January 2021

Dear Kaibigan/Friend,

What is ‘wellness’ you ask? What’s involved? I describe wellness as an active life process oriented toward your optimal health. A process in which body, mind, and spirit are integrated by you to live more fully within the human and natural community. Wellness is also an outcome of that process.

Filipinos and other AAPI cultures do not openly talk about emotional and mental health-related issues and wellness. Perhaps your culture also prescribes to this mentality so you can relate. I grew up amongst brilliant medical professionals, like many Filipinx, and I cannot recall a time when an adult in my family talked to me about ‘wellness’. I first came across the word while in graduate school and questioned the validity of the concept. I realize now that the closest Tagalog word to the term wellness is ‘kabutihan’. My family did mention here and there prevention and treatment through exercise, diet, and medication. At the same time, my family did not constantly check in with me about my kabutihan, unless my school grades were less than straight A’s and when I was seen as not being productive enough. I would be asked in those moments, “What’s going on with you?”. Even in those times of deficiency in the eyes of my hardworking parents and relatives, they focused on behaviors related to academics and the family’s well-being. They certainly did not inquire about how I was doing in terms of my relationship with them, relatives, friends and our community members or even more, how I was coping with living in the USA and getting acquainted with the “Americans”. A holistic curiosity and interest in the different aspects of my life was not a practice I experienced. My Filipino culture and family taught me that physical health was important, taking care of others (family and the community) was also valuable, and success through hard work and high achievement a necessity for survival, especially as an immigrant.

Roots of wellness may be traced back to the teachings of Aesculapias’ two daughters, the ancient Greek God of healing. The eldest daughter, Panacea, believed that treating existing illness was the way to promote healing. The second, Hygeia, believed that teaching positive ways of living to help prevent illness was crucial. I say that my Filipino family agreed with Panacea at the outset and, over time, adopted Hygeia’s thoughts as medical research began to generate validity of prevention measures. Still, my individual kabutihan was not the priority. This is not a criticism of my culture or family. This is a reflection I made later in life and an appreciation that Filipinos, like many BIPOC communities, do not think primarily about the individual. Rather, they focus on the wellness of their community. The individual is valued partly on how they contribute to their community’s health and wellbeing.

Statistics indicate that more than half of all causes of death in the United States are due to lifestyle factors that can be modified through conscious choices. What does this mean for you? Well, you can opt to purely treat your symptoms and ailments when they are already apparent, such as pain and distress or you can opt to add a holistic approach and include what Hygeia advocated for, positive ways of living. How so? The Giving Well is a resource for you to engage in and participate in your unique active way-of-life process, your wellness. We are not a substitute nor a source for medical and psychiatric advice and treatment. However, this is a space that allows you to explore your wellness through experiential activities that aim to nourish a harmonized wellness throughout your lifespan. Our various offerings in this platform are meant to be indulged privately at your own pace, amongst members of The Giving Well, or with those in your circle of family and friends.

It is important to us that your wellness process incorporates wellness through Community, Culture and Discovery. We know that meaningful family and community ties enhance one’s wellbeing and sense of belonging in this harsh world. We respect the multi-culturism of your individuality, and simultaneously support your heritage and the ties to your family and community. We want your individual kabutihan to be strong so that you can continue to contribute to your family and community with compassion, energy, and creativity.

Keeping in the Philippine traditional greeting of “long live” …Mabuhay!

Angel, on behalf of The Giving Well