Defining Healthy

Dear Patient,

You get to decide what “healthy” means to you. If you’re not careful, people will try to define it for you. Some, like healthcare providers, will likely have your best interest in mind. Others may not. 

Society can have a very narrow vision of what a “healthy person” looks like, how they act, the things they consume, their work, their family structure. This is not only unnecessarily strict and ultimately harmful, it is also a failure of the imagination. “Healthy” isn’t a series of checkboxes; it’s a dynamic process that ebbs and flows, ever changing.

Advertisers, influencers and the like don’t truly want you to be healthy. They want you to feel bad about yourself so you’ll in turn buy something in an attempt to feel less bad about yourself. “Healthy” isn’t a goal to them; it’s a game. Don’t let them win. You get to be healthy on your own terms.

Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist