The Western World

Western World Wellness

Much of the culture surrounding the modern health and wellness industry has its foundations in Eastern philosophy, Eastern medicine, and Eastern mysticism.

But Western culture also has much to offer.

Western World Wellness is a holistic approach to health and wellbeing rooted in Western history, committed to maximising human potential, its its foundations in Western philosophy, Western medicine, and Western mysticism.

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INTRODUCTION

For 5000 years (and probably for thousands more years before that) a continuous unbroken thread of spiritual thought has been running through all human culture.

Beginning in oral tradition, poems, stories, songs and ritualistic practices have been passed down across the generations, teaching and reteaching, discovering and refining, the lessons that need to be learned in order for us to live the best possible way.

Wellness is defined by the World Health Organisation as:

“A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.”

But living a full and successful life is not just about the happiness and health of the individual. It’s about how our own well-being is connected and constrained by everything around us. Our family, our culture, our environment, our society, our world.

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Ancient cultures understood the importance of living according to carefully determined laws and aligning themselves with the patterns they saw in the outworking of the world around them. They knew that when human beings take a deliberate and systematic approach to their daily living, they not only see benefits in their own physical, mental, and emotional health, but in the well-being of everything that they are connected to.

By the trial and error of many generations and the collaboration, critical reflection, and deep insight of the most wise and learned figures of our collective ancestry, the most enduring and engaging elements of human culture have driven us to not only survive on this planet, but thrive as an impactful and creative global force.

Around 2000 years ago, one man sought to collect the accumulated spiritual wisdom of the oral traditions into a series of written texts.

Krishna Dvaipayana, the son of an Indian sage broke this knowledge down in a series of books known as the Vedas. These books, written in Sanskrit, contain Incantations known as mantras, sayings, stories, directions for rituals, descriptions of how the universe is arranged and humanity’s place in the order of things.

Veda means “knowledge” and Krishna Dvaipayana is known as Veda Vyasa,

"the one who breaks down the knowledge”.

Along with the Vedas, other texts written by Veda Vyasa describe diet and exercise interventions, focussing on stretching, balancing and moving between certain positions, meditation and repetition of mantras, eating according to your constitution, and breath control. These practices form part of the religious and cultural identity of the East. The Vedas are the core texts of the Hindu religion and heavily influence other Eastern religions such as Sikhism and Buddhism.

While these traditions were developing in the East, the Western World was in the process of building its own cultural identity.

Northern European history is actually very much intertwined with the history of the East.

Nothing happens completely independently of the rest of the world as everything is ultimately connected to everything else.

But the idea of “The Western World” as a distinct cultural place is less a fact of historical events and more a narrative that pulls together a few selected events in the history of the development of European culture to build a cohesive vision of the world that still holds today.

The West is not a place exactly but a STORY and an IDENTITY, and as with any story, some parts get left in, and some parts get left out.

You can’t write a story about every side character and sub-plot. We focus on the most important parts of the narrative.

There is a continuous thread that ties our history together and builds upon itself across the generations just like the oral traditions of the East.

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ANCIENT GREECE

We begin our story in Ancient Greece...

Like almost all countries at the time, the Greece of antiquity was not a unified nation with defined borders and a single government, but a loose confederacy of distinct city states, each with their own identity and culture.

The Athenians from the city of Athens: home of debating philosophers and the beginnings of democratic rule,

The Spartans from the city of Sparta: known for their well trained warriors and plain speaking,

Corinthians from the city of Corinth: famous for their wealth gained from trade that went through the two major ports under their control.

and MANY others, each contributing to a broader Greek identity.

Sometimes these city states fought each other.

Sometimes they cooperated.

But each state proudly celebrated their identity and considered themselves free to choose their own actions and make their own mistakes, facing the consequences of their deeds honourably.

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While the Greek city states did not worship a single ruler, each respected universal principles that held the states together in an organic balance.

To live well, to respect and pursue excellence, and to face ones fate - whatever it may be - with honour and zeal.

To the Greeks, this was LAW.

Principles for living that were obvious and universal. And the greatest and clearest glorification of these principles was in a grand event, held every four years in a small town in the south west of Greece called Olympia.

This event is now known to us as The Olympic Games and during this one event, people from all over Greece came together to celebrate, as men from each of the city states competed in running races, javelin and discus throwing contests, and other feats of strength, stamina, and skill.

In the lead up to the games, a so-called “Olympic Truce” was agreed and all fighting was put on hold so that athletes could travel between the city states in safety.

When the athletes competed and trained they were naked, both for practical purposes, exercising the heat, and also to display their idealistic athletic bodies.

