Wellness Culture

Wellness has become an increasingly hot topic in our culture. For some time now, I’ve felt it important to express the nuances, the illusions, and the privilege of “wellness” in a manner that truly lends poignant visibility to the subject.

Wellness and Privilege

As a white woman with a career in wellness coaching, I have a responsibility to speak to mine and white culture’s privilege of wellness.

 

  • I acknowledge the privilege of having more access to financial assets.
  • I acknowledge the privilege of having easy access to organic, local food.
  • I acknowledge the privilege of a college education.
  • I acknowledge that I have been raised in a culture that favors the success of cis white folks.
  • I acknowledge the privilege of having easy access to nature, clean air, and pristine wilderness that benefits my wellness. These Sacred lands were stolen from the Ute, Southern Ute, Dine, and Pueblo peoples, who for centuries tended the sacred balance of the ecosystem and listened to earth wisdom.

 

I honor the people of these Nations and their profound reverence for this land – a spiritual connection of which white western culture is impoverished.

 

I acknowledge I have more access to wellness tools which have been granted to me through cultural and financial privilege.

Access to wellness includes having quality mental health support, supplements, vitamins, natural medicine, organic food, having the space and resources for alone time, self-care, fitness, yoga, meditation, etc. All of these tools were, in some way, appropriated to finally reach my worldview and benefit.

There are more white wellness practitioners than non-white, usually unpacking trauma through a white cultural lens, unwittingly continuing the cycle of white privilege. As a white wellness practitioner, I commit myself to the service and inclusivity of women and female-identifying folks of all sizes, ages, colors, backgrounds and orientations. I humbly request feedback on how I can better serve these folks to rebuild inter-cultural trust.

Wellness is privilege.

Beauty and the Illusion of Wellness

When we talk about wellness, what is the picture that comes to mind? Is the picture of wellness seen through the perception bias of western society?

Different cultures around the world have different views of wellness. I cringe at western society’s image of wellness. It pictures fit, beautiful, young, usually white women (over men). This is also the picture of privilege. It’s also the picture of the impossible standard of beauty.

Beauty = wellness.

This beauty standard, to me, is NOT wellness. Yet each time I see the image of this narrative, I’m like “oh yeah, I can be her. I just have to do xyz and then I’ll be like that.” Then I scheme ways to change myself.

Did you catch that? CHANGE myself. Conditional love. “Once I’m xyz, it’ll be easier to love myself cuz then I’ll be happy and healed.” Sounds very familiar to, “Once I’m xyz, then I’ll get my family’s approval” or “Once I’m xyz, then they will love me.” The wellness world is preying on the programming of women’s psyche of forever not being good enough.

We are fed an illusion that beauty and perfection is wellness.

A good friend and wellness colleague, Debbie Higgs (@energeia), educates on wellness inequality, disability, and embodied sexuality & queerdom. She recently posed the question of, “Can I still be hot and disabled?” If the image of wellness is young, fit, white beauty, this is a fair question to ask.

For example, under-represented communities, including queer folks, disabled folks, BIPOC, elders, neuro-divergents, highly sensitive people, folks with chronic pain and illness… none of these people fit the problematic picture of young, white, fit, beautiful “wellness.”

 

Can you be disabled and be in a state of wellness?
Yes.

Can you have a history of trauma or mental health disorders and have wellness?
Yes.

Can you be fat and healthy?
Yes.

Can you be a disabled, neuro-divergent, BIPOC, aging, and have wellness?
YES.

Can you even be sick and in a state of wellness?
YES.

Which begs the question, what really is wellness?

The Root of Wellness

Wellness is accepting who you are, just as you are, with all your flaws, imperfections, and challenges. It is so much deeper than a young, fit body.

Wellness is rooted in the spirit. Wellness is nervous system regulation. Wellness is having kind thoughts of self and others. Wellness is doing things good for your mind, body, and soul.

Wellness is unconditional love and acceptance of self, and of the natural cycle of expansion and contraction we experience. Love and acceptance through the downswings, through the lows, as well as the highs.

We weren’t taught this. Society taught us the opposite, and we likely internalized it without question.

One amazing privilege we all have access to is the tool of awareness. Curious, compassionate, objective self-awareness.

Become aware of what you have been programmed to believe, about the world and about yourself. You can challenge those beliefs and re-write them. You can become aware of what is true for YOU.

Wellness is loving yourself exactly as you are now, without conditions – perfectly imperfect. Love yourself for the simple fact that you ARE love. Not only are you worthy of love, it is the basic precept for human survival. The deepest universal need of all people. We cannot live without food, water, or love. We certainly cannot have wellness without love.

Acceptance. Self-love. Inner solace. Trust in a higher power. All of these are wellness states. Wellness can look any way! It does not look the same for everyone, but it all holds the same frequency of peace. You ARE enough.