The past couple of weeks, we have been learning about Integral Theory and its applications to health. 

We learned that there are four quadrants in this model – and that each has a unique perspective that contributes to understanding the whole.  As you may remember, individuals (and disciplines) usually view the world through one or two perspectives. However, a more complete understanding is gained by attempting to see the bigger picture and understand the value of all perspectives.

This week, I would like to suggest concrete ways to apply integral theory to your own health.  Let’s explore the assumptions and recommendations from each perspective in order that you may craft a holistic approach to your own health.

Upper Right Quadrant – What I Do

Health in this quadrant is defined by what is measurable – this is the quadrant from which many in the health care fields operate. 

For that reason, the recommendations from this perspective will sound very familiar:
~ enjoy plenty of activity
~ eat wholesome foods
~ avoid tobacco and second-hand smoke
~ get 7-9 hours of sleep every night

Upper Left Quadrant - What I Experience

In this quadrant, health is defined by one’s subjective experiences.  This is often the preferred perspective of those who emphasize psychological and spiritual health. 

Ways to improve your health would include any activities that create joy, love and satisfaction, including suggestions to improve mood, manage stress, and improve self-image.

These topics can be addressed through therapy (usually psychoanalysis), journaling, stress management techniques, meditation, and visualization exercises - to name just a few.

Lower Left Quadrant – What We Experience

In the lower left quadrant, the approach to improving health looks to the shifting of cultural values. 

To create health, we work to instill a sense of the importance of preventative health.  Alternatively, we may try to change the perspective that “thinness = health” in favor of an attitude that seeks to improve the health of all through a behavioral focus.

Lower Right Quadrant – What We Do

This quadrant assesses those observable aspects of our communal life.  Those who promote health from this perspective would emphasize the impact of economic and social systems. 

Improving health means reducing poverty, decreasing pollution and its risks, and improving access to health-promoting goods and services such as safe neighborhoods, affordable health care and accessible nutritious foods. 

To do your part to affect these systems, you could write to your government representatives with your thoughts, make efforts to reduce your own pollution and carbon footprint, donate to charity or start your own, etc.

Integral Health

Looking at these four perspectives can be enlightening.  We don’t need to choose our favorite quadrant and view the world from that perspective only. 

We can recognize the ‘truth’ in the various approaches and look for ways to blend them into our own lives.  We can recognize that health is about the measurable stuff – blood pressure, lab values, minutes of exercise – but it is also about so much more. 

Health is also determined, for instance, by our subjective experiences, our joy or our despair.  In addition, health is the result of our culture’s values and beliefs.  What we believe as a culture can negatively or positively impact health.  If our social group values healthy living, it will be easier for us to engage in those behaviors. 

Finally, what our society does – whether it provides universal health care or fails to regulate polluters – also has a significant impact on our health. 

The integral approach can help us stop the battles over which perspective is right – or more important.  As individuals we can begin to see the interplay between the quadrants and how each is integral to the whole.  With this knowledge we can work to improve our own health, the health of our family and work toward improving the health of our society, too.

What are you doing to improve health - yours and our society’s? Which quadrants do those efforts fall into? I’d love to hear your thoughts on Integral Health and how it’s affected your understanding of health and life?

Sara Armstrong is the owner of Zoi Wellness Consulting. In addition to wellness coaching, Sara specializes in health education seminars, diabetes prevention and management, Health for EVERY Body, and worksite wellness design. You can email Sara for a free wellness consultation at sara@zoiconsulting.com.