I think that wellbeing is a very individual thing and that we will each have our own ideas about what this means for us. Also, it’s not a static thing – it can alter as our circumstances change, as we grow and as we get older.
For me, it’s about much more than just an absence of dis-ease! I think that in the West, we often focus on symptoms, wanting to stop them when they occur and thinking that doing so will mean that we are well. But I believe that our symptoms are important. They offer us wisdom about what’s going on in our body, and where our beliefs are serving us – or where they’re not! As such, it’s very helpful to give ourselves the time and space to listen and seek to understand what our body is trying to tell us. When we rush to take painkillers or other medication, it often just masks the symptoms, meaning that we miss out on the messages they offer, and therefore on the opportunity to understand ourselves and our needs on a new level. This might therefore result in us not meeting those needs which could lead to further issues down the line.
For me, wellbeing is about the ability to be radically honest with ourselves, and to take the time and space we need to explore any symptoms we might be experiencing – physically, emotionally or spiritually (by which I mean those deep soul searching questions that can keep us awake in the dark hours of the night) – and to address the issues we uncover, supporting ourselves as we learn and grow.
It’s the freedom to be our true Self, in all its wonder, and allowing our inner light to shine, while also celebrating the same for those around us. It is balance, ease, flow, joy, even in the tough times, knowing that these are just growing pains and that they come to teach us and to enrich our lives.