drew johnson
- Mar 25, 2022
- 6 min read

Let's Talk About Wellness!

Updated: Jan 9

Join the owner of House of Yodi LLC, Drew Johnson Nwabueze in a candid discussion about wellness. We invite you all to engage in this discussion of wellness centered in a space of judgement free acceptance of self and others, as we discover wellness together.

So You Want To Be Well...

What is wellness? That is the question I had asked myself as I was unknowingly starting my wellness journey. I thought I had a deeper understanding of what it meant to be well; I had received various trainings, classes, and seminars, yet, I felt like I was embarking on a new concept of wellbeing. As I began to research and meditate, I realized that my sense of wellness was fragmented at best. I knew how to navigate my energetic and emotional well-being, engaged in environmental wellness, made sure to recycle, reused plant waste, and started a little garden but yet, I was having a daily struggle with maintaining physical, nutritional, and financial wellness.

I had completely ignored my financial well-being, knowing that the way I interact with money, a resource, is directly related to some past childhood trauma response and that my spending was a direct reflection of my emotional well-being. Sort of like, how I had once self-soothed by eating 6 sizeable macadamia nut cookies…daily. I wanted to comfort the internal with external things. With this revelation, I had a better understanding of the vast scope of wellness. When we understand our wellness to be whole, we can begin to adapt practices that assist us in being just that, whole.

What Does Wellness Mean To You?

The discussion surrounding wellness and what it encompasses is ever-growing as modern studies attempt to craft an understanding of what it truly means to be well. Oxford dictionary describes wellness as, “A condition obtained when a person achieves a level of health that minimizes the chances of becoming ill” (Oxford Dictionary of Sport Science & Medicine). The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as, “The active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health”. The Wilfrid Laurier University defines wellness as “Wellness is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It is not a passive or static state but a dynamic and conscious development of the whole self.

Wellness is associated with intentions, choices, and actions leading towards an optimal state of well-being so that instead of surviving, you’re thriving”.

When you read these different definitions of wellness, do you think your understanding aligns with any of the above-mentioned definitions? I know my initial understanding did not; I understood wellness to be surface level, if you were physically, mentally, and emotionally well, you were golden. Wellness is so much more than just singular aspects its all-encompassing!

Wellness Is True To This, Not New To This

Finding the origin of wellness has been rather laborious, as wellness does not exist in one activity or a single practice; After all, wellness is a multidimensional state of being and the practices are arguably even more complex. Wellness practices predate our modern understanding, with the well known practice such as yoga, being recorded in the Vedas scripture in the sacred canon of Hinduism. The Ancient Khamites and their practices of Ari Ankh Ka (known today as Hatha Yoga), connection to earth and community, herbal medicine, and traditional spirituality to remain balanced and well. (Afua, Sacred Woman). Traditional Chinese medicine, (TCM), one of the world’s oldest systems of medicine, develops. Influenced by Taoism and Buddhism, TCM applies a holistic perspective to achieving health and well-being, by cultivating harmony in one’s life" (The Global Wellness Institute). These are only just a few examples of healing modalities that promote the state of wellness. I encourage you all to search and find all different forms of wellness, what you find just might surprise you!

And The Purpose Is?

With the conversation centered on practices, let's paint a picture of purpose. What is the purpose of our practices? What is the benefit of exercising different wellness practices? Besides a state of being emotionally balanced, daily practices of wellness promote healthier lifestyle choices and encourage self-regulation, improved mind-body health, balanced nutrition, improved interpersonal relationships, and increased satisfaction at work. The benefit of wellness practices is an extensive list that can go on for quite a while, I will spare you that experience.

The point is, when we begin to adapt and practice daily wellness exercises, we help ourselves, and in return, we begin to help our community. Are you familiar with the saying, as within so without? How we treat ourselves matters far more than we think. How we treat ourselves is a direct reflection of how we treat others, our community, the environment, and society. We are being called to be well not just for ourselves, but for others.

**The Truth Will Set Us Free**

We can no longer turn a blind eye to the fact that we are ignoring our sense of well-being, both on a personal and societal scale. The proof is in the metaphorical pudding. San Antonio's physical health report that in "Bexar county 65.7% of adults are overweight and 32.4% of children between the ages of 10-17 are obese. Obesity rates among certain ethnic and racial populations in San Antonio are disproportionately high" (CDC). "Obesity disproportionately affects poor neighborhoods in San Antonio" (University Health). In a 2022 wellness study conducted by House of Yodi, we found that 90% of clients have expressed that they do not know how to navigate and self-regulate their emotions and emotional energy.

San Antonio was ranked 4th worst in mental health according to a 2021 study by the San Antonio Current. Our financial health isn't looking too good either. "In San Antonio, the total outstanding credit card debt stood at $6.5 billion in the first quarter of 2022" (2022 The Circle Square). Let's look at our community health, "...the city ranked sixth nationally in 2016 in homicides and violent crimes of the nation's largest cities with a per capita homicide rate of 10.8 per 100,000 population" (Stand Up SA).

Lastly, regarding our environmental health, for this point, I encourage you all to take a walk around your neighborhood, do you see any trash or litter? If the answer is no, awesome job, your area in the community is being looked after and taken care of! But if you're like me, and you find random pieces of tattered furniture on the side of the road, gutter ways full of carelessly discarded bags, and the occasional tumble weed of trash, then we have a deeper issue at hand. We must take all aspects of wellness seriously for ourselves and most importantly our children. The healthy lifestyles we adopt, they will learn. Let's encourage them to practice wellness.

What Are We Going To Do About It?

I am calling San Antonio to action. How long are we going to pretend that everything is fine and well, when in fact, we as a whole, are not? I have gone to City Hall and have proclaimed October to be Emotional Wellness Month. In light of Emotional Wellness month, House of Yodi LLC is holding space for Wholistic Wellness Awareness. This awareness campaign's mission is to bring attention to the importance of all-encompassing wellness; including but not limited to emotional, mental health, physical, energetic, financial, and community wellness. House of Yodi LLC will bring awareness by engaging in live discussions, demos, resources, wellness mixers, and a singing bowl tour throughout the city of San Antonio.

The goal of this month-long campaign is to assist individuals with becoming balanced and healthy within so we can be more balanced and healthier as a community. House of Yodi will be holding space starting on Oct. 1st, Oct. 08, Oct. 14th, Oct. 14th, Oct. 22nd, Oct. 29, and Oct. 30th for community singing bowl sessions to promote energetic and emotional wellness. The Wellness Expo that will be taking place at the end of the month will include free demos to the public (Zumba, financial wellness discussions/live interview, mental/ emotional health discussions/live interview, yoga, sound healing, emotional/energetic wellness discussion/live interview, a singing bowl session, and a community engagement discussion/ live interview), local wellness vendors, kid wellness-zone, and informational materials. Presenting a wellness event that is informative and engaging for all members of the family!

I invite you and your family to partake in a discussion centered and rooted in wellness because, we deserve wellness.

Register for October's FREE wellness events here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/house-of-yodi-33007229495

#emotionalwellnessmonth #Wellness2022

References & Links

Global institute

https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/wellness-economy-definitions/

National Wellness Awareness Month

https://primary-health.net/blog/august-is-national-wellness-month/#:~:text=Throughout%20August%2C%20National%20Wellness%20Month,with%20stress%20management%20and%20happiness.

Financial Literacy

https://dhewd.mo.gov/ppc/studentloans/FinLitMonth.php#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20Senate%20passed,as%20National%20Financial%20Capability%20Month.

Mental Health Awareness Month