Modern wellness – from sacred rituals to sustainable futures

If you're involved in the wellness industry, lets start a dialogue. How can we, as wellness practitioners and members of the broader human community, work towards improving our practices?

In an age where the rapid pace of technological advancement and industrial growth often overshadows the rhythms of the natural world, there lies a profound disconnect between collective humanity and the earth that sustains us. This chasm is not only evident in our environmental crises but also in the way we view and interact with our bodies, food and medicine.  Our journey from reverence to commodification, and from holistic wellness to fragmented health solutions, highlights an urgent necessity to reevaluate and integrate the wisdom of the past alongside today's scientific advancements.

In this article, I will introduce exploration of the topics of meat consumption, tobacco use, plant medicine and medicinal mushrooms as examples to underscore an important call to action.

Meat consumption - revered ritual, fast-food commodity or sensible sustainability?

In many ancient societies, the act of consuming meat once held a significance far beyond the mere act of sustenance. Eating meat was not taken lightly; it involved great effort in hunting, or the sacrifice of animals that were raised with care, love, and respect, acknowledging their role in the cycle of life. Every part of the animal was used, from hide to bone, in a testament to this respect and gratitude. This ethos of sustainability and reverence stands in stark contrast to the prevailing attitudes in our contemporary fast-food culture.

Today, the industrialized production and consumption of meat paint a vastly different picture—one marked by detachment and disregard for the well-being of animals, the environment, and our bodies. Animals are treated harshly in factory farms, where they are often subjected to overcrowded conditions, stress, and hormone injections, landing on our tables where we mindlessly consume their stress and hormone laden meat.

In response, many people opt to adapt a plant based diet, and this is perhaps a sensible thing to do. However,  if we are going to eat meat, let us consider a more sustainable and ethical practices—a call to support local ethical farmers. By choosing to support them, we not only nourish our bodies with healthier, more ethically sourced food but also contribute to a larger movement towards environmental responsibility and animal welfare.  If enough of us insist through our consumer habits, we can collectively drive change.

That said, modern agricultural technologies and practices, including lab-grown meat and plant-based protein alternatives, offer potential solutions to meet global food demands sustainably without relying solely on traditional farming methods.  These should be approached with the same reverence and respect for both the planet and the humans that consume them.

Whatever we do, let us embrace this shift towards conscious consumption, where our meals become an opportunity to reflect on our values and the true impact of our choices.

Tobacco – sacred plant, mass produced addiction or valuable lesson?

Long before Western commodification began, the indigenous peoples of the Americas held tobacco in high esteem, utilizing it extensively for both medicinal and ceremonial purposes. For over a millennium before European colonization, these native communities engaged in the practices of chewing or smoking the leaves of plants such as Nicotiana rustica and Nicotiana tabacum. The cultural and spiritual significance of tobacco within these societies is both varied and complex, reflecting a deep reverence for this plant that transcends simple utility.

Archaeological studies even found the use of tobacco in around first century BC, when Maya people of Central America used tobacco leaves for smoking, in sacred and religious ceremonies. Tobacco was not merely a plant; it was an integral component of their spiritual and social fabric, facilitating connections with the divine and reinforcing communal bonds.

This respectful and purposeful use of tobacco starkly contrasts with its later transformation into an addictive commodity, driven by profit, which turned smoking into a health destroying craze.

Scientific evidence demonstrating the harmful effects on our health has driven public initiatives, resulting in substantial reductions in smoking rates globally. It does remain debatable whether tobacco would ever become such a health threat to our species if the drive for mass production and economic benefit were balanced with reverence and sustainability.  Let us learn from our mistakes.

Edible and medicinal plants – life sustaining allies, sources of economically viable chemicals or powerful preventative medicines?

For thousands of years, our species has thrived on the bounty supplied by the earth.  Plants were used as food and medicine, with wisdom passed down through generations.

In the modern era, there has been a shift towards isolating, extracting, and patenting the very essence of medicinal plants, perhaps losing sight of their holistic value, and employing their chemicals for symptom or diagnosis-specific use.

Modern medicine has undoubtedly achieved significant breakthroughs, from penicillin's discovery to polio's eradication and the development of diagnostic technologies such as CT scans, MRI, and ultrasound. But how effective has it been in preventing the chronic diseases increasingly present in our society?  Chronic diseases are complex and often result from a variety of factors, including genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors.

Perhaps it's time to revisit the wisdom of Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, who famously said, "Let food be thy medicine."  Incorporating whole and real food into our lives may prevent many of the illnesses that have us end up on medications and under the surgeon knife.  Prevention is always easier than cure, let us remain mindful of that.

Mushrooms – suspicious fungi, economic commodity or agents of holistic personal wellness?

