Holistic Wellness

The events of the (almost) two past years have given me much cause to think about how we define “wellness”. What is disturbing is how much humans worldwide are living in poor health, either by circumstance or by choice. We live in societies that overall do not promote true wellness.

Yes, there are countries and cultures where poverty dictates the level of health possible. However, in richer countries we see how people are overfed, sedentary, and stuck too much in front of their computers, leading to physical states that leave them vulnerable to many diseases. Humanity as a collective is not living in a state of wellness. We live in a system that reacts to illness, rather than proactively promoting good health. These two positions are light years apart!

Good health is not merely the absence of disease. There Is a vibrancy to wellness that cannot be derived from anything but taking good care of ourselves. All of the good things that we’ve known keep us well still apply. Fresh air, nature, nourishing food, physical exercise, adequate rest, playfulness, companionship, friendship, doing what we love. Oh yes, and the big one, simply LOVE in all of its forms and connections.

How often do you see any of that being talked about in mainstream news? “Not much” would be an understatement. Rather we are fed a constant “thought diet” of dire predictions. When you consider the connection between mind, body, and spirit, these messages are making us ill. They create worry and fear, which are very low vibration states. Negative thoughts and a low vibration make us vulnerable to physical illness.

In my opinion, wellness is just one of the ways in which the system needs a complete overhaul. All change begins with new thought. We need to change how we think about wellness, and develop a new vision for what is possible. A completely new philosophy is in order to move to a new paradigm.

You don’t need to wait for the system to change. You can make the change(s) yourself, and your thoughts, actions, and vibration will ripple outward to influence those around you. It is a “bottom to top” approach of change.

If you are not doing so already, embark on a path of personal holistic wellness, beginning today. Disconnect from the negativity. Embrace what feels good to you and resonates with your very soul. Tap into your inner being, and listen to your body, mind, and spirit. Above and beyond wellness, seek joyfulness in your experience here on Earth. We are all born with the intrinsic right to JOY.

Inspirational Quotes:

“Ignore those that make you fearful and sad, that degrade you back towards disease and death.” ~ Rumi

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“There are many aspects to success; material wealth is only one component. …But success also includes good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind.” ~ Deepak Chopra

Holistic Wellness © Susan L Hart 2021 | Friendly comments welcome

Sunflower Metaphysics

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It gives me great pleasure to grow things, although it’s been a few years since I’ve maintained large gardens. There is something so satisfying about dropping tiny packet seeds of life into the ground, then nurturing them to their full-blown potential. Sunflowers were among my favorite annuals, and a few of them always graced my back garden among the perennials.

Sunflowers are magnificent in full bloom, but as an artist I am also attracted to their waning fall beauty. I have drawn and painted them many times, as did Vincent Van Gogh. The other day I was searching for a few Van Gogh images for a short book I am now just finishing on self-realization. There are several large museums worldwide that have given open access to images of their collections. One of them is The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. (Also affectionately known as simply “The Met”.)

They have a few nice Van Gogh pieces, including one of some withered sunflowers lying on a table (Sunflowers, 1887). I have among my own art images several of withered sunflowers at the end of the season.

So here’s a question for you: Is one of the images below a “Van Gogh à la Susan Hart”, and the other “Susan Hart à la Van Gogh”? You may snicker at the suggestion of Van Gogh imitating me, however, that amusement would be based on several faulty assumptions: a) that time is linear, and since he lived before me, how could he “know about me”, and b), that he is famous and I am not, so again, even if time could move backwards linearly, how could he “know about me”?

In actual fact, fame is rather irrelevant to this thought exercise. My message is really about our perception of time, and our conscious awareness of everything. So…

Since time is not really linear (we just measure our lives that way) – all time actually exists at once, and our consciousness can connect to all ideas and knowledge in the ether throughout all time – it is not entirely impossible that he also “knows about me”. We are both huge lovers of sunflowers, so it’s possible (for example) that we have a connection of consciousness simply in a shared passion for giant yellow flora.

It’s a metaphysical puzzle for your Sunday, one that may hopefully make you question why we live in a world that is so intent on keeping our conscious awareness, and therefore our experience of life, so small…

“Sunflowers”, Vincent Van Gogh

A clip from “Waning Beauty”, Susan Hart

Sunflower Metaphysics © Susan L Hart | Friendly comments welcome

The Life We Love

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There are two essential things, I believe, which bring happiness to people. One is to love and be loved. The other is to feel productive, to have a sense of purpose in life.

If we are lucky, we do work that we love. If we do not love our work (I have been
there, done that, and likely most of us have at some point in our lives), nonetheless, there is satisfaction in the expending of energy to build a life.

Building a life. Within the current scenario in society right now, let’s not lose sight of our desire, and our right, to build lives that we love. Much of our sense of fulfillment is rooted in our deep human drives.

The Life We Love © Susan L Hart 2021 | Friendly comments welcome | Photo courtesy shanghaistoneman, Pixabay

Same Stuff as Stars

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When life feels burdensome, just remember…

You are made from the same stuff as the stars. Your soul in its essence is eternal and free.

Revel in the sheer beauty of who you are. Yes, your soul is a work in progress, but you are also already a masterpiece of creation.

Make your life as beautiful as it was meant to be…

Inspiring quotes:

“As if you were on fire from within.
The moon lives in the lining of your skin.”
~ Pablo Neruda

“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”
~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.”
~ Amy Bloom

“So many things become beautiful when you really look.” ~ Lauren Oliver

“In your light I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my chest where no-one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.”
~ Rumi

Same Stuff as Stars, Susan L Hart 2021 | Friendly comments welcome | Photo art courtesy gene1970, Pixabay

Nature’s Sensibility

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Nature presents to us constantly the reminder of our roots, our organic selves, our place in the natural and creative world.

It also brings us back to what is real and sensible. In short, we are able to retrieve our commons sense and sanity in what is increasingly an insane society.

I’m feeling a little soul weary this morning, so I’m keeping my own words short. But I thought I’d bring you some fave quotes from Henry David Thoreau, on which to ponder today. After this, I’m heading to my park and the river to recharge… I hope you have a wonderful Sunday.

I’ll be launching a book on the Earth and nature very soon, which incorporates both my writing and my art. Please sign up for my newsletter if you’d like to be notified.

Nature quotes by the transcendentalist writer, Henry David Thoreau:

“We need the tonic of wildness…At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”

“Take long walks in stormy weather or through deep snows in the fields and woods, if you would keep your spirits up. Deal with brute nature. Be cold and hungry and weary.”

“I have a room all to myself; it is nature.”

“He who hears the rippling of rivers in these degenerate days will not utterly despair.”

“Every blade in the field – Every leaf in the forest – lays down its life in its season as beautifully as it was taken up.”

“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”

“Wildness is the preservation of the World.”

Nature’s Sensibility © Susan L Hart 2021 |Friendly comments welcome | Photos courtesy of, danfador, jplenio, Simon, epicantus, Free-Photos, PublicDomainPictures, Comfreak, Piixabay