Holistic wellness through the lens of reparenting

Holistic wellness can be defined as an approach that perceives each person as whole with various layers to consider holistically; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The relationship between body, mind and spirit are all interconnected and are considered as vital components of a person’s wholeness. A holistic approach to healing is multidimensional as each component of wholeness relates to the others and each of them need balance and harmony to achieve optimal health, wellness and well-being.

There are numerous modalities and interventions that support holistic wellness and healing. These approaches support transformation through making healthier decisions in our lives, through health and lifestyle considerations that promote wellness. Modalities may include movement based practices such as yoga, energy based practices such as Reiki and mindfulness based practices such as meditation.

Gentle, integrative therapies that encompass a holistic wellness approach include inner child healing, which provides a framework to support healing and lasting transformation. Reparenting is a method that is based on holistic wellness and well-being approaches and techniques. Learning a framework and method to support your journey of healing and transformation is highly empowering; it enables you to shift from old patterns, habits, emotional reactivity and behaviours that are unhealthy within you, your life and potentially to those around you to a more harmonious state of being.

A wellness practitioner can support you to achieve the results and desires you want for your life. This article shares resources on how to get started and go deeper on your journey of healing through a holistic wellness approach.

Holistic wellness, health and well-being are approaches that in essence consider the whole; all components that make up the whole and the relationship between them in order to allow harmony and balance between them. Some approaches to wellness only include single or selected components, which have benefits for improving certain areas of wellness. However, considering the whole is integral to holistic approaches as they encapsulate the bigger picture that is inclusive of all factors of health, well-being and lifestyle.

Interventions that include mind, body and spirit are examples of holistic approaches to wellness. Taking practices across the board from various disciplines such as meditation (mind), yoga (body) and Reiki (spirit), you experience a range of practices that nurture and integrate all aspects of the self physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. In terms of personal healing a holistic approach increases the chance of enhancing overall well-being and long term recovery from ailments, illness and dis-ease.

With holistic modalities offering a range of different practices you are able to try out and find one, or more that resonate and fulfil your needs for your current cycle of personal healing. Creating and building on a rounded practice that targets different aspects of your lifestyle such as physical and mental activities as well as the benefits received internally with emotional well-being and spiritual support and growth. A personal healing journey is not one that can be decided from beginning to end, it often requires a step by step process in which one modality can be supported that naturally leads to another.

Holistic wellness is applicable to all ages and stages of personal growth and development. Supporting children and adults with a holistic approach to development for example, ensures a well-rounded balance is incorporated into daily life experience, significantly contributing to overall well-being and development.

A holistic approach has been identified as balanced, integrative and considerate of a person as a whole, rather than single components or symptoms. It can also be a preventative approach to chronic illness, disease and imbalances across the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual plane. The benefits of a holistic approach to wellness and well-being include:

• A balanced, integrative approach that includes all aspects of health and lifestyle on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level
• A wider choice and range of activities that support different aspects of yourself that perhaps you wouldn’t consider on its own
• A wider support network as you join various practitioners, experts, communities and groups
• Improvements in physical health and overall fitness
• Improvements in mental health
• Reduction of stress and chronic pain
• Reduction of symptoms such as anxiety and depression
• The likelihood of identifying the root cause of symptoms is greater as the whole person is considered, rather than a narrower approach of looking at a single symptom one by one
• Learning new techniques to elevate and improve wellness and well-being
• Through one component, such as physical activity, you are also receiving benefits on an emotional, spiritual and mental level too. The approach is therefore wholly inclusive and multi-layered in receiving its benefits for optimal health and vitality

Whilst parents can support their children in holistic wellness and development, the model of reparenting is an integrative approach for adults. Individuals on their journey of healing, personal growth and development can adopt a model of parenting that internalises the concept into a tangible technique that provides a basis for significant life improvements in health, wellness and well-being. A universal approach that is supportive of every individual at all stages and phases of life, reparenting is a valuable technique that brings inner harmony and more harmonious relationships, beginning with yourself.

By creating an inner secure attachment and grounded sense of self, you learn to fulfil your own needs whilst continuing to support your current family and relationship networks. Reparenting is an integrative approach that considers the whole; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of you and your life. These include basic needs that all human beings require fulfilling to meet themselves in a content, harmonious, thriving life.

Examples of reparenting include creating a daily practice that nurtures mind, body, soul and spirit. The beginning stages of the journey can often require radical changes such as prioritising self care. Time in nature to recharge, time with loved ones, enjoying a mindful cup of tea, going for walks, exercising, reading, writing, singing, dancing, arts and crafts.

An important consideration is to identify and embrace the activities that bring you joy, fill your spirit with delight and bring out the best in you. Reparenting, like the approaches to holistic wellness, are about giving and receiving to yourself to establish a new baseline of love, kindness, compassion and greater harmony within yourself and in relationship with others.

In addition to self care, reparenting focuses on establishing new habits and supportive tools for emotional and mental well-being.

Forming a trusting relationship with your inner child is part of this journey, which is why establishing a foundation together is vital in your journey of personal healing. The results of doing so enhance overall wellness and well-being, as the benefits above describe. There are many contributing factors to chronic illness and dis-ease which manifest primarily as physical and mental symptoms like anxiety, depression, and fatigue, as well as people pleasing tendencies, blurred boundaries and codependency.

A holistic approach supports all components of a person, which increases the chance of improvements and recovery to overall health and well-being. Reparenting adopts this model that considers every aspect of the self and is a foundational piece in creating awareness of the relationship between the different components; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This develops into a trust relationship where you provide yourself with what you deeply need and desire.

One of the key methods in holistic healing is raising greater awareness and with this awareness it opens up choices that were not previously available to you. Moreover, you begin to shift your life and create a lifestyle that is healthier, more fulfilling and brings greater ease and harmony. This extends to your loved ones, close relationships and beyond into your wider networks and community.

Reaching out to a well-being practitioner may include inner child support, energy work, movement and mindful based practices and techniques to support you on your journey of personal healing and transformation. You may wish to begin exploring what components of your life (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) are in need of healing, support and nurturing. Some ideas of where to get started can be found here.

Takeaway practice – 

• Take a piece of paper and divide it into four quadrants. Write down the four aspects of yourself, one in each quadrant: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual 

• Under each title list all the things in your life that need attention, you would like to resolve and those that you know need improvements but aren’t necessarily sure of how yet. This can include situations, people, relationships, lifestyle, work, family, education/learning, social

• Set an intention to use this as a guiding map of where you currently are and list out what you would like your life and everything in it to look like. If this feels too overwhelming, pick one quadrant and focus on that

• Write a reasonable timeframe for yourself to take one action step in one or all of these quadrants that will move you in the right direction (one to three months)

• Each week in the following month(s) refer to this piece of paper to keep yourself on track and focus on where you are going and what you want

• I invite you to keep updating this with new action steps that bring you closer to your goals and desires. If nothing changes in three to six months, it may be time to seek further support and guidance that focus on those areas of your life that require special attention and tools of how to achieve it

• Remember, prioritising your own well-being is a gift to yourself and the world. You deserve to live a life that is full, fun and free!

For more information on anything you have read and discovered here in more detail, feel free to get in touch.