You don’t want to hear the story
of my life, and anyway
I don’t want to tell it, I want to listen
to the enormous waterfalls of the sun.
And anyway it’s the same old story
a few people just trying,
one way or another,
to survive.
Mostly, I want to be kind.
And nobody, of course, is kind,
or mean,
for a simple reason.
And nobody gets out of it, having to
swim through the fires to stay in
this world.

Mary Oliver

my evolving my definition of “wellness”

Living in Europe has led me to redefine my definition of wellness — a concept I believed I embodied, then semi-struggled to understand throughout the past of couple years after my cross-continental transition.

I will forever feel very privileged to work in the wellness field and am endlessly thankful to be doing what I love as a student and instructor / coach on yoga asana and philosophical concepts / holistic nutrition and Ayurveda / meditation and modern-day mindfulness practices / mental and physical health / sustainability and planetary wellbeing.

That being said, as I continue to witness from my ongoing studies and personal experience, I have come to understand that wellness is NOT a strict checklist of regulations like:

• the perfect morning routine of meditation / movement / [insert breakfast of or fasting technique]
• calorie counting or restrictive meal planning
• calculated hours of meditation and workouts
• being a weight / shape / size based on your idea of what a healthy body “should” be
• remaining in an ongoing state of un-triggered, zen-like bliss [we are humans, not robots]
• ingesting a laundry-list of supplements / juices / [insert herbs or vitamins of choice]
• food free of dairy / gluten / soy / sugar / peanuts / corn / [insert allergy or trigger food] 
• doing all the fitness things all the time [advanced yoga postures / marathons / CrossFit…]

Yes, some of the things mentioned above are important to consider for overall mind-body wellbeing – modified as needed per each individualized, case-to-case basis.

Alongside this exploratory state of re- and un-learning, Europe is teaching me that being a perfectionist about it all will not necessarily make one well [trust me, I’ve tried].

Since it’s an older country – hence more time for trial and error – most Europeanshave the quality-of-life thing down pretty well [see also: Blue Zones].

Over the past 3-plus years of settling here, Europeans have taught me that wellness can mean:

• lightening up around my choices – whether food / lifestyle / career / outfits / hair-brushing / etc
• going with the flow of the seasons – especially around embracing the produce / holidays / cultural events / activities that each season has to offer
• not giving so many shits about taking time off work [thank you, August]
• releasing highly disciplined approaches – yes, most Europeans fully appreciate and participate in the beloved practices of their culture, but many of them also practice much more flexibility in how they take care of themselves [i.e. not obsessing about a strict fitness or meal regimen]
• keeping it simple – for example: bread and cheese as a meal, a salad with simple vinaigrette vs highly involved dishes or juices, wearing the same outfit a few days in a row [I am a fan of this]
• releasing judgement – for example: bread and cheese as a meal [read: not every meal…]
• exploring and enjoying themselves / this world – many Europeans rent or own a house in the country / in the mountains / near a body of water that they retreat to, if they don’t already live there
• savoring life – especially good meals [bread! cheese! wine!] with good people in feel-good places; especially outside of the workplace / unrelated to what one does for work

To me, these practices – among other things, not all of which are necessarily perfect – are an important example of my personal mission of cultivating true sustainability of mind, body, and planet.

So although we can certainly take a tip from Euro-life and its peoples, and although I personally learn so much about wellbeing from yogic practices and Ayurvedic nutrition, I feel it is pertinent to note that wellness is not living by someone else’s ideas and rules of what wellness is.

This doesn’t mean one must always ignore or never seek support from trusted experts. There are many incredible, passionate, brilliant healers out there – even though the amount of them currently offering their personal health tips can feel wildly overwhelming [thank you for being here with me as I do the same]…

However, you are the one who knows your body best; you have the autonomy to make educated choices over the practices that benefit you most.

I invite you to continue your evolutionary wellness path by:

• connecting to your Self in whatever ways feel good to you [meditation / movement / art / etc]
• being willing to experiment – with wiggle room for the stuff that doesn’t quite float your boat
• consulting trusted experts when you feel the need for guidance
• trusting your Self based on how certain foods or practices make you feel
• remembering that things shift – from scientific findings to seasonal produce to the aging process which no one is exempt from: what a beautiful thing that we are all always evolving

Here’s to the journey — it is a great privilege and honor to practice and learn alongside you.

Work with me one-on-one for personalized support and accountability on your unique wellbeing journey.

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How do you define and embody wellness in your body / mind / life?

Take good care of your Selves and each other,

[Thank you Europe for taking care of me]

xo

S

Photo: Wanderlust Paris 108 / Bois de Vincennes / September 2022.