Philosophy Coach

Consciousness

Spirituality

Wellbeing

Personal transformation
Exploring consciousness
Philosophy of mind

Philosophical questions
Spiritual experience
Awakening & self-realization

Reflections on healing
Holistic philosophy
Influences on wellbeing

What is holistic health philosophy?

Holistic health philosophy is the process of developing more wisdom through a pathway of wellbeing.

Whilst this may initially sound similar to many other mind-based therapies, there are also key differences. Perhaps the main difference is that developing your holistic health philosophy focuses on insights into the mind-body connection from a variety of perspectives: individual, collective, and existential.

The key idea behind this process is that exploring holistic health and the mind-body connection on a deeper level is also a process of self-realization.  

As we question and dissolve our current beliefs through experiencing difficult life situations, it makes space for the embodiment of wisdom in our lives. As our current ideas are challenged and broken down, we have an opportunity for creating new, more accurate insights into life, and embracing transformation.  

Where this process differs from regular therapeutic approaches is that It also recognises that stress arises from multiple sources, and these often fall outside of a medical approach to wellness. Like contemplating human behaviour from a deeper perspective, and dealing with issues like spiritual disconnection, or a lack of meaning or purpose in life.  Or coming to terms with life events like trauma, loss, or bereavement from an existential or spiritual perspective, rather than a medicalised one.

When you start on this path, it usually begins with a developing awareness that there is more to the mind-body connection than is recognised in medical circles. Perhaps you are an empath, or someone who is very sensitive to energies. Or maybe you have experienced personal illness and found holistic health practices connected you to a new perception of wellbeing. Or you perhaps have had spiritual experiences which have put you onto a path of a wisdom seeker.

No matter where you begin on this journey, the path is one which can eventually take you through to self-realization, enlightenment, or awakening to your true nature. It's just a question of how deeply you want to explore it.  The first stages are to explore holism from a personal viewpoint, and then eventually from an existential one.

How are wisdom and wellbeing intertwined?

The fist stage of evolving wisdom is exploring the relationship between stress and illness.  There are many types of therapies which effectively help people to become more insightful, and to develop habits which support their wellbeing.  So, at one level, wisdom is the process of developing self-awareness so that you can experience less stress-related issues, and react more effectively to difficult life situations. When you engage with a therapy which feels right for you, this will directly help to improve your health and wellbeing.

However, when encountering situations like chronic illness, deep suffering, trauma, loss, or bereavement, many people find themselves also questioning the actual nature and purpose of life itself, often for the first time. They may begin to question whether God exists, how distressing events are allowed to happen, or perhaps feel dis-illusioned about situations they have encountered. They may also begin to question core beliefs which they have taken for granted in the past, and to develop an increased interest in spiritual, religious, or existential topics as a way to find the answers that they are seeking.

Since these topics usually lie outside of a medical framework to health, people may find themselves being drawn to exploring different approaches to wellbeing, like holistic health interventions, or those which also incorporate a spiritual dimension. In this case, wellbeing challenges can become a catalyst for exploring the very nature of who you are on a deeper, existential level. It becomes a journey of self-realization.

Comparing pathways of self-realization

There are two main interpretations of what self-realization is, and to achieve it.  To summarise very briefly these are:

Western perspective: Self-realization is often viewed as the process of optimising your mind, beliefs, and habits,  so that you can live your life to the very highest level of your own potential, and be the best version of yourself. This pathway usually focuses primarily on an individual perspective, providing personalised guidance on how you can be successful in life. So, it may include topics like optimising the social, financial, behavioural, mental, emotional, and physical aspects of your life.

Eastern perspective: Whilst Eastern approaches also include all of the previous topics, Self-realization here is commonly associated with the wisdom traditions, and centres around concepts such as spiritual awakening or enlightenment. So, this pathway may focus more on things like the nature of reality, the existence of God, spiritual practices, the primacy of consciousness, and the unified nature of existence. Plus topics around life and death, ethical behaviour, the relief suffering, and creating a meaningful life.

I work with people who are exploring both of these pathways, since they are not mutually exclusive. I do so from a grounded perspective where we question many of the popular beliefs which surround these topics, without any religious or spiritual affiliations, and where you are helped to develop your own unique perspective and answers.

The 3 stages of evolving wisdom

There are three levels of insight that are needed to work through in order to understand human experience, and to allow more wisdom to evolve in your life:

Individual: Developing your own philosophy for health is an important component of self-realization. Most therapies and wellbeing services focus on the individual level, where you are generally held fully accountable for your experience of life. But once you reach a certain level of self-awareness, you begin to recognise that whilst there are many benefits to these approaches, they are also incomplete. People do not live in a vacuum - they are constantly exposed to a variety of other influences which impact their wellbeing, and over which they often have little or no control.

Collective: Things like cultural beliefs, social norms, political influences, or environmental issues often have a much deeper impact on us than we may initially realise. Because we are so accustomed to their presence, these things may be virtually invisible to us, or exist beneath our conscious awareness.  This hidden level of stress may account for a lot of mental and emotional anguish - but this can be easily dissolved through deeper reflections and insights into life.

Existential: The spiritual nature of our existence and how this can impact the level of suffering we experience is another area which is often overlooked within a medically-orientated approach to wellbeing. Spirituality can take on a primary level of importance when it comes to dealing with problems like loss, bereavement or life-threatening illness, but it can often be dismissed as being non-scientific or having lesser importance than physical concerns. However, by taking a well-grounded approach to spirituality, developing your own insights, and approaching this topic from a deeper perspective, it is possible to find the answers you are seeking to resolve these existential concerns.

Why work with me?

Both pathways provide a growing collection of resources for personal and spiritual growth,
combined with practical therapies, and contemplations on life and health.

Click the icons here to develop your own philosophy for health...