Combine what works for you

In our wellbeing journeys, it’s not about doing this or that, but about finding the modalities that work for us, saying yes and yes to what works. We combine approaches, get nourished, and continue to do more of them to maintain sustainable wellness.

Blending diverse healing practices is becoming more mainstream, but I still hear the solo modality message a lot. The echoes of exclusivity reverberate through our social media feeds. Scrolling through Instagram, it’s not uncommon to find posts claiming that one modality reigns supreme, and often encouraging us to do anything else but therapy. While catchy, that message oversimplifies the intricate tapestry of human wellness.

I find posts that reduce well-being to a single cure-all, both overly simplistic and dismissive of the multifaceted nature of genuine health. It may be tempting to believe them. When we don’t feel well, we are desperate to believe that one simple thing will fix it. Keep in mind those same cure-all posts may be leading you to buy the cure-all they’re advocating for.

I would be skeptical (and annoyed) at any post that reduces the solution for well-being to just one thing, because true health is multifaceted and requires a holistic approach.

Each healing practice is like a thread in a large tapestry. For example, psychotherapy's introspection helps to unravel knots of the psyche and allows you to feel unprocessed feelings, the celestial threads of astrology help map out patterns and purpose, the grounding fiber of somatics brings you to your body, develops connection and presence, restores the dialogue between mind, body, and cosmos. Each modality offers so much, and their combination creates a unique blend that cannot be achieved with just one approach. No single strand can create the whole picture.

We are beings of complex fibres. Our complexity requires multifaceted approaches. Different blends of different modalities work for each person at a given time, and it’s important to keep checking and reviewing, finding the combination of what works for you now.

Your needs change over time, and only you will know your preferences. Those preferences matter. Regardless of what an IG post says, it is you who knows what you need. Don’t follow the message blindly. Stop and check with yourself.

Declaring one method as the end-all is dismissive of the complex and unique nature of our individual healing journeys.

Feel invited to expand, rather than contract your options. Foster a varied ecosystem of choices. We are nature, and monocultures don’t thrive. Expand your biodiversity of approaches to heal and thrive. There are so many paths to wellbeing and wholeness. Walk your own unique and true path, honour who you are and respect your preferences.