by: Dr.Mark B. Lumpkin A long long time ago when the Earth was pristine and whole humanity was respectful of sacred divinity in all aspects because there was a dynamic equilibrium of diversity for the experience of all life. The rhythms of nature were observed and honored as the very fabric of each life depended upon how they interlaced. Intent, energy, and actions followed and flowed for the good of all because the ancients knew and understood the cosmic laws of attraction and Spirit within the quantum field of the eternal return.
Breath and water are the two essential factors of life everything else comes as additional details and luxuries along the way. All beings prefer comfort vs. pain – physically, psychologically, and spiritually humans move toward what ‘feels’ better when given a choice. The process of becoming empowered and conscious is an ongoing trajectory ideally leading toward vitality and growth. A key component of ‘Spa’ is water which mirrors the human body that is mostly fluid and ever adapting. Water touches every aspect of existence and is a constant reminder of the confluence of spirit, matter, and movement that flows and gives nourishment to the body and soul.
Ancients knew the profound healing properties of water, light, and movement thus incorporated those key elements around therapeutic rituals. Eventually, Temples were constructed to facilitate regional wellness supporting travelers and local communities alike. Nathan Altman describes the importance of water and all its related spa activities in Healing Springs: The Ultimate Guide to Taking the Waters. Rochester, VT. Healing Arts Press, 2000:
One of the most important activities that takes place at the traditional spa is balneotherapy, a natural approach to health and healing that uses hot spring water, gases, mud, and climate factors (such as heat) as therapeutic elements. In addition to bathing, modalities such as hydrotherapy, mud therapy, physical therapy, massage, steam baths, physical exercises, inhalation of water vapor, and drinking mineral water are often used as part of a complex therapy for both health preservation and treating disease (18).
The very foundations of health and wellness are clean water and air for they support food growth, production, nutritional values, and the quality of each breath. As water based agricultural industries developed and modernized, they became multibillion dollar global conglomerates. They have continued to maximize profit for what seems like a ‘return’ in the immediate now or short term gain. Yet, there are numerous lengthy costs associated with the regular and regulatory ‘clean up’ from the poisonous short sighted masculine gaze for profit as primary concern. Corporate accomplishment is usually placed over environmental concern, long term financial viability or compassionate care within numerous industries and governments which is no longer a sustainable or appropriate approach to business or business as usual.
Clean water is a necessity for life and the modern manufacturing process of most goods and food. Many people have easy access to clean clear water for basic necessities and even recreational use without concern for cost or availability while many globally do not. Within the multibillion dollar global industry of manufacturing products for ‘beauty, health and wellness’ there is a silent hidden shadow of styrene leeching into water and products from plastic containers. These chemical compositions are affecting the human bloodstream and subtle fluids of neuromuscular fascia which no one is addressing. This salient issue flowing through modern life continues to link petrochemicals to our constant digital addictions of marketing and metrics.
Should expensive, organic, green, local ingredients expertly marketed and expensively packaged be placed into perfect plastic containers for increased profit margins? What about alternative packaging or global recycling initiatives for planetary health? There is an amazing immediate need of critical appropriate thought, leadership, focus, and research within the Spa, Wellness and Fitness industry for numerous topics of sustainability and genuine educational development as we face a new global paradigm of ‘normal.’ It is now essential to have webinars and deeply engaged serious conversations that include Epidemiologists, Medical Doctors, Legal Experts, Philosophers, Bioethicists, Osteopaths, Licensure Boards, Educational Institutions, Spa Directors, Providers and Support Staff.
The sacred divine feminine aspects of care and compassionate wellness have been pushed aside by the toxic masculine paradigm that only cares for its own development, aggrandizement, and profit. Health and wellness should extend to all of humanity as the essential platform of daily existence instead of being marketed and offered as a ‘luxury service’ to those who can afford to pay for it or willfully demand it. The standard luxury paradigm of pandering to demanding insistent guests is coming unraveled because it is no longer sustainable, bearable, or ecologically appropriate within the given circumstances of international recalibration.
Within the new global arena of pathogens, pandemics, and possibilities wellness systems must focus on holistic integrated healthcare and the ‘whole’ picture for all of humanity. We as a global industry and economic powerhouse are not focusing on appropriate health, wellbeing or development because we have been driven and directed to produce unsustainable profits for an insatiable corporate system that constantly consumes and demands resources with little care for those on the front lines of engagement. This old abusive corporate paradigm depletes and debases the most important personnel within the workforce who are engaged on the front lines of authentic compassionate support on multiple levels of business.