Presently, medicinal mushrooms are emerging as a beacon of hope, revered for their healing properties that have supported human health for thousands of years.  The "Shennong Bencao Jing" (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), written between about 206 BC and 220 AD, is one of the earliest Chinese pharmacopeia that references medicinal mushrooms, including Lingzhi mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum/Reishi), which were already then believed to boost health, promote longevity, and increase intellectual capacity.  As recent as 30 years ago, many Western doctors would view claims about Reishi with skepticism. .  Now, we learn what ancient civilization already knew – Reishi indeed hold these properties.

Medicinal mushrooms have been valued by Indigenous cultures for their healing properties, reflecting a deep understanding of natural remedies. In recognizing this ancient wisdom, it's crucial to approach medicinal mushrooms with respect for the traditional knowledge holders and to advocate for ethical engagement and collaboration.  Indigenous knowledge is a living, evolving body of wisdom, and not a mere historical fact.

Many mushroom species, including some that were until recently denounced by scientists as perilously toxic fungi, are now undergoing a cycle of extraction, isolation, and commercialization similar to many plants. Let’s consider the possibility of this process stripping them of their intrinsic value, reducing them to mere economic commodities. Employing an analogy, if you catch a lion and confine it to a cage for study, the very nature of the animal is altered. Consequently, this approach fails to provide a true understanding of the essence of being a lion.  Perhaps the analogy of the lion is overdramatic, but do we know if the commercialization process still capture the full spectrum of benefits and relationships that medicinal mushrooms offer in their natural state?

Mushrooms are intrinsically connected to every life form on this planet, and we should not underestimate the importance of respecting and preserving their holistic integrity.  With our exploration should come sustainable harvesting practices, community-based approaches to mushroom cultivation, and integrative medicine practices that respect both scientific and traditional knowledge.  While acknowledging the need for standardized doses in modern medicine, this is an area where collaboration with ancient knowledge could support the growing need for personalized medicine; this approach tailors treatments to individual differences in genetics, environment, and lifestyle, crafting more effective, customized healthcare strategies for each person.

Dismissing knowledge that has been painstakingly accumulated through trial and error over millennia is unwise. Instead, science should be used to augment traditional practices, while also allowing these time-honored traditions to inform and enrich scientific research. Ancient wisdom does not have all the answers, but neither has modern science.

Importantly, it is essential to ensure that the custodians of plant and mushroom medicine in the west retain their autonomy, allowing them to continue using their ancestral resources as they have for many generations, without having to surrender their independence to the control of the scientific community. It is important that these practices remain ethical, not harm biodiversity or violate intellectual property rights of indigenous communities, and not disregard valid scientific safety concerns. Traditional knowledge should be recognized, and practitioners should have the freedom to practice for the betterment of the well-being of individuals and communities.

What to do?

In this pursuit of progress, longevity, wealth, and power, we often forget to tread lightly upon the earth that sustains us. We become caught in a paradox, witnessing a flourishing wellness industry that simultaneously exploits our planet's natural resources and overlooks age-old traditions. The issue at hand is not the quest for progress itself but rather the approach we adopt—a path often devoid of mindfulness and lacking in reverence for the natural environment and the innate wisdom of our human bodies. This disregard not only threatens our ecological balance but also disconnects us from the holistic practices that have nurtured human health and well-being for centuries.

This is not surprising, since disconnection from nature begins early, with children being raised in environments that sever their innate bond with nature. Today, many children grow up in cities, in front of screens, living lives of structured activities in polluted yet sterilize environments, forgetting they are as much part of the natural world as the animals and plants they often only see on their screens.

Reflecting on our past and present urges us to forge a future where progress and development are pursued with mindfulness and respect for the natural world—including our natural human bodies.  I'm not advocating for the replacement of modern medical advancements with traditional practices. Rather, my suggestion is to enrich our current approach to wellness by integrating the extensive knowledge accumulated over millennia by diverse cultures, viewing it through the lens of our current understanding instead of dismissing it outright.

In our SEARCH for better wellness practices, here are key principles to guide us:

 

• Sustainability – Commit to sourcing products and services that are both sustainable and ethical, ensuring our actions do not threaten natural habitats or resources.
• Education – Aim to enlighten both children and adults about the importance of nature and sustainable living, nurturing a sense of connection and responsibility towards the environment.
• Animal Welfare and Agriculture – Advocate for and support local, ethical agriculture and farming practices that prioritize animal welfare.
• Respect – Respect the natural world and the human body, recognizing our physical selves as an integral part of the environment.
• Collaboration – Believe in the power of teamwork, uniting health practitioners from various fields—medical doctors, traditional medicine practitioners, nutritionists, coaches…—to foster personalized health solutions through a collaborative approach.
• Holistic Health – Embrace a holistic health model that considers the whole person within their environment, ensuring a comprehensive approach to well-being

To the pioneers of the wellness industry: Let's learn from our past mistakes and strive to do better with the knowledge we have now.

Let’s tread lightly on this planet we call home.

Blessings,

Colette