The Greek word for naked is “gymnos"

and this word is the basis the word Gymnasion.

In Ancient Greece, a GymnasiOn was a school for young men. The forerunner of our modern gyms. In the GymnasiOn, athletes would train naked and learn from wise philosophers.

The renowned philosopher Socrates, taught at one of these schools in Athens.

Socrates was famous for asking questions. Even though he was very intelligent, rather than trying to look clever, Socrates actually tried to look stupid. He asked questions as if he was a beginner, exposing his ignorance and foolishness.

Instead of assuming he knew everything, Socrates assumed he knew nothing and kept asking questions. He was prepared to be wrong in order to discover the right answers. This way of discovering knew knowledge is known as The Socratic Method, named after Socrates.

We know about Socrates because of a student of his, named Plato, who wrote many books where Socrates was the main character. As well as telling us about Socrates, Plato introduced to us the idea of an ultimate place where the perfected versions of all things exist. He believed that our world is only a shadow and a foretaste of the perfect world that could be.

Through daily action and attention we can bring our world closer to this ideal form.

In 480 BC, The Emperor Xerxes commanded the largest army that had ever been brought together. The Persian army was an army of armies, with all the major Eastern nations, each with their own cultures and languages, all bowing to one man: Xerxes the Great. With this vast and diverse army, Xerxes began travelling from the East, to the West, seeking to swallow all people into his all-encompassing Empire of many cultures and races. Until he came to Greece.

The Ancient Greek storyteller Herodotus wrote about this in his book on the Persian Wars. In the story, Xerxes speaks to Demaratus, a Greek king who was exiled from his home and ended up fighting in the Persian army…

"Demaratus, it is my pleasure at this time to ask thee certain things which I wish to know.

Thou art a Greek, and, as I hear from the other Greeks with whom I converse, no less than from thine own lips, thou art a native of a city which is not the meanest or the weakest in their land.

Tell me, therefore, what thinkest thou?

Will the Greeks lift a hand against us?

Mine own judgment is, that even if all the Greeks and all the barbarians of the West were gathered together in one place, they would not be able to abide my onset, not being really of one mind. But I would fain know what thou thinkest hereon.”

Demartus responds …

"Want has at all times been a fellow-dweller with us in our land,

while Valour is an ally whom we have gained by dint of wisdom and strict laws.

Her aid enables us to drive out want and escape thraldom … come what may, they will never accept thy terms, which would reduce Greece to slavery; and further, they are sure to join battle with thee …

if a thousand of them should take the field, they will meet thee in battle, and so will any number, be it less than this, or be it more.”

When Xerxes heard this response, he laughed and answered,

"What wild words, Demaratus! A thousand men join battle with such an army as this!

Come then, wilt thou - who wert once, as thou sayest, their king - engage to fight this very day with ten men?

I think not! ...

If each one of them be a match for ten of my soldiers, I may well call upon thee to be a match for twenty. So wouldest thou assure the truth of what thou hast now said.

But if you Greeks, who vaunt yourselves so much, are in truth men like those whom I have seen about my court, as thyself, Demaratus, and the others with whom I am wont to converse - if, I say, you are really men of this sort and size, how is the speech that thou hast uttered more than a mere empty boast?

For, to go to the very verge of likelihood - how could a thousand men, or ten thousand, or even fifty thousand, particularly if they were all alike free, and not under one lord - how could such a force, I say, stand against an army like mine?

Let them be five thousand, and we shall have more than a thousand men to each one of theirs.

If, indeed, like our troops, they had a single master, their fear of him might make them courageous beyond their natural bent;

or they might be urged by lashes against an enemy which far outnumbered them.

But left to their own free choice, assuredly they will act differently.

For mine own part, I believe, that if the Greeks had to contend with the Persians only, and the numbers were equal on both sides, the Greeks would find it hard to stand their ground.”

Demaratus answered,

"For mine own self, I pretend not to cope with ten men, nor with two - nay, had I the choice, I would rather not fight even with one.

But, if need appeared, or if there were any great cause urging me on, I would contend with right good will against one of those persons who boast themselves a match for any three Greeks.

So likewise the Greeks, when they fight singly, are as good men as any in the world, and when they fight in a body, are the bravest of all. For though they be free-men, they are not in all respects free; the Law is the master whom they own; and this master they fear more than thy subjects fear thee.

Whatever he commands they do; and his commandment is always the same: it forbids them to flee in battle, whatever the number of their foes, and requires them to stand firm, and either to conquer or die. If in these words, O king! I seem to thee to speak foolishly, I am content from this time forward evermore to hold my peace…

Xerxes, I pray that all may turn out according to thy wishes.”

