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The concept of 'health' is a difficult one

The dictionary defines health as “the overall condition of an organism at a given time.” This, however, does not get to the crux of the matter. Some have described health as an absence of disease, but this concept is limiting as it requires that diseases define the state of health.

Another description of health is “a genuine sense of pervasive wellbeing,” This concept, too, limits by virtue of its subjective content, that is, it is not verifiable by someone outside of the person experiencing the sensation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has joined these concepts and added a further comment: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing with the ability to lead a socially and economically productive life, not just the absence of disease or infirmity."

The nursing field, which, more than many other conventional disciplines, looks at humans from a more holistic point of view, offers yet another definition: “Health is a unity and harmony within the mind, body and spirit, which is unique to each person, and is as defined by that person. The level of wellness or health is, in part, determined by the ability to deal with and defend against stress. Health is on a continuum with movements between a state of optimum wellbeing and illness, which is defined as degrees of disharmony. It is determined by physiological, psychological, socio-cultural, spiritual, and developmental-stage variables.”

George Vithoulkas, one of the world’s most prominent homeopathic physicians, defines health as “Freedom from pain in the physical body, a state of well being; freedom from passion on the emotional plane, resulting in a dynamic state of serenity and calm; and freedom from selfishness in the mental sphere, having as a result total unification with Truth.”

Here is yet another definition from renowned medical philosopher, Lennart Nordenfelt: "A person is in a state of complete health if and only if this person is in a physical and mental state such that he or she is able to realize all his or her vital goals, given a set of accepted circumstances."

So how can we get health and keep it? In order to understand, we need to look at it from a rather larger perspective.

Seeing the big picture of health

The pursuit and preservation of health has always been a primary aspect of daily human life. Many traditions have arisen in response to the pursuit of health. In this age of what has been called “modern medicine,” advances in technology have led to many gifts. As well, many dedicated health practitioners are valiantly attempting to prevent the loss of many gifts garnered from systems of healing that predate this age.

Some ideas seem to be coming to a full circle. That is, some of the more recent notions arising from the current scientific paradigms have begun to replicate wisdom previously perceived as valuable in ancient times, although the current contributors may not even recognize this.

Some of the greatest thinkers and scientists of this age have reminded us that all life is deeply and inexorably connected at the most basic levels. Ervin Lazlo, the founder of systems philosophy, said in his book, The Connectivity Hypothesis, “For the pertinent findings speak to a hitherto unsuspected form and level of coherence in nature. This kind of coherence means a quasi-instantaneously synchronized state, with nonconventional connections between the parts that make up a system, and between the systems and their environment. Such connections seem to obtain over all finite distances and finite times, and they suggest that the nonlocality discovered in microscopic domain of the quantum may extend into the macroscopic domains of life, mind and cosmos. Nature, it appears, is made up of a nested hierarchy of nonlocally connected coherent systems.”

Individual choices affect planetary health

So, as it turns out, choosing the right things for our individual health has a health-giving effect on the world around us, and may provide a path to planetary restoration. The right things are simple in theory and seem easy to apply, but their potential effects are intricate and far-reaching.

In this series, then, we will be discussing the elements, or keys, that are integral in getting and maintaining health – not only the health of the individual, but of our world, for it is all connected. We cannot have one without the other. We will share opportunities for improvement and connection that will lead to actualization for each person as he or she sees fit, or as they are able within the limitations of their personal incarnation and circumstances.

As we begin this discussion, we invite you to take part, sharing your comments and insights.

Next: The Vital Role That Sunlight Plays

Read all of Devin Mikles' WellWise.org blogs here

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