Healing is an ecosystem

Happy June everyone! 

I’ve been sifting through questions of how to define myself and what I do… 

I used to celebrate my diversity of interests and experiences. I still remember that my college application essay was all about praising having a variety of experiences and interests as they can broaden your perspectives, help you to see other people’s point of view, enhance your ability to synthesize information and come up with creative ideas, and just add “spice” to your life. I still believe all that to be true… However, at some point while I was in the middle of studying with a particular yoga teacher, a conflicting philosophy was touted as “superior”. A parable best explains the view: (short version) A man digs 50 wells one foot deep and laments that he can’t find water, whereas another man digs one well 50 feet deep and gets all the water he is seeking. The purported meaning is unless you dedicate to one practice, you’ll never truly reap the rewards or gain mastery in anything. Some of the students around at that time even mocked others in the business/practice as being certificate gatherers - those who have many certificates in many modalities- and these people would be looked at with a touch of suspicion because they are dabbling in everything but mastering nothing. And that is the question: would you rather be a master of one thing, or a “jack of all trades”, a “renaissance man”- which are other ways of saying to be competent in many things but a master of none. 

Well, as life progressed I look back and see I have become one of those certificate gatherers… Yoga, Thai Massage, Mov Nat, Kinesiology, Reiki, Restorative Exercise for Alignment. I’ve been drawn to study different modalities and techniques and have felt like that is the right path for me. However, I admit to a certain amount of guilt and confusion: If I don’t consider myself a “master” at one thing, what do I have to offer others? and how do I define what I do anyway? As I try to redefine my business, this has been particularly tricky. 

I don’t feel like the “Patrick Hogan Yoga” title accurately reflects what I do anymore, and yet should I describe it as just movement? Healing? what word of acronym or title encompasses these different things? (PS: if anyone has a burning idea, please let me know! ) 

And then, just a few days ago, I heard a beautiful description that seemed to resolve much of the conflict for me. The idea came from Ashley Wood in one of her most recent podcasts: 

Healing is an ecosystem. 

Each part of and all the variety of life in an ecosystem contribute to the whole. And the more variety of species, the more vibrant and flourishing will be the life in that system. Healing is the same in that all aspects of you are essential. And no one technique or philosophy will cure all. In fact, too much obsession on one healing modality may even lead to further imbalance. In essence healing is also balance (balance is actually the definition of health in systems like Ayurveda). So, to maintain balance in our health/life ecosystem you must use your intuition and follow what you feel is needed in this particular moment. What is the priority right now? Is it sleep, nutrition, exercise, restoring the body’s alignment, building movement skills, reflection on psychological issues such as limiting beliefs or held emotions, or exploring ways to play? Keep asking the questions and your intuition will guide you to the right tools to bring you back into balance.

And here’s the resolution: each technique and modality I’ve studied is not digging a different well. Each is a different tool to help as it’s needed to dig the same well - that of self mastery and healing. 

What kind of diversity do you have to help your ecosystem thrive? 

If you're interested in exploring any of these tools from:
Natural Human Movement, Restorative Exercise for alignment, Yoga, Thai Massage, Reiki, and Kinesiology, feel free to reach out to me via email to chat or head on over to my website to book a session! (Skype sessions available too!)