What is Holistic Beauty?

In simplest terms “holism” is the phrase for the age-old perspective all parts of a whole are interconnected equally influencing one another. If one part is imbalanced, all other parts will be then be imbalanced as well.

The word or phrase holism was coined in the 1900s, but the concept has long been around since ancient times throughout the world. Aristotle (384 – 322 BC) from the Classical period of Ancient Greece describes in his famous book Metaphysics, “the whole is more than the sum of its parts.” Holism has been applied through out history towards an abundance of fields for a more wholesome effect: ecology, sociology, medicine, economics, and so on.

With this perspective applied towards beauty, our attention dives beyond the surface encompassing the often over-looked significant components: the inner body, mind, and soul/spirit.

A more wholesome & deeper approach than modern, conventional beauty standards. Holistic beauty naturally corresponds with total wellness, supplementing self-care since a healthy state of being intricately influences and reflects the state of the body, mind, and spirit.

Products, food, thoughts, energy exchanges, whatever the body ingests or takes in, all impacts the overall holistic wellness of one’s being. In turn, the body then reflects physically this nature through the skin and hair.

Harsh products = bodily damage (skin & hair)
Stress = acne, irritation, wrinkles
Sleep inadequacy = dullness, wrinkles

What you’re consuming internally, externally, mentally, & energetically all effects the holistic self. Apply mindfulness to your daily ritual to uncover the very factors disrupting the maintenance of your overall health.

As conscious beings we explore the world on a daily basis through our physical bodies. It only makes sense to desire taking care of this vessel and lend awareness to the details and needs in order to heighten this experience.

More and more studies are capturing the notion of body-mind connection and significance of consciousness, “research shows what your brain produces depends in part on your thoughts, feelings, and expectations. If you’re sick but you have hope and a positive attitude and you believe that you’ll get better, your brain is likely to produce chemicals that will boost your body’s healing power” (Healthwise, 2018). Modern science is increasingly confirming the timeless beliefs thoughts and emotions influence the body, behavior, and even interactions *cough* placebo effect.

Here are a few ideas to bring healing & balance to these three aspects of being:

Mind =

de-stressing exercises & practicing gratitude; “acknowledging the good aspects of life and giving thanks have a powerful impact on emotional wellbeing. There is a relationship between joy and gratitude, but with a surprising twist: It’s not joy that makes us grateful, but gratitude that makes us joyful.” (Lawson, 2016). Stress is also a major trigger for physical troubles.

The effects of stress on the mind and body overtime can result in lack of energy, depression, acne, obesity, diabetes, even heart disease, but this isn’t to worry or stress you out. This is to re-mind many problems our body and mind come across occur right there, in the mind. With awareness and de-stressing exercises, stress can be relieved (Read 5 ways to de-stress and help your heart from Harvard Health Publishing here)

Body =

a balanced diet, consuming nutritious foods, & using safe products takes care of the body with results best for your total being. “You are what you eat”, or put in your body, is a silly, yet pretty accurate saying. What the body ingests is what’s used to create energy, generate body cells, maintain skin, overall nurture the body.

Soul/spirit =

meditation, subconscious healing, aura/energy cleansing, are just a few forms of spiritual wellness the body and mind benefits from through interconnection. Studies show most people benefit from having a spiritual belief system no matter the faith:

“These (spiritual) experiences lift us up out of our narrow selves and give us a glimpse – if only temporary – of another way to view things as a part, however small, of a larger picture. They integrate different aspects of our human experience – our emotions with our intellect or our minds with our bodies – while also connecting us with others who share similar beliefs. Spiritual and religious practices that help us integrate the body, mind, and spirit, also provide psychological and physical benefits, as research from the past two decades has shown.” (Idler, 2018).

You can explore tools for spiritual healing through literature at local bookstores, metaphysical shops, online videos, and other media forms of the like.

With the practice of affirmations and positive self-talk, one can strengthen their sense of beauty and overall confidence. Affirmations are positive statements which help challenge and overcome self-sabotaging negative thought programs, “when you repeat them often, and believe in them, you can start to make positive changes. You might consider affirmations to be unrealistic ‘wishful thinking’, but many of us do repetitive exercises to improve our physical health, and affirmations are like exercises for our mind and outlook. These positive mental repetitions can reprogram our thinking patterns so that, over time, we begin to think – and act – differently.” (Mind tools, 2016).

Repeat these positive beauty affirmations I created to enhance sense of beauty:

My beauty radiates from within brightly
I am physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy, strong, and beautiful
My skin is healthy, clear, & glows with beauty

Beauty is much more than a physical attribute. Holistic beauty transcends the body to the place where true beauty blossoms, the soul, showing us how to properly care for and honor it in its totality.

Celebrate and embrace your holistic beauty with Botanica Bunny!

-Jessica Teresa

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