And Xerxes was not angry with him at all, but only laughed, and sent him away with words of kindness.

All over the Greek world, People loved these stories and teachings, and along with others, they formed the basis of the Greek identity.

A narrative that people could witness, learn, and then participate in, embodying the principles that would bring them together organically, while tying them to a heritage of athletes, warriors, heroes, philosophers and kings.

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THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Eventually, Greece was taken over by the Roman Empire, but this story did not die.

In fact, the infrastructure and connectedness of the Roman Empire meant that these legends would be spread to all parts of the known world as people continued retelling these ancient stories and benefitting from living according to the ideals that they communicated.

At the height of the Roman Empire, the most famous and significant historical figure of the Western World was born. A craftsman named Jesus, from a small town in the north of Judea, a particularly unruly part of the Roman Empire.

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What made this seemingly insignificant man so important was that he was the incarnation and the embodiment of the eternal Son of God.

The very identity of God Himself was glorified and alive in this man.

The ultimate form of goodness, perfectly embodied.

At the age of 30, Jesus began teaching a small group of friends that in order to know God, they must look to him and follow what he does.

And what did Jesus do ... ?

Unlike the unruly Judaean rebels who sought to defeat the invading Roman Empire in battle and revolution,

Jesus did not fight, but acted compassionately, loved is enemies, included the marginalised, spoke the truth, healed the sick, and fed the poor, encouraging others to do the same.

These acts gained him a following that made the local authorities suspicious and nervous. And when he was eventually accused of blasphemy and insurrection, though he had done nothing wrong, he took the blame, took the punishment and was put to death.

But through all of this, he never avoided his responsibility and never stopped doing the right thing.

There’s much more to the story than that, but the news of Jesus the Son of God was spread throughout the Roman Empire and was lived out and embodied by his followers, known as Christians, as they went through suffering without turning away from goodness.

And as this following grew, it eventually lead to a Christian becoming the leader of the Roman Empire, winning over the powers that once sentenced Jesus to death.

Eusebius, an ancient historian, famous for writing about the early church, tells the story of how the Christian leader Constantine, defeated the tyrannical Emperor Maxentius and took his place to become Emperor of Rome.

He begins by describing the cruelty of Emperor Maxentius …

"The crowning point of the tyrant's wickedness was ... for magical purposes, tearing apart pregnant women, at other times searching into the bowels of new-born infants … it is impossible to describe the manifold acts of oppression by which this tyrant of Rome enslaved his subjects: so that by this time they were reduced to the most extreme penury and want of necessary food, a scarcity such as our contemporaries do not remember ever before to have existed at Rome.

Constantine, however, filled with compassion on account of all these miseries, began to arm himself with all warlike preparation against the tyranny.

Assuming therefore the Supreme God as his patron, and invoking His Christ to be his preserver and aid, and setting the victorious trophy, the salutary symbol, in front of his soldiers and body- guard, he marched with his whole forces, trying to obtain again for the Romans the freedom they had inherited from their ancestors.

Maxentius, trusting more in his magic arts than in the affection of his subjects, dared not even advance outside the city gates, but had guarded every place and district and city subject to his tyranny, with large bodies of soldiers,

(Constantine), confiding in the help of God, advanced against the first and second and third divisions of the tyrant's forces, defeated them all with ease at the first assault.

When, in his flight before the divinely-aided forces of Constantine, (Maxentius) essayed to cross the river which lay in his way, under divine direction, giving way unexpectedly before the appointed time, the bridge began to sink, .and the men went bodily to the bottom ... first the wretch himself, then his armed attendants and guards sank as lead in the mighty waters.

Constantine entered the imperial city in triumph.

And here the whole body of the senate, and others of rank and distinction in the city, freed as it were from the restraint of a prison, along with the whole Roman populace, their countenances expressive of the gladness of their hearts, received him with acclamations and abounding joy; men, women, and children, with countless multitudes of servants, greeting him as deliverer, preserver, and benefactor, with incessant shouts.

But he, being possessed of inward piety toward God, was neither rendered arrogant by these plaudits, nor uplifted by the praises he heard: but, being sensible that he had received help from God, he immediately rendered a thanksgiving to him as the Author of his victory."

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THE MIDDLE AGES

The Roman Empire eventually collapsed but the power of the Christian organisation that the Emperor Constantine initially established remained strong, even as The Empire split and new countries fought and formed across Europe. The period of time that followed the fall of Rome is known as the Middle Ages.

