Wellness

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A Holistic Path to Wellness

Wholistic

Definition: the four aspects of a person:

spiritual, emotional, physical and intellectual.

Path

Definition: a way of action.

Definition: healthy balance in the four aspects of life.

Smudging

1) Cleanse your Spirit

2) Ground your self (be present)

3) Clear area of negativity

4) Anti-bacterial

1)Spiritual

2) Emotional

3) Physical

4) Intellectual

Speak good things
See positive things
Hear positive things
Feel comfortable

Common smudges

Sage ( buffalo sage)
Sweet grass
Cedar (red and yellow)
Fungus (diamond willow)

1) Protection

2) Good outcomes Eg: trip, court, Dr.

3) Gathering or Harvesting food or medicine

4) Fear Eg: dreams, anxieties

No jewelry
Don’t blow on the smudge
Go clockwise
Discarding

Balancing Circles

SPIRITUAL: sit in silence in the woods, pray, smudge, meditate, seek humility, go to (AA, NA, GA…ETC.), let go of ego, attend ceremonies, attend dances, participate in ceremonies, participate in dances, learn to sing, learn to drum, dream, imagine…etc.

EMOTIONAL: address your negative emotions (anger, fears, guilt, shame…etc.), learn to express yourself (verbally, in writing, through dance, through art, through yelling, by singing…etc.), cry, share, talk to an Elder, listen to stories, talk to nature (tree, rock, animals or birds…etc.), go for nature walk, build relationships, let go your shyness…etc.

PHYSICAL: exercise, do physical work, play athletic sports, dance, eat healthy (less salt, sugar, fat, eat traditional foods…etc.), attend feasts, sing, drum, hunt, fish, gather, hike, seek adventure…etc.

INTELLECTUAL: study (about self, career, history, songs, interests…etc.), teach, share, guide, write (diary, journal, songs, poems, sayings, affirmations, projects, ideas…etc.), read, learn traditional teachings…etc.

Directions for Circles

Initially take an inventory of how balanced your are in your present life. You do this by looking at the legend and mark down what you have done from that legend on that day. Lets say for spiritual you had done two things, then your mark 2 under the S section. Then you go to the E section and do the same. Lets say you did 3 things out of there. The to the P section say you did 5 things and then 5 things under I. Then you connect the points in a circle. Now add all the points and divide by 4. 2+3+5+5= 15 15/4 = 4.75 approx. now mark those numbers on the circle and connect in a circle again. Now imagine the shaded area shown. This indicates the areas that you need to do more of to have a better sense of balance.

Quotes from ICUF (Indigenous Cultural Understanding Framework) Report. Ministry of Children’s Services.

“There needs to be more focus on healing; staff healing, individual healing and internal healing. If you don’t know the journey you are on, how can you help others?”
§ “Even if you do not agree, you need to be able to listen.”
§ “Communication breaks down when relationships are not a priority.”
§ “Social workers are afraid to ask questions, families are afraid to answer them.”
§ “Every community is different, there is no one right way to do things, this needs to be respected.”