V&E Philosophy of Wellness

We want to take a holistic approach to health and wellness and look at it from a rooted and human perspective. Long-term maintenance of any activity or ideas begins with a strong foundation.

Wellness as a Religion

Wellness advice can be alienating at times. The problem is that our impulse as humans is to take everything to the extreme. It is not uncommon to find specific wellness practices divided into categories with the assumption that there is a group of practitioners who share specific qualities. When we put ourselves and others into boxes and categories we limit their potential.

Wellness becomes dogmatic, religious.

For example:  if you are vegan then you must also ride a bicycle to work, practice yoga, buy only “ethical” products, and have liberal political views. But we know this isn’t true, people are too complex and varied for that to ever be true!

Perhaps it is because of dogmatic wellness that for some, the idea of transforming their thought patterns, exercise regime, diet, or their daily habits and routines, is extremely daunting.

Where do we begin when navigating the vastness of the concept itself is overwhelming?

Wellness and the Emotions

There is a lot of shame, judgment, and guilt out there that assumes we aren’t caring for ourselves because we are lazy and full of excuses.

This is primarily fuelled by the belief that we are supposed to be perfect. Look at the Puritan philosophies and you will see exactly where that came from. We are the descendants of people that were far too hard on themselves about being human and making mistakes.

and the Quote Market…

Even the quotes we see related to health and wellness are trapping.

Be your best self! –that’s great, absolutely, but what if your best-self is having a hard day, what if you are having a mental health day or have had something difficult come up in your life? When that happens, being your best self is almost insulting, UNLESS, you know that your best self is ALSO who you are on your worst days.

There was a quote on Instagram this morning that said:

“Think wellness is expensive and time consuming? Try illness.”

I find this quote extremely offensive and judgemental. I think it undermines what wellness is really about.The argument is that if you are not choosing wellness you are choosing illness. This kind of black and white thinking promotes shaming and guilt.

1. If you are judging, shaming, or guilting yourself and/or others you are not promoting wellness!  
2. The truth is that not everyone can access healthy foods easily, or afford yoga classes, or find the time to devote to meal prep, meditation etc.
3. Part of that is also not truly understanding the information we are given.  
4. If you are judging others, you have skipped the first step. You cannot be truly well in body, mind, and spirit if you do not have compassion and understanding.   

I recently came across a blog dedicated to healthy eating and lo-and-behold on the first page there was a list of the commandments of healthy eating.  I was immediately turned off. I don’t want to post a list of RULES to my fridge in an attempt to force something that I have no feeling for. I want to cultivate wellness practices and care for myself but some of the advice out there seems too radical and I don’t know where to start.  If you can relate, I have compiled a list of ideas (not rules) to answer the question:

Where do I start?

Wellness for Profit

There is also a lot of money to be made over the panic that not-being well creates. We are suckers for being told that we are not living the way we SHOULD be. There is always some newer, better way of being the best we can be.

Poetic Therapy: How V&E Wants to Help

Through sharing experiences, reflections, and insights of self-understanding, self-discovery, passion, and personal wellness (and we have to remember it is personal and for no one other than ourselves!), first from a broader perspective, then streamlining to the simplest forms, nd providing a wide range of resources for thought and information, we want to learn with you and create a path that is unique to you.

Poetic Therapy

Bringing everything together through poetic thinking.

Demystifying Wellness

Demystifying Wellness examines wellness at it’s simplest form: from the inside out, starting with our perspectives and attitudes. Nothing extreme or scary, nothing to buy, nothing to worry about or judge yourself about.

Voice of the Voiceless

Looking at the big ideas Philosophy and Spirituality.  Oracle and Tarot, Reiki, Spiritual Wisdom, Crystal,

 

 

Voice of the Bard

Sharing poetry and the wisdom of the Poets. Poetry is the ultimate expression of what we cannot fully comprehend. We share poems with timeless resonance to inspire, ignite, and to assist with various themes for introspection and discussion. A great poem has the power to change your perspective about yourself and the world around you.

 

 

V&E Animal Omens

Animal omens are a way of opening our eyes to the world around us. When we have a moment of recognition with wildlife it means we have removed ourselves from the ego-driven focus of our day, this gives us the opportunity to take a step back to observe and reflect our lives.

    

Self-Mythology

The stories we tell ourselves that shape our identities and our lives. Self-Mythology looks at all aspects of the Mind: Theories of Psychology, Parapsychology, Psychoanalysis, as well as discussing Mental Health issues, Cognition, Communication, Language, Learning Disabilities and Behaviour.

  

 

Language of Renewal

V&E Words, Communications, Etymology, and Language.

 

 

V&E Tribe

Join in the conversation and become a member of the tribe.

  

V&E Yoga

Our bodies are absolutely in need of love and care but this is only one component to living a good life. We look for ways of gently incorporating exercise into our daily lives with strong emphasis on yoga and the body, mind and spirit connection.

For more on the wellness of the body:

  

 

V&E Library

Work in progress, resources for books