Holistic living has so many moving parts that make up the whole. This article contains tips and resources for holistic living, which include mindfulness, meditation, natural living, home remedies, and more. Learn how they are all connected.
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Define What Holistic Living Means to You
To know what resources you need for holistic living, you need to define what holistic living means. However, there needs to be a foundation before we break down how to determine what holistic living means to you. You will know what I am speaking about if you are familiar with my work. Your entire being is derived from 5 core principles. These principles are:
· Physical wellbeing
· Social wellbeing
· Mental wellbeing
· Emotional wellbeing
· Spiritual wellbeing
Each of these principles makes up who you are and how you operate. So, it is essential to acknowledge these and figure out your preferences with these principles. If you want to read more on this, check out my articles, The Hidden Treasure: Holistic Health and Unique Tree Representation of Holistic Living.
Holistic living is simply living in a way that considers your entire being. When making decisions, you should consider how that decision will impact you on multiple levels. Believe it or not, every single decision you make in your life leaves a mark. Whether they are good or bad depends on you, and you won’t understand until you know yourself.
There Is No One Size Fits All
There is no one size fits all definition for holistic living because everyone has their own values or how they operate. What I deem essential for my holistic living journey may not be as important to you. And that is totally fine! You don’t need to emulate me. It may not be for you. But that is also what makes this journey so tricky. Getting to know yourself can be difficult and uncomfortable, especially for those who live their lives to please others. Believe me, I understand.
Many of the resources and tips for holistic living that is being shared are broad in the sense that no matter what your own values are, you will be able to use them. Do not be apprehensive about trying them all out. That will be the only way to truly learn what you like and do not like.
Resources for Holistic Living
These resources for holistic living are open-ended in that there is so much you can do with them. I am sure you have heard of them sometime in your life. So, they won’t be shocking to you or brand new. However you may feel about them, it is up to you to open your mind to the possibilities they can open for you.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is such an excellent tool for getting to know yourself. I cannot say enough wonderful things about mindfulness. It is mind-blowing and genuinely eye-opening just what it can do for you.
Mindfulness is all about being aware of yourself and the world around you. It teaches you to take things as they come and be in the present moment. Our society tends to have a one-tracked mind of idealizing the future. Sometimes we fail to realize that what we do today is the most important. Today shapes the future. Right now is what is most important.
How else are we supposed to learn who we are as a person and make changes if we cannot acknowledge ourselves at this very moment?
To truly live holistically, you need to know yourself and your values, and what better way than to be aware of yourself? Mindfulness is a gateway resource for holistic living.
Read About It
Books hold a plethora of knowledge concerning mindfulness. Listed below are some highly recommended books from my personal library.
· Practicing Mindfulness by Matthew Sockolov
· Rewire Your Brain by John B. Arden
· Mindfulness by Ellen J. Langer
· Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Workbooks Are Great as Well
Workbooks are fantastic resources for incorporating mindfulness into all sorts of activities. Check out my published works below.
· WTF Am I Doing?!: Mindfulness Workbook by Maria Jones
· Mini Mindfulness Activity Booklet by Maria Jones
Meditation
Meditation and mindfulness go hand in hand, for you cannot have one without the other. A fantastic way to practice mindfulness is through the use of meditation. Granted, not every type of meditation is used just for mindfulness.
The purpose of meditating in this capacity is for you to be able to understand yourself. Through meditation, you can reflect on your mental state, know why you react the way you do, figure out what exactly makes you tick, and more. This is so important when laying your foundation or defining what holistic living means to you. Meditation is an amazing resource for holistic living.
Do not worry. I am not telling you to sit in a lotus position for hours. Meditation can be whatever you make it! You can sit in the lotus position, sit in a chair, or even walk around. There are all sorts of meditation techniques out there. It is up to you to try them out to see which you prefer.
Here are some incredible resources for you to check out.
Beginner-Friendly 5-Minute Meditation
Start off small with 5-minute meditations. It is amazing the difference just 5-minutes can make.
