Well, Well, Well, here we are, into June and our brand new month. Our theme is: you guessed it- Wellness and we will be delving into all things related to wellness and health. Our book is a beautiful text called Phosphorescence by Julia Baird. We will have notes up of course, and Book Club on the 29th of June. Our anchor will be Eucalyptus the oil of Wellness, as it is said to teach us how to claim our wholeness and heal. We look forward to chatting about health, healing and what you can do express vibrant wellness. 

But first: definition time. And this time we aren’t going to define the words “health” or “wellness” for you here (we will talk about this on the podcast this week). Instead, what we want you to do is to have a think about your ideas on wellness. We all use the word quite a lot, but what does it really mean to you? 

When we interview people and ask what health and wellness are, they generally come up with the things they need to DO to be healthy (like eat well, drink water, sleep etc) rather than what wellness actually is. We would love you to take some time today, and over the weeks ahead to really get clear on what wellness looks, feels, smells, tastes and even sounds like to you. It’s a bit tricky to go on a health-kick, or a wellness weekend in order to achieve some state that you haven’t yet defined. Perhaps for you it’s not even a place to arrive at, but more a way of travelling. We would love to talk more on this with you as the month unfolds. 

As you are thinking about the five senses of wellness, and especially when you are imagining the tastes and smells, you might be recalling times of ‘sickness’ in your life. The smell of eucalyptus might be one of the aromas you associate with being ‘unwell’ as a child (yes, we chose this oil deliberately). Interestingly, when we ask adults what being ‘ill' was like as a child (and we are talking about the common cold, or other transient childhood illnesses here) they recall times of being nourished and loved by their parents- of cosy blankets and cuddling up by the fire, delicious soups, time to rest and float through the days, and the abandonment of responsibilities and activities. People often smile when they recall these times of slowing down.

We will get into this idea of nourishing self in a future Quick Click, but for now we would love you to really spend some time thinking about the concept of wellness. We are at a time in society where health, wellness and their ‘terrifying’ opposites are being debated in the public forum and have in fact become a political and financial commodity. In defining wellness for yourself, you will be able to clearly move towards the things, ideas and people who support that, and away from the things that don’t. 

Take a moment today to think about what wellness is for you. Is it a physical thing, or does it incorporate other life areas (maybe all eight)? Is it a state to arrive at, or a way of travelling? Perhaps it can shift and change from moment to moment, or even throughout your life?

Whatever it is for you, your wellness is yours. You get to define it, refine it and live it. You are responsible for it and to it. It’s a deep and refreshing well, so let’s lap it up.