Dear one,
One of the things I love about this community is that you are healers and seekers. You are a living example for those around you, but most importantly, you are a leader in your own wellbeing.
This week, I want to share 5 things I've learned about being a Wellness Revolutionary:
Question Everything
One of the precepts of being a revolutionary is that you don't always go along with the status quo. This can be complicated anywhere where group think is highly valued - families, professional settings, or social circles.
But to someone who has unyielding commitment to greater wellness, it's important to question things. And regularly.
Get second opinions, get regular diagnostic tests, dig deep into data rather than media or hearsay, and keep ready a skeptical eye when something doesn't seem right at your core. Get the information YOU deem necessary before making any moves.
A revolutionary isn't afraid to go against the grain in the name of their cause.
Wed Yourself to Nothing/No One
We've all had phases where we swear by a workout, a supplement, a doctor, or an ideology only to realize weeks or months (even years!) later that it wasn't the panacea we'd been touting.
Your loyalty belongs to yourself before any ascribed routine, belief system, or person. Furthermore, as you well know, health and wellbeing are moving targets. The answer to the question "what is healthy for me now?" changes as much as you do throughout the different phases of your life.
A revolutionary makes updates in belief or behavior as they are necessary.
Trust Your Lived Experience
There is no better corroboration than your own lived experience. Learn to observe yourself -- your emotional patterns, your bowel movements (yes, I said that), your small nagging discomforts, your energy. See what the subtleties of your experience tell you about YOU. More importantly, learn what it means to recognize them. Get familiar with all messages coming from you.
Your body tells you all you need to know. Your job is to be its translator and then make decisions that honor those translations.
A revolutionary has honed senses and makes decisions as a result of them.
Try Things Outside The Box
Did I ever tell you that story about when I was studying yogic cleansing techniques in Nepal I used my own urine with a nedi pot? Yeah...
You don't have to be that wild.
But don't be afraid to be off the wall in the name of your cause. Just because it is "out there" doesn't mean it won't prove to be healing breakthrough science ten years from now.
Take for example, drugs in America. Many of our legal, "good" drugs have led to the opiate crisis we now face, while our criminalized, "bad" drugs are helping people heal - Psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, Mescaline and more. (Read How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollen or watch the Netflix show for more).
A revolutionary is open-minded to that which may stray from the common narrative.
Live It
Perhaps the most important part of being a Wellness Revolutionary is walking the walk. We can all post a picture about that one time we meditated or that one retreat we went on a year ago, but are you DOING THE WORK REGULARLY? This is what separates the good from the great, the committed from the meh.
What you do behind closed doors, that is not worth discussing at dinner with friends because it is so rote and mundane is what counts. Discipline with what supports your wellness offers the ultimate freedom. Wellbeing is all about habits of mind and practice.
Train yourself to question everything, to sense your core and the nuances of your lived experience, to be open minded and curious, and to live the work, and you are not only a Revolutionary, but a sage.
To all you Wellness Revolutionaries,
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