Living a healthy lifestyle is more than addressing your medical needs, it’s also about taking care of oneself both physically and mentally. Practicing self-care means taking time to have fun, taking time to do what you love and care about, it means sometimes finding ways to reduce the societal influences that may affect your daily routine. Sadaqa Calhoun-Redus, instructor for the Do Right! Relax and Restore Series, offers some alternative methods for handling the daily stressors in our lives.
Holistic Health is an approach to life. Rather than focusing on illness or specific parts of the body, this ancient approach to health considers the whole person and how he or she interacts with his or her environment. It emphasizes the connection of mind, body, and spirit. The goal is to achieve maximum well-being, where everything is functioning the very best that is possible. With Holistic Health, people accept responsibility for their own level of well-being and everyday choices are used to take charge of one’s own health.
Ancient healing traditions, as far back as 5,000 years ago in India and China, stressed living a healthy way of life in harmony with nature. Socrates (4th century BC) warned against treating only one part of the body “for the part can never be well unless the whole is well.” Although the term holism was introduced by Jan Christiaan Smuts in 1926 as a way of viewing living things as “entities greater than and different from the sum of their parts,” it wasn’t until the 1970s that holistic became a common adjective in our modern vocabulary.
Holistic concepts fell temporarily out of favor in Western societies during the 20th century. Scientific medical advances had created a dramatic shift in the concept of health. Germs were identified as outside sources causing disease. Gaining health became a process of killing microscopic invaders with synthesized drugs. People believed that they could get away with unhealthy lifestyle choices, and modern medicine would “fix” them as problems developed.
However, for some conditions, medical cures have proven more harmful than the disease. In addition, many chronic conditions do not respond to scientific medical treatments. In looking for other options, people are turning back to the holistic approach to health and healing. The Holistic Health lifestyle is regaining popularity each year, as the holistic principles offer practical options to meet the growing desire for enjoying a high level of vitality and well-being.
A Few Examples of Holistic Health Services
Sadaqa Calhoun-Redus, a seasoned holistic health and wellness professional and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in fitness, various energy modalities, and alternative health disciplines, is a practicing Reiki Master and alternative health practitioner specializing in Reiki, Quantum Touch, Reflexology, Polarity, and Meditation, to name a few. Sadaqa is the founder and CEO of Sadaqa’s Wellness Center and “Keep It Movin’ Baby” LLC (KIM’B). Sadaqa’s efforts have since brought relief to many individuals and their families who, prior to working with Sadaqa, suffered from many illnesses and chronic disorders such as Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Cancer, Migraines, Muscular Disorders, and pregnancy complications, to name a few. Today, Sadaqa, through her latest entrepreneurial effort called “Ase” is focused on showing men, women, and children that if the energy systems in our bodies (known as Chakras) are balanced, that these amazing physiques that we live in have the power to heal themselves. Sadaqa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Holistic Ministries from The American Institute of Holistic Theology. She has a special interest in reducing health care disparities, childhood obesity, and other chronic health challenges often associated with poor health choices and lifestyles. Sadaqa is married to Darrin Redus, Sr. and enjoys spending time with their 6 children and 5 grandchildren.
