Native Wellness

Native Wellness is not just the absence of disease. It is living life in a circle, embracing the teachings of the old ways, where the individual is in balance with oneself, mind, body, spirit, and emotions.

It means living in harmony with oneself, others, the Creator, and with all aspects of one's environment. It is having a sound cultural identity. Illness happens when this harmony or balance is broken.

[...] As seen from the indigenous perspective, health is synonymous with wholeness. The ultimate source of this a wholeness is the Great Spirit, or Creator, a divine essence of which everything is a part. As such, health is understood only within the context of the whole, with spirituality a primary focus and aspect of the diagnosis and treatment of all afflictions. Health involves the restoration of balance and harmony to body, mind, and spirit, and to relationships with family, community, and nature

"What is Native American Wellness?"

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According to Native American traditions, balance is a state of being in harmony with the universe. Walking in balance is walking in accordance with the natural way of things, where there is harmony among human, natural, and spiritual systems.

Balance is often referred to as Good Medicine. On the other hand, Bad Medicine is the result of being in a state of dis-ease or disequilibrium. When one is not living harmoniously with self, others, the environment and spirit, illness happens.

Thus, healing involves the restoration of balance.

[...] According to traditional Navajo beliefs, being in balance is to be in harmony with the universe. Balance is expressed in the phrase Walk in Beauty. To Walk in Beauty is to have faith in healing, and to act in accordance with natural and spiritual laws. It is doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason, with the wellbeing of all as the underlying intention

"Native Wellness"

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Native American values most pertinent to rehabilitation are:


(a) Happiness and harmony between and within individuals, the society, and nature;

(b) generosity in sharing of self, resources, and possessions;

(c) transmission of knowledge through an oral tradition;

(d) an orientation to the past which honors tradition, and to the present in taking life as it comes;

(e) a fluidity of lifestyle which is without external constraints other than those voluntarily chosen;

(f) work which is in harmony with the individual and meets present needs;

(g) discrete and respectful communication with little eye contact and an emphasis on listening; and

(h) a universal spirituality which is integral to all life and every lifestyle.

[Susan D.M. Kelley]
"Traditional Native American Values: Conflict or Concordance in Rehabilitation?"

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