This was the age of monks and knights,

The age of castles and cathedrals,

The age of feudal lords and ladies,

And It was also the age of alchemists.

Alchemists came in many forms, but all were explorers and experimenters, curious about the world, working at the edges of understanding and rediscovering ancient esoteric wisdom in order to find its application to the natural world.

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The alchemists of the Middle Ages are probably most famous for their search for the so-called Philosophers' Stone.

Legend tells of this special type of stone - a kind of red sulphur - that, when reacted with dull and cheap and metals like lead would turn the metal into valuable and resplendent gold. Not only this, when ground down into a powder, mixed into water and drunk like a medicine, the philosophers' stone was said to be an elixir that could heal wounds, restore youthfulness and even extend the length ones life far beyond the natural limit.

Though there are reports that the philosophers stone was discovered and manufactured by scholars from the later Middle Ages like Saint Albert the Great and the famous French scribe Nicolas Flamel, no definite records exist of how exactly it can be made or found.

Even though nobody can say what the philosophers' stone really is exactly, the quest for this elusive substance laid the foundation for modern science. In their search for this legendary substance, alchemists from all over Europe would come up with theories, test them out with experiments, share their findings within small circles of similarly minded people, and ultimately, they sought to build an understanding of the world around them from what they were able to discover in examination and endeavour.

But the understanding that the alchemists came to was about much more than a simple desire for easy wealth and long life granted by some fancy magical piece of rock.

More abstractly, the alchemists of the Middle Ages believed that a life of directed action, honest experimentation, and a constant drive for new discovery, would allow them to take the dull, the common, the cheap, the lifeless, and the unwell, and transform them into gold. A long, prosperous, healthy, noble life.

They believed this to be the most important principle of life.

They called it the “Magnum Opus” - the great work.

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THE RENAISSANCE

The Middle Ages ended with a transition into what was called The Renaissance...

During the Middle Ages, society had become incredibly rigid. Aristocratic landowners in command of their own soldiers were able to enjoy a life of luxury and safety while the poor could expect to remain poor for generations, doing manual work. Learning and study was only available to very few people and there were many insurmountable barriers to gaining the knowledge and ability needed to change ones position in life.

In the 15th century, this all changed as the rigid class system became fluid, and those who were at the bottom found real opportunity to rise up. The Renaissance was made possible through greater acceptance and development of the role of trade.

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Like in Ancient Greece, Italy at this time was organised into a relatively stable collection of city states.

Prominent cities like Venice, Florence and Genoa became home to wealthy families like the Medicis and the Borgias who gained their wealth not by taxing those living on their land but through banking and trade.

These wealthy families used their money to fund the education and work of many great thinkers and artists.

Through patronage and apprenticeship, famous names like Michelangelo, Palladio, Galileo, and Leonardo da Vinci were given the money and resources they needed to engage in study and create great work for both private patrons and also for the public benefit.

They built great pieces of architecture and decorated them with meaningful and realistic artwork, making a conscious effort to revive the culture that they read about in books from ancient times: the stories of the ancient greeks, the writings of socrates, plato, and other ancient philosophers, along with stories from the bible, the collected religious texts relating to Jesus, gathered together during the latter part of the Roman Empire.

These stories became even more widely available to the public when German blacksmith Johannes Gutenberg created a printing machine that could reproduce books quickly and cheaply. In the past, a scribe like Nicolas Flamel would have carefully copied out a book by hand. After Gutenberg, letters could be arranged on a page in a few minutes and then reproduced many times in a day. This allowed the translation and rapid spread of information, both new and old, across Europe.

This, combined with rising public prosperity meant that the ability to read these books and learn the lessons in them, was available to more than just the monks and the landowners. The renaissance was, therefore, not confined to the city states of Italy but extended across Europe.

The opportunity to be and do well became available to virtually everyone, so long as they had the courage, the gratitude, the awareness, and the will to take advantage of it.

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AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

As the centuries advanced, European trade and colonisation meant that, where the people of the west were once characterised as dwelling with want and scarcity, they were now accustomed to a much more comfortable way of life.

Luxuries like cotton, coffee, and chocolate, once exotic and expensive, became widely available and a large middle class population had grown off the back of the financial successes of the bankers, merchants, and traders of the Renaissance.

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Education and information that was once considered obscure was now common, and the esoteric practices of the Alchemists - heavy with symbolism and spirituality - were stripped down to a hard, rational science.

As cultural aspirations shifted from the noble and the spiritual, the castles and cathedrals that once stood at the centre of European life were replaced by markets and banks.

With this new-found comfort and confidence, the ancient stories and ideas (which had now been spread all around the world through European expansion and exploration) faced new criticism from an empowered and educated middle class.

The 17th century saw the beginnings of what later became known as the Age of Enlightenment.

During this time, academics and intellectuals believed logic, materialism, rationality, and a scientific skepticism was like a bright lamp that they could hold up to all ideas and problems in order to confirm their validity and discover cogent solutions. In this way their view of the world would be enlightened.

By stripping away superstition, bias, and human judgement, looking only at the arrangement of measurable and replicable facts of matter, new discoveries could be made with objective verifiability, and new systems could be devised with no need to pay regard to the seemingly outmoded guiding principles of the past.

In 1751, French writer Denis Diderot published the first Encyclopedia, a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts. In the introduction he wrote...

"All things must be examined, debated, investigated without exception and without regard for anyone's feelings. We must run roughshod over ancient puerilities, overturn the barriers that reason never erected, give back to the arts and sciences the liberty that is so precious to them. We have for quite some time needed a reasoning age when men would no longer seek the rules in classical authors but in nature.”

This scientific worldview allowed us to strip away human perception from our judgement.

The patterns which the generations before had recognised and lived by were disregarded, and the natural world was observed without consideration of its relation to our subjective experience, or any wider connection in meaning and virtue.

During the Enlightenment, mere practicality and objectivity became the sole motivation of existence. Human beings were understood to be material bodies, and human life became a calculation: maximising happiness and minimising pain.

Adam Smith, a Scottish economist and university lecturer was a prominent figure of the Enlightenment. He is known as the “Father of Economics” for the impact of his influential book, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.

In this book he introduces concepts such as supply and demand and the division of labour.

He also likened relationships of brotherly altruism to the relationship of a pet dog to it’s owner, and rational self-interest as the practical and necessary mode of the successful civilised man.

“Nobody ever saw a dog make a fair and deliberate exchange of one bone for another with another dog.

Nobody ever saw one animal by its gestures and natural cries signify to another, this is mine, that yours; I am willing to give this for that.

When an animal wants to obtain something either of a man or of another animal, it has no other means of persuasion but to gain the favour of those whose service it requires.

A puppy fawns upon its 'dam, and a spaniel endeavours by a thousand attractions to engage the attention of its master who is at dinner, when it wants to be fed by him.

Man sometimes uses the same arts with his brethren, and when he has no other means of engaging them to act according to his inclinations, endeavours by every servile and fawning attention to obtain their good will.

He has not time, however, to do this upon every occasion.

In civilised society he stands at all times in need of the co-operation and assistance of great multitudes, while his whole life is scarce sufficient to gain the friendship of a few persons.

In almost every other race of animals each individual, when it is grown up to maturity, is entirely independent, and in its natural state has occasion for the assistance of no other living creatures.

But man has almost constant occasion for the help of his brethren, and it is in vain for him to expect it from their benevolence only.

He will be more likely to prevail if he can interest their self-love in his favour, and show them that it is for their own advantage to do for him what he requires of them.

Whoever offers to another a bargain of any kind, proposes to do this.

Give me that which I want, and you shall have this which you want, is the meaning of every such offer; and it is in this manner that we obtain from one another the far greater part of those good offices which we stand in need of.

It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.

We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages. Nobody but a beggar chooses to depend chiefly upon the benevolence of his fellow citizens.”

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INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Scientific skepticism, the testing of theories with experiment, drawing conclusions with rationality, logic, and observable evidence. These methods were applied countless times to the problem of...

maximising happiness

and minimising pain.

Whole industries grew, made up of individuals each making efforts to increase personal comfort and affluence, while also making efforts to relieve their suffering.

In the 1800s, these combined efforts lead up to a turning point known as The Industrial Revolution.

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This was a time where decades of experimenting with tools and contraptions that might replace the need to persuade others to do manual work, finally lead to the invention of great machines that successfully increased the production of food, textiles, and other goods, eliminating the need for human craftsmanship and skill, replacing it with discrete repeating tasks on an endless production line.

The channelling of steam to create power, and then the discovery of oil and invention of the internal combustion engine, meant these production lines could massively increase their output and transport goods over very long distances, making global trade fast and easy.

Scientific testing and experimentation in the medical field meant that the causes of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, and hepatitis, previously responsible for the majority of deaths, could be contained and treated, allowing people to be free from illness and disease.

However, avoiding infection and pursuing comfort, happiness, and wealth, does not seem to have truly lead us towards health.

