6 Daily Practice: Whole Care for All

The highest levels of performance come to people who are
centered, intuitive, creative, and reflective –
people who know to see a problem as an opportunity.

–Deepak Chopra, M.D., Integrative Health Care Author & Advocate 

This final chapter focus on ways to engage in holistic health promotion and restoration in daily life and practice, whether in a personal and/or professional setting, whether as consumer and/or care provider. We’ll begin by highlighting ideas and resources to support personal well-being in the holistic context of family, community and world. We will then focus on ideas and resources that can enhance the quality of holistic health care available to everyone.

Care of Self, Family, Community and World

Holism keeps us mindful that our own well-being is inseparable from that of others and the places that we share (Dunn, 2019). As such, the most effective and authentic daily ‘care’ in which we can engage nurtures ourselves, one another, AND our surroundings (First Nations Health Authority, n.d.). This means that caring for ourselves is neither selfish nor self-absorbed; it involves deep acknowledgement that our own well-being is as important as anyone else’s – no less and no more. While healthy personal boundaries are needed to keep this balanced truth in mind, they are, indeed, simply boundaries, not barriers that shield us from the needs and supports available from others and our environment (Lampton, 2024).  This mutual exchange of care is central to engaging in the daily practice of holistic and healthy living – and it takes practice! Again and again our whole lives long.

Resources that each of us find supportive in that process will vary greatly, of course.  Appendix A offers a range of evidence informed wellness hubs to consider. A few foundational resources are offered here.

Given its inclusive and holistic nature, the below interactive page from Contemplative Life  is offered for exploration and discernment of personal practices that best nurture authentic and whole daily living.

Contemplative Life – Body of Practice (Note:  Its specific practices each need to be evaluated in relation to their evidence base and suitability for an individual at a given time.)

The contemplative practice that currently has the strongest scientific evidence base within health care comes from Jon Kabat-Zin and his team’s work in the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts. The below Positive Psychology website provides much information about the benefits of MBSR and offers several resources to help begin or deepen its practice.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: The Ultimate MBSR Guide (positivepsychology.com)

The below resources offer evidence-informed guidance in relation to daily nutrition and physical activity:

Dr. Andrew Weil on Using Food as Medicine to Reduce Inflammation (Interview with Jay Shetty)

24-Hour Movement Guidelines – Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines (CSEP)

For those wishing to assess and enhance overall personal wellness at any given time, the following two resources may be helpful:

First Nations Health Authority. (n.d.). Planning your journey to wellness: A roadmap.

Primary Care Personal Health Inventory – Healing Works Foundation   (Dr. Wayne Jonas’ website) (Complete questionnaire is in pdf download)

The following resources (also from Dr. Jonas’ website) may support follow up reflection and action:

Therapeutic Writing Self-Care Tool – Healing Works Foundation

Building the Confidence to Change a Habit – Healing Works Foundation

Creating Positive Change

Numerous additional resources on a variety of health issues can be found via this link on Dr. Jonas’ website:

Resources – Healing Works Foundation

Toward Integrative Health Care for All

Sustainable, holistic, inclusive health care systems may seem impossible to envision when our current delivery systems are on the verge of collapse and HCP shortages, financial constraints, and socioeconomic disparities prevail.  Such systemic crises undoubtedly involve countless perils, not unlike those associated with an individual, family, community, or global health crisis.  However, crises always involve both dangers and opportunities (Stitt, 2023). We need to remain mindful of our current opportunities … opportunities to come together in ways that sustain one another as we navigate our current tumultuous times …  opportunities to be innovative and hopeful and compassionate as we find ways to help our health care systems stabilize and find homeostasis, that balanced state when healing can begin (Philpot, 2024). As the healing process unfolds, transformative opportunities can emerge, making it easier to envision and mobilize new approaches and ways of being;  in the meantime, we need to believe in the possibility of healing and wholeness (Grain, K., 2022).

A powerful and precise source of hope and guidance for these times (and any time of crisis) is offered by the University of Minnesota’s Bakken Centre for Spirituality and Healing. You are invited to spend unhurried, contemplative time with it:

Whole Systems Healing Overview | Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing (umn.edu)

Truly, we have an opportunity to approach our current circumstances in holistic, integrative ways. Whole Systems Healing and its wise integration of Modern Complexity Theory calls us to respond in ways that draw on evidence-informed wisdom derived from and affirmed by science and time honoured traditions (Bakken Centre; Grain, 2022).

Doing so is a life-giving, but formidable task, given the multitude of challenges and inevitable resistance that will be involved (Gaudet, 2022).  Our reliance upon one another’s support and experience is vital.  In this spirit, Tracey Gaudet’s below ‘lessons learned’ are shared:

Cultural Transformation to a Whole Health System: Lessons Learned – Tracy Gaudet, 2022 (sagepub.com)

Whatever lies ahead, each of us can serve as change agents and leaders, whether formally or informally, whether consumer and/or caregiver (Kennedy et al., 2021).   However, much challenging and ongoing reflection is involved for health care leaders and team members. WHOLE Care Reflective Questions for Health Care Leaders and Team Members  (Appendix F) may be supportive of individual reflection and/or collaborative conversation.

While these WHOLE Care questions are necessarily geared toward HCPs in the context of promoting IHC, anyone could adapt them in support of a healthy culture in any organization. Related resources in Appendix G can offer further guidance.

The following examples of IHC currently being offered are intended to offer hope and encouragement to both consumers and care providers.

Even amidst our current chaos, many are, indeed, successfully offering and actively working toward IHC. While continual vigilance will be necessary to address current and future challenges, there is an increasing abundance of supports and resources to help us do so (Chao & Adler, 2024; Crane et al., 2023).  Reaching out to the mentors and evidence base we trust and need at any given time can help us sustain and enhance our own well-being AND contribute to that of our health care and broader environment. Whole Care. For All.