzzle piece that looks like the one you need, but is not an exact fit to make the picture come together.

The good news is that you can discover what true health looks like for you. You can learn to listen to your body, and even speak its language. You can become your own wellness expert and your greatest health advocate. That’s what Holistic Wellness Coaching aims to help you achieve.

You don’t need to fit yourself into a box of standardized treatment. You can rise above and embrace how you were created and build your health in a way that serves you and makes you feel your very best. That’s the freedom that biochemical diversity brings.

Discover Holistic Wellness for Yourself!