Clients enjoy long term results and a better quality of life with holistic health care. This success is based upon the broader focus of holistic health and wellness in the following two assertions:
Synergy creates a whole greater than the sum of its parts;
The whole includes the context impacting its content.
First Holistic Assertion: Synergy
Holistic health care is based on the assertion of synergy, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Therefore it is necessary to approach our body from a (whole) systemic viewpoint.
One great holistic example of an especially effective, proven fundamental therapy is Structural Integration (SI). Structural Integration addresses our body’s largest and most pervasive and fundamental system, our structural tensegrity framework.
Any framework impacts its contents and their function. For example, if the framework of a house shrinks, it compresses (and potentially breaks) its contents (the doors and windows). If the framework becomes distorted, the components inside do not function properly. They either become stiff, or have range of motion restrictions. Our body’s structural tensegrity framework operates in the same way.
Any tensegrity system framework must maintain a balanced relationship between its interdependent components. All tensegrity systems contain spacers and elastics, like in the diagram to the left. Spacers resist compression and create space, like the bones in our body. Elastics compress to contain that resistance under balanced tension so that the spacers do not touch. Rather, the spacers “float” in the elastics.
The body’s biotensegrity elastics is its myofascial web. The myofascial web is composed of muscle (myo) and fascia. Fascia includes ligaments, tendons, and the continuous fascial container surrounding every component in the body. Stress on any part of the system is shared throughout the system. No single part has to take the strain all on its own. The whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. That is why synergistic systems, including tensegrity systems, have survived in nature so well. This is why a holistic approach is so important.
Structural Integration seeks to restore balance to our biotensegrity framework after getting bent out of shape by years of bad habits, stress, injury, and the effects of fighting gravity. This is pretty foundational work for everyone. It also becomes a performance edge for athletes, dancers, and other body-intensive professionals who use it to excel in their avocation.
Make sure you consider another very important example of synergy. Water, and our body’s biochemical nutritional content impacts our body’s framework and all of its contents. Its impact is so great, I wrote another article on it, “Water First Priority”.
Another smart synergistic holistic alternative would be to assess your body’s biochemical nutritional content through a naturopathic doctor or other similar qualified professional at the Conscious Health Collaborative. Where are you deficient? Are your organs, endocrine glands, and neuro-transmitters operating optimally? How is stress impacting your health? Find out.
Movement therapies, like yoga and dance, and other synergistic integrative holistic health care solutions can also be found at the Conscious Health Collaborative. How flexible are you? Do you have any range-of-motion restrictions?
Second Holistic Assertion: Context Impacts Content
The second assertion of holistic health is, “The Whole includes the Context impacting its Content”. Another way of saying that is, “all objects exists in a bigger context, which influences the behavior of the object.”
Examples are:
Our thinking (being) impacts our body. [Function gives Form] Negative thought patterns always produce contracted muscle resistance (to life). This affects the balance of tension in the myofascial web, which distorts the shape of the tensegrity framework. That distortion affects the form and function of organs and other parts inside the tensegrity framework.
Ironically, the converse is also true. Our body impacts our thinking. [Form gives Function]. For example, bodily trauma or repeated pain triggers fear and mental suffering. As our body’s tensegrity system framework becomes balanced through Structural Integration or exercise, it frequently can contribute to the improvement of mental and emotional health.
Our contextual self impacts our individual self and challenges its identity, autonomy, and quality of life. Some examples are:
Local collective self of family, neighborhood, and community challenge individual identity and autonomy of the individual.
Institutional impact of education, religion, government, and business affect quality of life of the individual.
Chronometrical self (or place in life span) distorts present presence of the individual. (Being in the present.)
Global self related to politics, culture, world events, environment, and media affect quality of life of the individual.
Influenced by, and within its complex context, the co-creation of our unique individual self is chosen, including the following aspects:
Essential self, including self-care, identity, and spirituality.
Physical self, including structure, nutrition, and exercise.
Social self, including friendship and love relationships.
Creative self, including emotional feeling, cognitive thinking, span of control, humor, and work.
Coping self, including realistic beliefs, stress management, self-worth, and leisure balance.
Individuals and Community evolve through developmental stages
Healing occurs as individuals and their relationships evolve through the various states of growth into interdependency which are:
Dependency – When we are dependent on others to fulfill some or all of our needs. There is a significant imbalance of power in infancy, which improves as we become more independent. Dependency can be healthy as long as there is trust. More complex societies require more and more dependency on specialists. It requires more trust. Where do you find it hard to trust?
Co-dependency – Unhealthy maladaptive and dysfunctional relationships to avoid confronting our worst fears or self-doubts and lack of trust in the other. This typically has blurred boundaries, unbalanced power struggles, dominance to minimize rejection, and inauthenticity to gain acceptance. Over-dependent upon the other’s dependency on them creates the other giving up freedom to avoid responsibility. Enmeshed inauthentic identities are threatened by differences and change. Our support systems become narrow. Out of innocence, as a child with insufficient skills to survive, we become who we think we need to become to secure nourishment from our primary relationships when they become untrustworthy. We carry that training into adulthood. Where do you find yourself codependent?
Independency – Our self-reliance, or capability to be autonomous and function independently. It is the capability of being self-determined and self-sufficient. Independence can become unhealthy if extreme where one never relies on another. This latter extreme is counter-dependency, or fear of intimacy. Where do you display this?
Interdependency – Requires people capable of autonomy, or the capability to function independently. Characterized by separate authentic identities with self esteem and respect for the other, and functioning with integrity. Seeks win/win solutions. Creates broad diverse support systems. Where do you display this? With whom do you want to become interdependent? How do you “find your people”?
Our mind and body synergistically provide a uniquely whole person. Together, CHC can aid healing by assisting each person to find their own personal balance mentally, emotionally, and physically toward an integrated whole human being in integrity with their authentic, vital self.
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