Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

[OM] OT Wellness [was Upsizing E-1 prints]

Subject: [OM] OT Wellness [was Upsizing E-1 prints]
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 23:35:52 -0800
Chuck Norcutt wrote:

>Better you should stay as a pilot and photographer.  Marketing would be 
>a gut wrenching occupation for you.  :-)
>
>Chris Barker wrote:
>
>>Apart from its  alliterative qualities in EW's business name, I  
>>deplore the word "wellness" when "health" and other words have done  
>>so well for so long, but then I am old-fashioned that way ...
>>    
>>
Interesting how we become entrenched with what has been, whether it 
makes sense or not. Wellness is the obvious alternative to illness in 
the sense of words.

Sometimes, changes in language aren't just some degenerative process, 
but intentional and thoughtful changes and/or additions. Many people 
struggle with the legacy of "health care" systems that have many 
problematic aspects. They sometimes seem to be antithetical to actually 
being well. Healthy has somehow come to be associated in some peoples' 
minds with remaining alive and mechanically functional, whether really 
feeling well or not. In that context, the introduction and use of such a 
logical word as wellness to describe a condition that is a mix of 
mental, emotional and physical condition and that transcends simple 
physical function makes sense to me. Some people who are quite healthy 
aren't particularly well, and some who aren't particularly healthy are 
very well.

As I understand the use of the word wellness, it is not intended to be a 
synonym for good health. Rather it is about a different way of viewing 
the human condition. And like Bob, I think there is an important quality 
in the fact that it doesn't need an adjective to create its meaning.

I have been for some time concerned that the term "immune system" is a 
way of looking at the interaction of our bodies, that which we consider 
"us", with that which we think of as "not us". This is sort of like the 
medieval idea of  full body armor. The current understanding is that the 
line between what is and is not "me" is a pretty fuzzy one. There are 
tiny creatures living in my body at all times. Gazillions of them. Some 
are potentially harmful, some neutral and there are some without which 
my body would function poorly, or possibly not at all. Some move between 
these categories depending on circumstances. And of course, any atoms in 
my body now that were there 7 years ago are only there now because they 
have left and come back. We are more like rivers than rocks, entities 
composed of constantly changing bits. The concept of a closed border is 
just silly.

So it seems to me there should be a better term for the interaction of 
"my" body with its environment and the complex situation at the fuzzy 
border. Words have great power and using a word that defines an 
adversarial relationship between me and my environment is energetically 
unwise. So far, thoug,h I haven't come up with the right new term. 
Bio-interface is nice and high-tech, but doesn't work for me. And too 
likely to bring up thoughts of the 6 million dollar man or robocop. 
Diplomatic corps (or corpus) is a nice play on words and multiple 
meanings, but probably too clever.

As a mystic and healer, I know from experience that the way an 
individual defines and understands their relationship to their body and 
its relationship to the world has a very significant effect on both 
health and wellness. I make a lot less money doing my new agey work, but 
I find myself much more well when I do it than when I do only the other 
work. When I am able to do them both in balance, I have both the 
wellness and the resources I need, and lead a good, "well" life.

Moose



==============================================
List usage info:     http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies:        olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz