In this article I will introduce you to the Four-Pillar Protocol which I developed and how I make it applicable to you regardless of if you have come to see more for bloating, gas, hormonal imbalances, painful periods, PMS, pain or low energy. Please note that this is the light introduction and each pillar goes into much more detail which can be read by clicking the article link at the bottom of each pillar paragraph. In practice I personalize each pillar for your individual state of dis-ease or sickness and the action points differ as well as in more detail than generic headings such as diet, movement or meditation.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Many individuals find themselves in chronic pain and fatigue, where they feel they have exhausted all healing options. General Practitioners claim its psychosomatic test results are apparently normal, or mild symptom relief with pharmaceuticals that never solve the problem and possibly lead to side effects or relapses over time.
Those who have experienced the above find themselves approaching so-called holistic options, be it nutritional therapists, nutritionists, naturopaths who work with functional medicine. The comprehensive and advanced testing, wholefood supplementation, individualized diet and lifestyle approach in most cases works wonders putting the concerns into remission and many walk away with a new sense of wellbeing.
However, for some it’s just not enough. The perfected diet, the supplements, the lifestyle changes all benefit them but at times there is something deeper going on emotionally that is hard to put one’s finger on. Therefore, even if we look at the human as a whole and holistically, we may still be focusing on one part such as the period pain, the low energy, the autoimmune thyroid etc. Working with someone holistically is in fact about appreciating the symptom or the disease is not the root cause but a response or factor in the imbalance as a whole.
For example, a nutritional therapist is holistic and will also consider one’s lifestyle such as work-life balance, and implement naturopathic protocols such as breathwork, meditation, and relaxing Epsom salt baths. Yet this does not necessarily get to the root of the concern whether it’s emotional, mental or spiritual. That is not to disparage the above paradigm that is very holistic, but rather to ask is there more we can do to tie everything together and not only address the physical and the lifestyle which does knock onto the emotional and mental but in fact go a bit deeper into the other subconscious parts of ourselves that are often overlooked by conventional and naturopathic therapies.
I learnt this when I was suffering with pain and fatigue due to a parasite infection and burnout. However later I realized that the parasites and or gut dysbiosis was a symptom of a larger root cause. A disconnect and blockages of our four interconnected facets, of body, emotions, mind and spirit. This can help us clear blockages, rebalance the physical body, align our thoughts and actions, express and sit with emotions, and connect to a deeper purpose and connection.
Below I will briefly outline the four-pilar
1. Physical (nutrition, therapeutics, movement)
The physical body pertains to the substance of matter of which our bodies are composed of. If we compare ourselves to a house, this corresponds to the brick and mortar. This is linked to the earth element in traditional Chinese medicine, we ground our bodies to earth via nature, sea, walking barefoot, the sun etc. Out of the four facets this is the most tangible. This is through which we navigate the world, and whereby our spirituality, emotions and thoughts flow. This is a good indication that the other facets are going as they will reflect on our bodies appearance and functionality. There is also a cross-over with how we move the body which can maintain our physical wellbeing and as motion creates emotion even linked to our emotional health.
When in balance we are pain free, energized, flexible, balanced, open and have all the vitamins and minerals needed.
When out of balance we are in pain, tired, imbalanced and not getting the right nutrients for our diet.
Physical body care consists of:
- Nutrition
- Therapeutics
- Movement
- More depth to be revealed in the full article on the physical body (link here)
2. Emotional (self enquiry, experiential therapy, connection)
The emotional body could be said to be the dwelling place of the soul, whether that is literal or figurative. This may be compared to our house analogy as how one decorates their home. Interior decorations to make that personal touch to our humble abode, an inviting guest room or a charming garden. As with any house, they can be bright or gloomy, organized or cluttered, which correspond to our moods. These moods and how we think and feel certainly affect our wellbeing, as does the feng shui of a home affect how pleasant it is to live there. The emotional body may be seen as the sum of all our emotional experiences in our life & relates to our nervous system, touch, water absorption and the release (tears), our hormones and how we navigate our emotions. We can either flow with ups and downs or hold difficult situations that translate to difficult emotions inside of us, like blockages of energy (mostly to help protect us from dealing with the pain of that emotion). It is linked to the air element and therefore motion creates emotion, how we move such as standing up tall and proud has a profound effect on our emotions.
When in balance we feel in control, have safe boundaries, can deal with stress, we see the world through our true self.
When out of balance we are not in control, we don’t have boundaries, we can’t deal with stress, we see the world through our feelings, such as sadness, guilt, regret, scarcity.
Helping your emotional body looks like:
- Identifying emotions and how one processes those emotions that may be linked to your current state of health and well being
- Meaning of our emotions and its connection to our sickness
- Journaling
- Connection
- Forgiveness
- For a more in depth analysis of the emotional pillar and how it heals read the article here (add link)
3. MENTAL BODY (objectivity, perspective, meditation, dreams)
The mental body is related to our values, goals, beliefs, thoughts, opinions and desires. This is how we process information, what we focus on and how we learn mental self is formed of thoughts as well as beliefs, desires, values, goals and opinions. It is how we process information, how we learn and focus.This is the part that gives us individuality. In the house analogy this is akin to the visitors and guests, with their conversations, thoughts and ideas. This links to the emotional body as our perception of the emotions and how they are used are in the realms of the mental body. Therefore, as we balance the emotional body by learning to recognize emotions and train ourselves to sit with them, to learn from them. The mental body will be our tool for gaining meaning from our emotions and lives as a whole. Meditative and mindfulness practices are recommended for the development of objectivity. This is to say, rather than getting in touch with our feelings, observing those feelings from a detached and objective place. What we can do to heal our mental body and clear mental blocks :
- Meditation ( link spiritual and mental body, calm mind, harness the power of objectivity to separate from intense emotions)
- Affirmations
- Getting inspired
- For a more in depth analysis and details on how to heal this pillar read the article here (click here)
4. SPIRITUAL BODY
The spiritual body is about a deeper connection to something bigger than ourselves. Here is the kicker, you do not need to be religious or believe in a god. You may call it the universe, cosmos, source, higher self, love, life, cosmos as the name is not as important as the concept itself. This can be linked to our ability to receive guidance from within ourselves and or surrender to something bigger than ourselves. I often say that being in chronic pain, fatigue or suffering a health condition is an opportunity to re-connect to this source of balance and inner peace. To repeat this is not about religion but in fact about our connection with ourselves and all, you could say our true essence which gets blurred as we struggle with work and life obligations.
This is often disregarded or not acknowledged but this overlooked facet of our body is important for healing and what’s wonderful is that what works is true, whilst there is limited science on this topic, whether you’re an atheist, agnostic, or religious, reconnecting with oneself through spiritual practices can be seen as a powerful healing technique to tie together the healing with the other facets to connect them all in of yourself holistically.
Here is a number of practices I implement alongside my clients to reconnect to our essence, to the power of the Universe:
- Breathwork
- Meditation
- Gratitude
- Mindfulness practices
- Re-approaching our lives and situations as lessons not struggles;
- Using the chakra system
- For a more in depth analysis of the spirit pillar read the article here
1 to 1 professional support?
Whilst knowledge is power, sometimes we cant do it alone, either there is too much information, we need someone to coach us, we dont even know exactly what our issue is, or we are dissatisfied with the service of the consultants we have seen thus far. If this sounds like you, worry no more and get in touch.
It is assumed a nutritionist will force someone on a diet, this could not be further from the truth. Rather we work to change how you perceive and eat food, learning about its many healing properties to lead to long term sustainable positive change in your health and well-being.
I will assess your overall health including your medical history
Looking into lifestyle & emotional factors that most practitioners wont
Individualize the protocol to implement suitable changes for you
You will be sent a bespoke eating plan
You will be sent a bespoke therapeutics plan if needed
Lab testing will be recommended if necessary
Finally follow up or pay-as-you-go appointments enable you to get the hands on one to one coaching with me throughout the healing journey
Book a free call now on my calender booker
