HUGE DISCLAIMER on Respect, Wellness, and Our Beliefs
Before we roll out the #wellforbaby series and other new content, we decided we should share a few important messages. This will give you a better idea about who we are, how we approach wellness, and what we believe in. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
OUR WELLNESS WORK COMES FROM A PLACE OF LOVE:
We are passionate about wellness because we have both experienced incredible, life-changing, positive things once we turned our energies and attention toward it. This is our life’s work because we simply want others to be well too. We recognize the need for wellness in this world and that we have a unique viewpoint to offer on the topic. We are simply sharing what we know in hopes that others can benefit from it in a good way.
THERE SHOULD BE NO JUDGMENT IN WELLNESS:
We lead well, sober lifestyles and we encourage others to do the same. However, we recognize that wellness is a huge, challenging, difficult journey for all people, ourselves included. We have not always been perfect, we are not perfect now, and we never will be. Because we don’t focus on sharing the negative or traumatic elements of our personal stories, many people believe that we have never experienced any of these things, but that’s not the case. We say this because we want you to know that we actually do understand and relate to struggles you might be having. We know that most people face a great number of challenges to wellness including historical trauma, unhealthy relationships, socioeconomic disparities, lack of access to information, food deserts, addictions, lack of support networks, and more. We ask that YOU recognize this, too, and do not judge others who are on their wellness journey. Helping is good. Praying for others is good. Using your platform to offer information to others is good. But judging others is not necessary.
In the context of our new #wellforbaby initiative, this is particularly relevant. Parents get judged a lot. Moms, particularly, get judged a lot. That's not what we're here to do. Just because some of our blogs will promote breastfeeding, for example, does not mean that we are looking down on those who use formula. Just because we promote natural birth, home births, and Indigenous midwifery does not mean that we are looking down on those who go different routes. (Perfect example: I really wanted to have a natural birth and I ended up with an emergency c-section. I still admire and promote natural birth, though!) Everybody has their reasons, everybody has the right to their own choices, and we respect that. We hope that you do too.
Rather than judge others’ choices, live your own life in the way that you believe is best, and allow yourself to be an example for others. That is a much more powerful way of promoting your ideas!
WE DO NOT CLAIM TO KNOW EVERYTHING:
All health and wellness information is controversial. All health and wellness information is up for debate. All health and wellness information can be interpreted in many different ways. We’re not asking you to agree with everything that we say or do. We are simply doing our best to offer advice and ideas on the methods that have worked for us. Most of the information we offer is based on a combination of research from Indigenous ancestral teachings, western science, and eastern medicine alike. We can’t promise that everything we say is the absolute truth or final answer (that’s simply not possible), but we can promise that we are well-read and well-researched, that we are always learning more, that we are actually living the lifestyle that we promote, and that a lot of what we say just might be useful to you.
If you adamantly disagree with any of the information that we offer, we encourage you to use your own platform to promote your own ideas. We all have that ability! Even though there are a lot of health experts out there who we wholeheartedly disagree with, for example, you will never find us making negative comments on their social media pages, because that is reactive and unproductive. Rather than criticize others, we choose to be proactive and utilize our own platform to promote what we believe in. We are so grateful to those of you who support us and benefit from our offerings!
WELLNESS IS INDIVIDUAL
We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get to know your own body and your own needs when it comes to your health. There is no single wellness source out there who can teach you about yourself better than you can. Observe how you react to foods. Pay attention to the way that your muscles, ligaments and emotions react to movements and exercises. Understand where you need to make adjustments in your daily habits. Learn about any allergens or deficiencies you may have. Get to know your family history of illnesses. Choose what is best for you and your children based on your preferences and needs. Seek out the opinions of doctors, medicine people, and other health professionals who can cater advice specifically to you. This is a critical and ongoing step for all people who are looking to be well.
respect and wellness are interconnected:
Most Indigenous cultures promote certain sets of values and teachings that have been recognized and practiced by our people for centuries. An emphasis on respect is a common cultural thread that ties many of us together. While we are all doing our best to be better people and to make a better world, let’s not forget that we are all related and connected to the earth and one another, and we should all respect, love, and care for one another. At WELL FOR CULTURE, we try to approach everything from a proactive, positive, solutions-based perspective. It’s our way of showing respect to all who come in contact with our information. We’re here to help make people feel good. Love and respect are very important components of wellness which do not get mentioned often enough on typical American health and fitness sources, but they are always relevant.
OUR PLATFORM IS YOUR PLATFORM:
Whenever we travel for workshops, we always remind folks that we welcome submissions to our blog and social media. If you have information you want to share about what your community is up to or what you have learned, let us know. There is an incredible wealth of Indigenous expertise out there just waiting to be shared that can have a hugely positive impact on our communities. Even though we always offer this, very few people take us up on it. We can’t pay you or do the work for you, but we can support you by offering our digital space and audience.
