What Is Holistic Living?
Let's start with the Google definition of Holistic Living.
"A holistic lifestyle is one led with intention to nourish the mind, body and soul for total wellness. A holistic lifestyle is a connected way of living that focuses on you as a whole, understanding how elements such as diet, sleep, exercise and habits are working together to impact your current state of being or ‘wellness’." -Mumanumbalms.com (top search on Holistic Living)
"Living a holistic lifestyle is a lot healthier than most styles of living. It basically means you're choosing to live your life and heal your body through natural remedies." -Elitedaily.com
Holistic Living is basically living a well-balanced, integrated physical, emotional, mental, spiritual life. It is living life of mind, body, soul alignment.
It means win-win-win in all aspects of life and not one or few are compromised for the other aspects. It is your clue that if something may seem to be rewarding in one aspect but compromising the other, that means that one is out of alignment or there is something that you need to look into to realign and you do not settle for it no matter how tempting it is, no matter how financially or materially rewarding it is.
For example, you got a job that pays really well and enable you to buy the material things that will make you appear "successful" and "you got it all figure out" or even if you think you really are successful, yet in reality you are having only 2-3 hours of sleep, you are binge eating fast food and unhealthy drinks, and you have no time for your children or family and the people who matter -- deep inside you feel something is lacking, you are still looking for fulfilment.
This is exactly what I mean by living out of alignment because we thought that the way to go is what the society dictates us through generations - most of the time, a linear type one. We study hard, work hard so we can get a nice job, and we climb the ladder (corporate or social), earn a lot of money and then we will be successful.
Life moves so fast that when you asked yourself, did you really have the time to actually figure out what is the way to go? What is your path? What is your purpose in life?
Sometimes it can be difficult to be grounded when all you hear are words that leads you to feel that "You are not enough."
Maybe you don't feel valued by your romantic partner, maybe your family doesn't recognize your progress and no matter what you do things make seem not enough, maybe you've been working hard and yet you're not getting paid as you deserve, you are not getting promoted, and generally you feel you are taking for granted by your friends who you are choosing over your own welfare, giving in to their needs just for you to fit in or for you to be liked and feel "belong".
The moment that you realize this, this moment that you are reading this or hearing this and you can resonate and it hits you.
It's time to pause, reflect, and call it quits.
Enough about the drama why those things are happening to you.
Enough about the justification that the reason why you are experiencing life this way is because that's just how life is or because they are treating you unpleasantly.
Enough about your excuses that you weren't born as fortunate and as good as others.
Enough about blaming them, your family, your friends, your job, your boss, your partner... enough about blaming the people, the situation, the circumstance.
Enough about feeling like a "victim".
This is when you exactly start to shift from looking externally to going inward... to change your perspective in life.
Imagine a life of intentional living wherein you know you won't settle for what you are not aligned to the intentions that you set.
Why? Because living in alignment is living your highest truth as one with the Infinite Source.
Imagine that you are able to do and say what you think and feel. Feel (Soul), Think (Mind), Say and Do (body/action). ALL ARE ALIGNED.
If you set an intention to live life holistically, in your own terms, you know that:
-Not all people that come to you, you have to entertain
-Not all tasks that are being asked for you to do you have to accept even though you know you are already fully loaded
-Not all everyone else is buying you have to buy as well (peer pressure)
-etc.
You no longer need to pretend, to hide, to dim your light because your Source is the truth, the purest... you essence, your being.
What's to fear when you are so authentic, so honest, so real? You are no longer protecting something you think are embarrassing to come to out because you are no longer ashamed of your past because it does define who you are now.
Let your darkness come to light.
In the present moment, it's all about...
-Being able to say no because you know this will cause you know it's not good for your mental and physical health
-Being able to acknowledge the abundance that you are not settling for what's just there because you fear there will be no more options - may it be for material things, job, people, or situation.
-Being able to prioritize spirituality because you know material is just secondary. And by spirituality I mean, inner being.
Work on your inner first and your external will follow.
In Bible they said seek thy kingdom of God first and all things shall be added unto you.
In Spirituality, Kingdom of God is not somewhere out there in heaven afterlife but is "within", so one must go inward to create a better external results.
In psychology, in science, it's all about mindset, if you have a great mindset, your decisions will be direct upon what you want to manifest and so it happens as you strengthen your focus.
All are the same thing - believe whichever you want to believe as long as you get the essence.
When you operate from love, love flows, when you operate from abundance, abundance flows, when you operate from scarcity, fear, doubt, and worry manifest.
Spiritual first because we are spiritual/energy beings having a temporary human experience. Energy is our essence and our body is the form. Energy is infinite or limitless and our body is finite or limited.
So it only makes sense to live life surrendering to the spirit because ultimately we may acquire all these things that our ego wants us to have, yet it is the spirit that will only makes us fulfilled, mission-drive, and living life in purpose.
You see, it is more than health and wellness yet all are necessary to make things work in harmony which is our original state.
This is why I created this blog and podcast, there are so much to talk about and one by one let's all have an awareness about it, an open discussion about it. We have our lifetime to do this so might as well start now. What's important is the is a progress instead of stagnation, growing instead of dying, loving instead of hating, getting well instead of getting worse, having inner peace instead of living in fear... living a life in Zen state of mind instead of being in a dazed state, confused on what we're doing or what we're going. It's about relentless pursuit to growth, to excellence, to mastery of self, to serve to others.
To live for purpose instead for money. Not that you dismiss money but you know it's just secondary.