In the absence of infectious disease, the majority of deaths in the Western World come instead from chronic illness and lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

And the alleviation of physical suffering does not seem to have dampened our capacity for mental and emotional suffering. By suppressing the meaningful stories that have endured for thousands of years in favour of a scientific worldview that has prevailed for less than 500, reducing life to a calculation, Western culture has forgotten the benefits of it’s traditions, and lacks the foundational identity that once held us in organic balance.

While immediate pleasure is easily available, confidence and contentment remain elusive.

As we build civilisation around the pursuit of individual happiness, the connections between us break down and society as a whole fractures.

If wellness is not just about avoiding disease and pain but the well-being of our culture, our environment, our society, we are certainly far away from the ideal form of a perfect world that could be.

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CONCLUSION

In 1961, Halbert Dunn published his book High Level Wellness where he introduced his own definition of Wellness.

He describes it as...

"an integrated method of functioning which is oriented toward maximising the potential of which an individual is capable.

It requires that the individual maintain a continuum of balance and purposeful direction within the environment where they are functioning…

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In using this definition of wellness,” he writes, "I do not wish to imply that there is an optimum level of wellness, but rather that wellness is a direction in progress toward an ever-higher potential of functioning.

Neither do I wish to put a limit on the way or the degree to which the individual is able to function, with respect to particular body parts. Rather, I'd like to imply that it involves the total individual as a personality in all their uniqueness.”

Dunn explains that Wellness requires a holistic approach, addressing mind, body, spirit, and also community and environment.

The internal

and the external,
The material and the measurable,
but also the immaterial and the potential.

The ideas that Halbert Dunn presented took hold in America in the 1970s as medical physicians sought to promote health and wellness, rather than just treat illness. In 1975, Doctor John Travis opened the the Wellness Resource Center in California where self-directed, pre-emptive approaches like healthy lifestyle choices, regular exercise, time spent in nature and with loved ones as well as time focussing on mental and emotional health, were generally preferred over the treatment of disease symptoms with drugs.

As these approaches to wellness became more popular, people began to see the benefits of a holistic approach to health, promoting lifestyle changes and preventing sickness by pursuing well-being rather than merely reacting to symptoms after they emerge.

Human beings are designed to thrive in scarcity, overcome challenges, develop complimentary relationships and grow ever greater into their potential, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

A life of self-interest and material comfort does not serve these needs and therefore does not lead to a life of health and wellness.

But, with the stories of the west suppressed and discounted by influencers of the Enlightenment, and so much confidence put into the fixed and inherent natures of the observable material world, with no regard paid to the meaningfulness of human perception and feeling,

people struggled to find a way to start integrating an approach to well-being that takes into account the hidden and the immaterial aspects of human existence found in ancient spiritual wisdom that was once passed down through generations and embodied in everyday life.

In search of an effective way to live well and grow beyond the materialism in western culture, people turned to the ancient writings of Veda Vyasa and the practices of the east where the thread of spiritual thought was never cut off in popular culture.

In California, developing out of the popularity of John Travis' Wellness Resource Center, the culture of wellness evolved to include yoga, meditation, an understanding of the cycles of life, the need for stillness, regular physical practice and ritual, objects and movements that carry meaning and connect individuals to a heritage and a legacy by embodying the patterns of the world as well as connecting them to a community.

The discovery of a scientific understanding of the world, removing meaningfulness and human discernment from things in order to observe and measure them as they are materially, has afforded tremendous advancement in knowledge and innovation, experimenting with precision and removing guesswork, conjecture and bias from our judgement.

But something is lost when all else is forgotten.

We don’t need to go backwards to the past where infectious disease, rigid class structures, and fighting between city-states were the norm.

But spiritual wisdom needs to be joined to our scientific understanding in order to transform ourselves and our world into something greater.

We need to discover an identity that motivates us to thrive in challenges and grow into our potential.

Today, “wellness” is a buzzword in an industry that has become cynically commercialised and performative.

A word that can be attached to anything in order to sell more stuff to more people, by promising a taste of shallow happiness.

But Western World Wellness promises something deeper.

Western World Wellness is about being part of a heritage and a legacy that spans throughout time.

A continuous unbroken thread of spiritual thought that is threatening to break unless we continue in its traditions and bring them to being by the ways we live our lives.

Western World Wellness is about being prepared to be wrong in order to discover the right answers.

Knowing that exposing ignorance and foolishness is actually the intelligent way to learn.

Being a confident beginner and asking questions rather than trying to look clever, so that as we learn and apply our learning in repeated action, we can bring ourselves closer to the ideal form.

But if we are not willing to look stupid, we will stay exactly as we are.

