Health

and
Wellness
 What is health?
Western View
“A state of complete
physical, mental and social
well-being and not merely
the absence of disease or
infirmity.”
WHO
Physical well-
being
 What is mental
health?
Mental health refers to cognitive,
behavioral, and emotional well-
being. It is all about how people
think, feel, and behave. People
sometimes use the term “mental
health” to mean the absence of a
mental disorder.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154543
Mental Health
 What is Social well-
being?
Social well-being is an end state in which
basic human needs are met and people are
able to coexist peacefully in communities
with opportunities for advancement. This is
end state is characterized by equal access to
and delivery of basic needs services (water,
food, shelter, and health services), the
provision of primary and secondary
education, the return or resettlement of
those displaced by violent conflict, and the
restoration of social fabric and community
life.
https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/GP_170-203_Social_Well-Being.pdf
Social well-
being
 What is
wellness?
“The condition of good
physical, mental and
emotional health, especially
when maintained by an
appropriate diet, exercise,
and other lifestyle
modifications”.
8fit Team @ 8fit (n.d.) https://8fit.com/lifestyle/the-world-healtorganizationdefinition-of-health/
 What is health?
Eastern
View
 Yin and Yang As Applied to the
Human Body & Health
TCM practitioners use the concepts of Yin and
Yang to describe naturally occurring opposing,
yet, complimentary and interdependent
physical conditions of the body. Yin is
associated with organ tissue, while yang is
associated with organ function. With a yin-
deficiency, organs are deficient in nourishment,
while a yang-deficiency reflects a functional or
performance deficiency in an organ or organ
system. In sum, Yin and Yang represent two
complimentary polarities forming a holistic
system of energy within the body.Tierra, 1998
In TCM, Yin and Yang need to be
in balance to maintain health, and
many ills can be attributed to a
deficiency or excess of either
factor. Ill health is conceived of
as a direct consequence of an
internal imbalance of Yin and
Yang. Practitioners of TCM believe
that a protracted imbalance of Yin
and Yang leaves the body in a
chronic unhealthy condition,
making it more susceptible to
sickness, disease and pathological
processes. Specifically, the
disequilibrium of Yin and Yang
reflects an energy imbalance leading
to such conditions as fevers,
indigestion, constipation, headaches,
high blood pressure, coronary heart
disease, and cancer, among
numerous other unhealthy conditions
and diseases.  Reid, 1994
The Hindu understanding
of health is
multidimensional and
includes physical,
mental, social, and
spiritual wellbeing
through balancing all the
relationships into which a
person is placed.
Ayurveda  (more than
5,000 years ago in
Sanskrit) the traditional
Hindu system of
medicine, which is
based on the idea of
balance in bodily
systems and uses diet,
herbal treatment, and
yogic breathing.
Three Principle Energies of the Body
 Vata
The subtle energy associated with
movement — composed of Space and
Air. It governs breathing, blinking,
muscle and tissue movement, pulsation
of the heart, and all movements in the
cytoplasm and cell membranes. In
balance, vata promotes creativity and
flexibility. Out of balance, vata
produces fear and anxiety.
 Pitta
Expresses as the body’s metabolic
system — made up of Fire and
Water. It governs digestion,
absorption, assimilation, nutrition,
metabolism and body temperature. In
balance, pitta promotes understanding
and intelligence. Out of balance, pitta
arouses anger, hatred and jealousy.
 Kapha
The energy that forms the body’s
structure — bones, muscles,
tendons — and provides the
“glue” that holds the cells
together, formed from Earth and
Water.
The human body is homologous
with the universe, and that a
microcosmic and macrocosmic
correspondence of elements
determines our well-being.
Health, then, reflects a proper
balance and a smooth
functioning of the body, and
medical practice seeks to
promote this balance by means of
nutrition and a minimum level of
invasive intervention.
https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/essays/hinduism-on-health-and-illness
 IN One's prevailing dosha (elements) may manifest
BALANCE as follows:
Vata: Light, thin frame; energetic, joyous, quick-
thinking, strong communicator
Pitta: Medium build, light hair and eyes;
passionate, intelligent, courageous
Kapha: Heavy set, thick, oily skin; steady, motherly,
methodical, thoughtful

OUT OF One's prevailing dosha (elements) may manifest

BALANC as follows:
E Vata: Anxiety, gas/bloating/constipation,
forgetfulness, restlessness
Pitta: Irritability or anger, rashes, diarrhea, being
critical and controlling
Kapha: Depression, weight gain, mucous build- up,
difficulty waking, complacency
http://rekhasharmawellness.com/ayurveda.html
“The central Taoist practice
of “wu-wei,” translated as
“non-action,” “not-striving,”
or “action without intention”
offers an alternative. In
essence, it mean keeping
your will, or ego, in line with
the natural order. For the
Taoist, the goal is always
peace and harmony.”
Alignment with the rhythms of the
elements both within and outside our
bodies. It is a kind of ebb and flow, an
effortless surrender to the natural cycles
of the world.
“If rice had turned sour, he did not
eat it. If fish or meat had spoiled,
he did not eat it. He did not eat
food of bad color or of bad odor.
He did not eat food that was
undercooked. He did not eat
except at the proper times. If food
had not been correctly cut, he did
not eat it. Though there might be
much meat, he did not allow the
amount of meat to exceed the
amount of rice. He had not set
limit for wine, he simply never
reached a state of confusion”.
Analects, 10.7
Confucius conducted himself in
all of life’s daily task. He taught
that the same equilibrium that
we exercise in our diet should
be exercised in our emotions.
Extremes of pleasure, anger,
sorrow, or even joy undermine
the equilibrium of the mind and
should therefore be avoided.
To be concerned with a
person’s health means to be
concerned with the whole
person: his or her physical,
mental, and moral
dimensions; social, familial,
and work relationships; as
well as the environment in
which the person lives.
 Kagalingan is a Filipino (Tagalog) word
with various meanings --- well-being,
health and happiness, being proficient at
something. Living in harmony with one’s
fellowmen, nature, and a Higher Being
2008 (relationality, sociality), and having access
(however limited) to the ‘good things in
life’ (material sufficiency, food security)
are essential to a Filipino’s sense of well-
being. The reciprocal link between health
and well-being is such that health
(physical, mental) influences well-being
(and even happiness), and well-being
1976 itself influences health.
Castillo, N. C. Kagalingan: The Filipino’s Search for Well-Being, Happiness and
Health. published by Universiteit van Amsterdam at https://www.uva.nl › phd › 2019/03 ›
summary-castillo-nina
 Summary
A healthy life establishes a happy or good life
although it is not true that all persons who are
healthy are happy. This could be the case
when health is limited to the physical aspect
our life. There are many concepts about health
and wellness. For the Taoists, it being one
with nature. For the Confucians, it is the
practice of balance and morality in life. For
the Buddhists, health is the harmony with
oneself. For us Filipinos, health is living in
harmony with other people. Health is also
reached when there is harmony with nature,
also with Highest Being who is God.
Physical Mental

Emotional Social

Spiritual
Question:

In your personal life, how

would you apply balance for
your health?