Holistic living is going back to your true nature than allowing your self to become a robot, a zombie, a slave not realizing one can be programmed for the profit of others, for the interest of the few.
I invite you to follow my blog, vlog, and podcast so together we will unravel all these things that we need to know as we access higher consciousness, higher awareness.
For now here are top 3 practical tips that can help you start living a holistic life within the day which leads you to a life that you've been promising yourself you will do yet your past pain, trauma, upbringing, societal programming, religious indoctrination, media manipulation and the likes are getting in the way. (So much for that for these we can cover that in the next contents so here it is:
1. Journaling
Write down your thoughts, what you want to happen in your life - if your brain is already caught up with noise, acknowledge that for now you need help of a notebook - let your journal be an extension of your brain and organize your thoughts through writing your feelings, your wishers, your tasks, desires, etc.
You don't have an outlet to process your feelings? Write it down. You easily forget what you said you will do? Write it down. You tend to do things in all direction and you find yourself having a hard time completing or accomplishing an important project or task, write it down.
There are different types of journal and I recommend the following:
Diary / Planner: Head on to your favorite book store and choose the planner or journal that fit your need and your personality. There is always a joy in purchasing something for your growth knowing that you are choosing yourself this time.
My personal favorites are: Papemelroti in SM Stores and Van Gohg design sketchbook from Fully Booked which I use as a journal.
Manifestation Journal: I am personally conceptualizing my own manifestation journal which I want to share also in the future. For now, be creative, you can choose a journal that is blank and decorate it, draw, paint, whatever you want to do with it.
Source: IG @TheFlowLife.PH
Financial Journal: The Flow Life Journal by Yani Moya (It is "structured to help you personally manage your ~ flow ~ to the grand vision you want for the year") IG @TheFlowLife.PH
Virtual Journal / Online Blog: If I have ideas while traveling and while I'm browsing internet, I type it and save it in my notes or create a blog about it. That way I won't need to have paper and pen to record my thoughts because we tend to forget them and something great insights and inspiration come suddenly, in just a blink of an eye so be aware of the insights that flows through you in times you least expect them to come.
You can also avail free coffee shops and drug stores journal. I used to collect Starbucks journal until I decided that I can have a journal wtih same functionality and even better design for much affordable way. It's up to do.
So what are you going to write about? Reflect where you're at right now. Do you like the people you are surrounded by? Do you like your job? Do you like your attitude towards people and towards your self? How's your health? Why are the things you are compromising? Are you really spending money wisely or impulsively? Who are the people that truly matter in your life? How can you add value to them? Who are the people you have to forgive in the past that are you still unconsciously bringing in the present moment? And many more.
2. Clean your space, clear your life.
Evaluate your things right now which ones are you really not using anymore? Categorize them into three:
(a) to keep (something valuable or really has a sentimental value to you, something you really use, or something that you can recycle and reuse)
(b) to give away (think who do you think will benefit more on these stuff? your sister? brother? cousin? friend? co worker? strager? donate them if you wish)
(c) to dispose (it's not valuable, it's causing stagnant energy, it's not working anymore, it's not serving you anymore, it's time to let it go)
This is also important because in order for new energies to flow, you must make way for it by remove all stagnant and negative energies around like things you no longer use, unorganized cabinets, uncluttered table, trashes and dirt).
Notice how a clear space will also give you a clear mind and notice how a clear mind inspires you to clear your space too.
Do you want to dig deeper into decluttering and organizing your space, check out Align With Ally's page by Ally Canita here.
Source: Align With Ally Canita FB page
3. Meditate
I will keep on mentioning this over and over and I will write and speak more about this. Meditation is non negotiable. You will know why. Start to meditate at least 5mins a day the moment you wake up. Don't check your cellphone yet. While you are still in the alpha or theta state, meditate and connect with the Infinite Source within first thing in the morning and before sleeping.
I invite you to go to the home page of my website and register there if you want to join my morning meditation and sharing.
There are so much about holistic living and these three practical things are important ones that you can practice now. We will dig deeper on holistic living in the next posts.
Know that holistic living is a journey. It is life style change of going back to your true nature. This is not a temporary approach to life just to destress or achieve a certain weight goal. It comes with self-compassion that you cannot do and undo it all at once and that you cannot do it all alone. You need support and constant self-reminder why you finally are embarking on this journey because it's not going to be easy yet it is fulfilling in every step of the way.
For more learning, here are some of the resources that can help you start cultivating a holistic life - mind, body, and soul:
Robin Sharma - 20-20-20 formula / 5AM club. "The #1 Habit of SuperProducers Run Daily"
MindValley Courses / Vishen Lakhiani - Life Book Intraspect-Assessment (take test here to have an idea where you are right now)
Over time you will be led to many more people living a holistically like Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Russell Brand, Matias De Stefano, The Holistic Psychologist, The Heart Alchemist, The Infinite Cup, Aaron Abke and many more in different categories of life like nutrition, fitness, mindset, spirituality, manifestation.
If you have read this blog, listened to my podcast, watched the learning resources that I shared, bought my recommendations, took the assessment, I would love to hear from you. Let me know how you feel, what is it that you can resonate with, message me in my socials below and I would love to hear your thoughts and what's in your heart.
And if I have given value to you today, let's help share this content as there may be other beautiful souls who can resonate as well.
Once again, thank you and I appreciate you reading my blogs, listening to my podcast, and in the future watching my vlog.
Sending you so much love, light, and abundance. You have my respect and gratitude for being here. Remember that you are worthy, you are capable, you are loved, you are enough.