Western World Wellness is about being free from the fear of enslavement to any human authority; flawed, and prone to misjudgement and pride.

This includes our own ability to direct ourselves, where biases in our decision making, combined with overconfidence in our own judgement can lead to a kind of self enslavement. Which is the hardest kind of slavery to escape because it is hidden, even from those who are enslaved.

Western World Wellness is not just escaping suffering and ignoring the desires and expectations within us.

But willingly entering into suffering in order to achieve those desires. Living a life of directed action, honest experimentation, and a constant drive for new discovery, no matter what it takes, as this is the great work of life.

Western World Wellness is about having the courage, the gratitude, the awareness, and the will to take advantage of opportunities, rising up to change ones position in life.

Western World Wellness is even about holding up the light of logic, rationality, and science to ideas and problems in order to discover solutions.

Rather than just letting things go, Western World Wellness is about bringing things together.

Bringing ourselves together

Bringing our communities together

Bringing our societies together

Bringing the world together.

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APPENDIX

The idea of “Western values” has become a muddy topic recently and it’s often not a helpful term because (for better and for worse) people have lots of different interpretations of what it means to talk about “The West”.

Because of this, I’m making a shift in the way I talk about my own values in health and fitness as using the term “western values” is no longer a helpful framework to communicate what I actually find important and virtuous.

Instead, I want to align the work I do with “Internet Values”

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The term “Internet Values” has been coined by Balaji Srinivasan, one of my favourite outside-the-box thinkers on the ways technology is influencing the course of history.

‘Internet Values’ are not just shaping the tech world but have far-reaching implications for how we live, work, and even train in the gym.

Here is a breakdown of the six main ‘internet values’ that drive smart, hardworking people in their use of the internet and related technologies:

Decentralisation: Shifting authority from from large central institutions to individuals.
Meritocracy: Offering reward according to talent and work and results, not background or connections.
Transparency: Requiring honesty, accountability, and evidence in all dealings.
Open Access: Making information and tools accessible to as many people as possible.
Interoperability: Creating systems and organisations that operate together harmoniously.
Empowerment: Enabling people to take control of their lives in meaningful ways.

These values have grown out of the internet age in the same way that western values grew out of Christendom.

“But what's this got to do with fitness?"

Bear with me …

Imagine a community, maybe even a world, where these aren't just buzzwords but the cornerstones of how we function.

In my own way (starting with the body!) I want to create a place where these values shine through so that everyone gets the chance to reach their potential.

Here’s how we can do that together …

Decentralisation

You can either follow a top-down plan that someone just forces you into whether you like it or not …

or you can take a more bottom-up approach that evolves and adapts to your individual real-world experience and needs.
This is one of the main reasons I have spent the last three years developing software to create workout plans that are based on the inputs of the person that is actually doing the workout.

No two workout plans are exactly the same from start to finish because no two trainees are exactly the same!

By taking this approach, you are going to be far more invested in what you are doing because it's something you have contributed to and made decisions about. You're not just grinding away at a workout plan because you 'should,' you're doing it because it's yours.

All the time, I see fitness programs designed in a way that pays no attention to the particular situation of the individual, giving them no say in how their own plan plays out.

And this isn’t just true for workouts.

Fitness isn’t about following arbitrary rules that have no connection to your personal conditions and situations. I’m here to help get you to where YOU want to be and learn through experience to regain control where you might feel it’s been lost.

When everyone feels like they have ownership, responsibility, and control in their lives, everybody benefits.

Meritocracy

This is about rewarding the right things. We don’t give out treats and privileges to people that don’t put in the work that warrants receiving them.

In a fitness context, it means there's no shortcut, no magic pill, and definitely no overnight transformation. It’s you, putting in the work, seeing the changes in direct correspondence to the consistent application of appropriate action.

Implicit in the value of meritocracy is ‘equality of opportunity’. It's not necessarily about everyone getting the same results, but it is about everyone getting an equal the chance at realising their own goals. This is why I put so much information out there for free.

If you follow the templates and methods outlined on the website you will see results but they will happen according to the work you put in. I am giving you all the tools you need to succeed based on your own merit and effort.

So, if you're up for the grind and willing to put in the work, you will get the rewards!

Transparency

This is vital for a successful fitness journey. Data is your best friend. It provides a clear, unbiased picture of your progress, so there's no room for self-deception or inflated egos.

Being transparent about your goals, efforts, and results means you can trust that there is integrity between what you are saying about yourself and what you are actually doing.

Transparency is more than just being open; it's about using reliable data to guide your actions and decisions. It keeps you honest and accountable, not just to yourself, but to the community you're part of.

