[Xmas Day 2] What I Have Been Noticing In The Wellness Space And It Is Irking The He** Outta Me
On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…
Hello, friends of Yours,Yan
🎄On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me..
A Box of Intentions
When it comes to our health goals, we tend set one or more of the following:
lose (tangible) weight (i.e. the number of the scale goes down)
achieve the Adonis body for men and women (a.k.a the golden ratio of 1.618)
get more energy (whatever energy means for the person)
reduce risk of age-related or modern lifestyle-related illnesses (eg. Cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s, dementia and risk fractures)
Brilliant marketers know that most modern people are afraid of dying and aging, and are adept at tapping on this fear in us through their marketing messaging.
You often find an endless scrolling landing page filled with information about the symptoms you may have, statistics, and numbers to explain what's trending in the market. Then comes the "evidence" and "research" that shows how XYZ can help, and finally, the "Buy XYZ at (discounted price).
How do I know this?
Over the last six months, I've attended hours of summits and workshops in the wellness space discussing the latest research and technology to "reverse-" or "anti-" the above-mentioned points.
The summits are filled with experts and influencers in their fields. In fact, I subscribed to their newsletters and each day received up to 15 emails from them. EACH DAY!
And I noticed the same pattern in their messaging.
Always telling me a problem I should be aware or avoid or take care;
Then come their latest research and technology;
Then the sales come in, with the price tag that is, well, way beyond what I can afford.
Their intent is not bad — these experts and influencers are definitely sharing what they know and believe to help prolong our lives, and hopefully quality of life too.
But after some time, I have to be honest. I cringed at how almost all the newsletters have this same recurring pattern of invoking fear in me, making me feel like if I don’t get whatever they have found or do something about it, I am going to die or suffer.
But that’s not the main issue that irks me.
What truly irks me is why are these “solutions” still priced so high, even during this pandemic era?
Not to mentioned, that almost all of the experts’ newsletters are White and/or affluent.
(I am not opening a racist debate here by the way. It is just what I observed. Please do not comment on this. I’ll deeply appreciate )
This got me thinking how so-called "wellness models" are gradually moving away from what wellness is, and that being privileged still determines access to wellness.
I don’t know about you, but I sure feel that the wellness and healthcare space is either intentionally or unknowingly missing the big picture of why they do what they do.
Isn’t it about helping people be able to heal and truly live well?
Instead of focusing on avoiding or suppressing symptoms with pharmaceutical or OTC drugs or the next 4-digit medical technology or supplement, why not focus on actualizing a easier-to-implement system for the masses by going back to the basics of maintaining wellness?
I.e.
Sleep well
Poop well
Hydrate well
Move well
Have at least a connection with a person and/or spirituality (if that’’s your thing)
To me, maintain a good wellness throughout our life, should be easy, fun and accessible; lest it becomes counterintuitive.
That’s a deep thought from me lately and it definitely is shaping how I am going to show up in the “wellness” space as a professional. It’s a tricky space, like many other industries perhaps.
💝 DAY 2 GIFT FOR YOUR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Do you have 180 seconds to spare?
I’ll live to invite you to spend some moments thinking about the INTENTIONS in your life, when it comes to health.
Before you begin, first, turn off any high-volume music or radio. Perhaps even, close that work email if you can.
Close your eyes.
Place one hand on your heart, and another hand on your abdomen.
Gently take one deep breath into your belly.
Feel the belly rising as much as possible.
Then let out heavy sigh….
AAAAHHHHHHHHH
Repeat 3-5x until you can feel your body feeling calmer. Or perhaps your mind feels clearer. And you can feel some goosebumps or shivers down your spine.
These are great feedback from your body, that you are now entering into the rest-and-digest nervous system.
When you are ready,
Now reflect on the intentions of your health vision.
If it’s about fitting back into a certain size — what is the real intent?
If it’s about getting more energy — what is the real intent behind it?
If it’s about reducing risk of a heart attack — what is the real intent behind it?
Our intentions are more powerful than you may realize.
Our intentions speak right to our hearts with truth and compassion.
Our intentions guide us to our next step gently, with no pressure or rushing.
And with that, that’s where your true healing begins.
💝 Your Turn
Share with me any intentional thoughts or visuals that may came up.
I love to hear your stories.
Till Day 3 of Xmas-gifting,
Yours,
Yan ❤️
Psst…Read and find out what my true love gave to me on
[Day 1] My 12 Days of Christmas Gift For Your Health and Well-Being
💭 Quote for Thought
“Most of the evil in this world is done by people with good intentions.” ― T.S. Eliot
🙏 Genuine Ask
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