Associates endure the demeaning criticism and reckless corporate chaos of those at the very top of business structures and departments for more revenue to drive a dying economic engine. Staff are pushed with minimal educational support or resources while service prices and insolent client’s expectations constantly rise. Financial margins have been the relentless axis and circumference of the modern toxic masculine paradigm which revolves around P&L statements to drive their economic kingdoms. Corporate mission statements for most executives
lists their ‘responsibility’ to produce profit for shareholders; not their responsibility toward the wellness, health or protection of those they supposedly manage or the precious earth they inhabit. An overview of the patriarchal structures we have endured and suffered is outlined by Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette in The Warrior Within: Assessing the Knight in the Male Psyche:
Typically a small minority of underdeveloped males at the top of the social pyramid will control power and wealth to the exclusion of all others, male and female. They rank these others in descending order of usefulness to themselves and defend against them with all force of their inflated self-regard. Patriarchy is therefore a manifestation of the infantile grandiosity suffered by its leaders. (4)
‘Wellness’ and the history of wellness is not new or newly developed; it has been the foundation of human existence and the ideal goal of each human to find balance and harmony within their external landscape and internal universe. The primary sacred feminine aspects of compassion and pure potentiality are at the heart of embodied care and concern which creates the energetic vessel allowing for healing, regeneration. This quantum energetic container has been perceived as ‘magical’ which is why the limited linear masculine ego fears and condemns it. The narrow masculine egoic archetype has monetized this energy in order to maintain control over what it does not understand and cannot integrate into restrictive psychological structures. Balanced profit and the stewarding of resources are indeed appropriate functions of the mature integrated masculine archetype however, this is not the case within most current business or government structures.
Many women have also been forced to adopt an unbalanced toxic masculine perspective of pride, profit and power before personal integrity in order to simply survive within a very harsh corporate landscape. These debilitating adaptations have been forced through very challenging times and there needs to be greater discernment, professional boundaries, and restrictions for those who knowingly place their own personal gain above and beyond those they are responsible to manage and serve. The ability to live within the creative and dynamic flow of the quantum universe so all aspects of energy, psyche, spirit, and material abundance are respected and harmonized for the greater good of all beings is the remembrance of ancient wisdom respected and revisioned.
The timeless verdant lands of healing and wellness have slowly been flooded by the ever increasing constant desire for exponential profit and improvements at all costs in the name of progress, consumer luxury, and egoic overindulgence. This corrupt and overtly monetized Western masculine paradigm must be redirected, repurposed and reformulated for the benefit of all staff, managers, guests, and Mother Earth. Health and wellness should always be the standard of care for all humans globally no matter the region, religion, country, identity, or continent. Spa is no longer ‘Sanus per Aquam’ including a healthy dose of movement, light and considerate human touch ~ Spa can no longer represent the unfortunate example of shadow, profit, and achievement.
Sincere Healers, Therapists, Counselors, Trainers, Sensitives, Shamans, Yogi’s, Seers, Card Readers, Poets, Artists, Acupuncturist, Rolfers, Etc. ~ Call them or Call Us what you like ~ it is time to rightfully step forward again and be seen, heard, valued, and openly integrated into the health care fields for the amazing gifts we bestow to humanity. Reimagining and reclaiming the sacred embodied healing arts to the forefront of health, wellness, and fitness is how we can all move forward and apply these magnificent gifts to the future of humanity. Creating a new vibrant paradigm of comprehensive health care based in energetic integrity and consistent respect for global resources must come first and foremost before personal or corporate profit margins.
The Spa, Wellness, Fitness, Resort industry has an obligation to make fundamental changes to internal structures, so all staff are valued, suitably compensated, well educated, mentored and stewarded toward a greater sense of personal excellence. Dreaming and designing the new global paradigm of Spa, Wellness, Fitness, Resort properties must come from those on the front lines of the service industry. This crucial task can no longer be assigned to oblivious corporate designers or buyers, mythic headhunters, detached consultants, and uneducated corporate officers who are removed for the reality of authentic healing work. In ancient times all the accompanying resources and rooms were developed around the Spa facility itself ~ IE Spa / Wellness is the central component for healing and rejuvenation, everything is then constructed to support those core services and values. Cradle to Cradle Design can help lead the way for new properties along with sustainable solar, wind, wave, hydroponic and recycling technology setting the foundations for the Spa industry to be primary leader in property development and innovation.
The sacred goal can be in sight again for a brilliant new integrated approach of global healthcare and wellness for all. We are within the terminal velocity and final trajectory of a dying fatal paradigm that puts profit and greed before human decency and compassion. Reasonable profits and conditions can support, build and reimagine a new “Global Spa Industry” creating the frontlines of essential infrastructure and sustainable technology as the driving force of economic prosperity. This visionary process must integrate Mother Earth and all natural resources while devoting green technology as the primary foundation for all business globally. Returning the Earth and all her inhabitants to an essential state of equilibrium and reverent wellness is the sacred path in front of humanity. This is the ultimate process of mythopoesis ~ the making and creating of a new multifaceted luminous global community of therapists, healers, businesses and infrastructure that will support and honor the balanced wisdom of all life within the cosmic quantum field.
You are the divine calendar where all destinies are written ~
The ocean of mercy where all faults are washed clean.
Rumi ~