The name "Gymnasion" originates from the ancient Greek word 'gymnos,' meaning 'naked.' For me this obviously isn't about nudity, but rather a metaphorical nakedness that aligns perfectly with the value of transparency.

In a space where everything is laid bare, there's no room for deception or false pretences. Your progress, driven by objective data and critical self-assessment, becomes an open book.

Just as ancient Greek athletes trained in the nude to show they had nothing to hide, I encourage a form of openness where everyone is clear about who they really are.

Open Access

I believe that having an “elite” class is a GOOD thing.

The chosen few who get access to the best of the best. However, the 'Open Access' value turns the traditional concept of "elite" on its head. Instead of being an exclusive club, elite status can be made attainable by anyone who chooses to make the climb.

The resources are already available to you and with the inspiration and support from those that have gone before us, all that’s required from you is the initiative to engage with them.

In this 'Open Access' environment, elite status isn’t a birthright or a privilege; it's an aspiration that's entirely within your reach and a position that comes with the responsibility of showing others the way.

Once you embark on this journey, you’re not just benefiting from the collective wisdom, you're adding to it! Your experiences, your struggles, and your victories become waypoints for others.

So, when you hear the term "elite," think not of barriers but of possibilities. The door isn’t locked; it's wide open. All you have to do is step through it and start the journey, turning back to help others who choose the same path.

Interoperability

In tech jargon, interoperability refers to the idea that different systems and platforms can work together seamlessly.

For us that means what you achieve in the gym should amplify your capabilities in other areas of life. The strength you build lifting weights? That should translate into mental clarity, improved focus, and greater courage in your relationships and career.

Think of your body and mind as interconnected platforms.

The gains you make in one area should 'interoperate' with the other areas of your life…

Lifting weights can give you the confidence to take on greater challenges outside the gym.

Adhering to a disciplined diet can cultivate the self-control needed in other pursuits.

You're not just building muscle or losing weight; you're engineering a holistic upgrade to your life.

The idea is to create a synergy, where the total effect of your improvements is greater than the sum of its parts.

You're not just collecting isolated benefits; you're weaving them into a comprehensive tapestry that reinforces itself and benefits you as a whole.

Empowerment

In the grand scheme of your fitness journey, what we're truly chasing is more than a beautiful body, it's about growing in a broader sense of vitality that fuels everything you do.

With each committed effort in the gym or smart dietary choice, you're not just shaping your body; you're sculpting a lifestyle that generates a mindset of prosperity and abundance. A willingness to spend effort, confident that there is always more available. Not just materially but emotionally and mentally as well.

Empowerment is about our collected efforts finding their full expression. It's that felt sense of agency you get when you have confidence in your capability to steer your life in the direction that is best for you and those around you.

Each rep, each meal, each laboured breath is fuelled by this power that you can access by making the decision to put yourself to work.

You just have to be willing to take the next step.

It's not just about the you of today, but the you of tomorrow and the days after. It's a cycle of self-fulfilment that not only has rewards for you for now but also extends beyond you, uplifting those around you, even as you rise.
And the real beauty of all this is this isn't a solo mission.

As you live in this newfound strength, your actions invite others to embark on their own journeys of transformation, multiplying the effects of your efforts.

…

In a world where our lives are increasingly mediated by screens, algorithms, and systems beyond our understanding, adopting these ‘internet values’ can offer a refreshing return to humanity in an age of technology.

Your fitness journey, influenced by these principles, becomes a powerful microcosm of how we can shape a better living environment for ourselves and those around us.

You don't have to be a tech guru to appreciate internet values. They're actually rooted in ancient wisdom that already sits at the foundation of humanity’s greatest past achievements.

Whether you're stepping into a gym for the first time or redefining your fitness goals, these principles offer a framework for not just physical wellness but also the health of our communities both locally and globally, linked by the world wide web.

Human beings are meant to work in harmony with the environment around them,

aligned to the patterns that we see in the world.

When we move away from those patterns we become sick.

Health and wellness is about aligning ourselves with the way human beings really work.

The frameworks I use to train people are built by joining Spiritual Wisdom with Scientific Understanding.

Some is influenced by the East and some is influenced by the West.

But it doesn't matter where you come from, there are patterns to the way human beings work and if you learn these patterns and align yourself to those patterns, you find that things work out better for you in the long run.

If you try and do things differently to those patterns, you slowly destroy yourself.

If you want to learn more about the frameworks I use and the patterns that hold everything together,

click the link below for an introduction to the models I use to raise people up and bring them together.