What is holistic health, anyway? I’ve asked myself that question more times than I can count. If you ask Google, the AI Overview will tell you that holistic health refers to an approach to well-being that considers all aspects of a person’s life—physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual.

Whew. That’s a lot to take in! But when I read that, I thought, “That’s exactly what I’m doing!” I realized I had already been living out that definition, and that’s when I started paying more attention to my life.

I started my fitness journey back in 2020. I only remember because I took a pic of a small challenge paper from F45, the date was Feb 2, 2020. Before joining, I had tried going to the gym with my husband. I would follow his routine, run on the treadmill for five minutes,  hop on a few machines, stay there for an hour, then leave. We had no clue what we were doing, but we showed up and gave it our best. Going back 2020, my husband and I had just moved to Savannah without knowing a single soul. Everything was new and unfamiliar. With that came depression, anxiety, and nights of drinking until I would pass out. I had no friends, no job, and no partner at home since he traveled a lot for work. It was just me and my two dogs. How wonderful! (insert sarcasm).

This is the true part of my life where my spiritual journey started. I’ve always had a relationship with God. As a child, I would talk to Him like He was right next to me. Over the years, that relationship faded. But during those dark, alcohol-filled days, I found myself talking to Him again. To be honest, I’m still figuring out my faith. It feels strange to “talk” to something you can’t see. Or have trust in something you can't touch. That voice, call it intuition, divine guidance, or desperation, helped me pull myself together. I started getting up early, walking my dogs, applying for jobs… anddd still continue drinking, because why not? I was working hard. That was my routine for two weeks—until I got hired at a furniture store. Which I feel like only happened because the office manager passed away. Not the best part of the story, but coincidence? I think the higher ups gave the store some plants, I brought them home when we shut down for COVID. Who was going to take care of them?? I can happily report that I still have some of the plans. Two different kinds survived, and they are doing well! A reminder of that time of my life, but also to remember the person that passed away, and where my journey started.

At the corporate furniture store is where I met a great friend who changed everything. She was energetic, bold, and outgoing. I wanted to be her friend the moment we met. She invited me to work out, and I said yes! Free classes? I'm in! She ended up not showing up 😅 But I did, and I kept going. Day after day, I showed up. Quickly I became obsessed. Fitness became my new addiction. Eating healthy, working out, etc., it became my identity. Was it toxic? A little. I dropped from 130lbs to 100lbs in a few months. When I saw that number on the scale, I realized something was wrong. I had become so addicted to working out, that I wasn’t properly nourishing my body. It was also an escape to not face what was going on at home. I was ignoring the truth. Remember my husband, well he became my ex-husband a year or so after moving to Savannah. We both tried, but it wasn’t enough to hold us together, he was my high school love.

Fast-forward to a few months later, I shifted my mindset around fitness. I started focusing on nutrition and learning what actually worked for me. I had a new roommate, started reading more personal growth books, started dating, etc., life seemed to be falling into place little by little. I would pay more attention to my words, my attitudes, my actions, I even started going to therapy, the whole health class 101 journey! Then, a new relationship came. This one was a lesson. Left me almost in pieces, if I’m being transparent. This type of love was the one that also every women seems to have at some point in their lives. The Intense Love, this is usually the one that turns our world upside down. I found myself asking, “Who am I?” and “Why me.” And “Is it me???” became my new identity. So I went deeper and deeper into my spiritual journey. More books, more therapy, new podcast! I allowed my body to feel, I learned everything I could about emotions, back to health class 101. Mind you, this all happened from 2020-2023.

There was something still missing from all the lessons and education trips. I realized that no matter how healthy I ate, how many days I worked out, which motivational podcasts I listened to, what I read at night, the lesson I was still failing was love. I didn’t know how to love myself. That part was hard, sometimes, it still is. But now, I can say that I love myself wayyyy more than I did before. How? I took a crash course on emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is crucial. I didn’t grow up in a household where we talked about emotions, let alone how to deal with them. I spent a lot of time trying to “fix” myself, trying to “find” happiness. I remember talking about this with my therapist over several sessions. I can’t even recall my diagnosis—but I do remember her saying that happiness is not something you find, it’s something you choose. I made the decision shortly after that to lean into my spiritual side and grow with God. I stopped going to therapy only because I was ready practice trusting my intuition, and actually putting in the work. Should you stop going to therapy? I don’t know. That's a decision that will come within. Be smart about it. Counseling is amazing, It helps you see what you cannot. I helped me so much!

Come to find out, hi I'm the problem.. Shocking to me too. I knowww! I was the common denominator in most of my struggles. Not the ex, not the job, not the toxic situations—me. Once I accepted that, everything shifted. I realized that if I didn’t pay attention to my thoughts, my environment, my habits, or my inner dialogue, I was going to stay stuck in the same patterns. The same Edith from 2020. Or worse, child Edith, still influenced by beliefs I didn’t know were shaping me.

If you’ve read this far, thank you. I know it was a lot. This is the story that brought me to holistic health. Let's go back to the beginning, holistic health is an approach to well-being that considers all aspects of a person’s life—physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual. I LOVE talking about wellness. I love hearing different perspectives and exploring different ways of living. Is there room for improvement? Absofreakinglutely, we are always evolving. The more I learn, the more I realize that I don’t know anything.

Now I live my life in a holistic way — spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and social. Everything is connected, we are ALL connected.

Stay tuned to read more on other topics like, relationships, finances, anxiety, letting go, meditation, workouts, and so much more!

With all my love,

Edith 💌