Meditation Types
There are so many types of meditation to try. Simply try out each of the ones that pique your interest for 5 minutes to figure out which feels most organic to you. Remember never to force yourself to like something. When you do that, you begin to lose interest in the activity.
Here is a video about 7 types of meditations you can try. There are more types, so if none of these fit, you keep looking. Check out my article about some beginner-friendly meditation types as well here.
Meditation Apps
My all-time favorite meditation app is the Healthy Minds Program. This wonderful app not only guides you in your meditation exercise but also teaches you why they are important. Customize your experience by dictating how long the activities last and whether they will be done sitting or with movement. Another reason why I love this is that it is completely free.
That’s right, free. I do not get any incentive either. I genuinely love this app and think it is amazing, especially for those who are beginners. A road map helps you build your foundation and learn as you go.
Another free option that I like is Smiling Mind. This app is excellent in that it categorizes the meditations based on what you want out of it. Looking to do a meditation for sleep? No problem, browse through their sleep category to find the right one for you.
Of course, there are other paid apps on the market, like Balance, Headspace, and Calm. Personally, these are better for those that know what they are doing and want out of their meditations.
Natural Living
Practicing to live naturally is essential when you are seeking to live holistically. This is a vast subject to cover due to so many moving parts to natural living. Opinions of what natural living is can vary from person to person. However, no one can ignore how vital this resource for holistic living is.
Natural living can include natural and herbal remedies, meditation, making eco-friendly choices, eating foods free of chemicals, and more. Once again, your preferences will depend on your personal values. For instance, opting for renewable resources will not seem necessary if you do not quite care about the environment. Just because it is not something, you place a high value on does not mean you cannot achieve a holistic lifestyle.
However, suppose you are serious about your holistic living journey. In that case, natural living is something you need to take into consideration. Take some time to read Natural Living- Advantages, Disadvantages, Helpful Ideas. This article depicts a clear and concise breakdown of what natural living entails in terms of external factors.
Natural living is an excellent practice for taking care of your physical body. Adopting eating foods that have limited exposure to chemicals is scientifically proven to have a better effect on your body. This is not about weight but about creating a balanced internal environment for yourself. Whether you are thin or thick does not determine whether you have a balanced internal environment.
Too many emphasize their weight. Instead, focus on how you feel inside. Are you experiencing low energy? Well, odds are, your internal environment is not balanced. You need to change something. You could be experiencing low energy due to your diet.
Natural Remedies
Natural and herbal remedies are an extraordinary practice incorporating holistic living into your life. They should primarily be used regularly. They work much better as a preventative versus a treatment. For instance, if you are consistently experiencing low energy while working, change your diet. You could also use an herbal tincture to help give you some extra energy. It won’t work right away. It takes time to build up in your body organically; however, there is little chance of forming an unhealthy habit or side effect.
Taking pills should be a last resort, for they can cause other side effects. As a pharmacist, I always recommend finding the root cause before resorting to manufactured medicine for instances like this.
Natural Living Resources
· What is Natural Living? The Complete Explanation
· Natural Living: The Simple Guide to Start Today
· Natural and Herbal Remedies by Katolen Yardley
· Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier
· The Made from Scratch Life by Melissa K. Norris
Holistic Living Tips Just for You
Here are some tips for living holistically and incorporating these resources for holistic living I gave you into your life.
· Take your time- don’t try to fast-track any of this. All that will do is overwhelm you and possibly slow down your progress.
· Be honest with yourself.
· Get excited about your new journey!
· Be kind to yourself. You will make mistakes, and that is okay. Recognize and acknowledge these mistakes and keep moving forward.
· Set your intentions. Your intentions set the tone for your journey. Start each day with your intentions.
· Always believe in yourself. If you need to look at yourself in the mirror and chant how awesome you are, do it! No one is watching you.
· Keep a journal and write down the things that work for you. Write about your journey, excitement, anything!
· Most importantly, have fun. This is a journey of a lifetime, embrace it and celebrate yourself.
Carefully read all the resources for holistic living I have supplied for you. All of these will greatly impact your own journey. Remember, no one’s holistic living journey is the same. Start with figuring out your own values!
