10 Free Ways to become Healthier
and honor indigenous wisdom
Real health and wellness is not a modern trend. Slow living, being in tune with our bodies, and living in harmony with nature are not new concepts — they are deeply embedded in indigenous cultures and ancestral traditions. This way of life has always existed — valuing the importance of community, sustainability, respect for nature and connection with the Earth. We have just become so disconnected from it through advancements over time that it now feels revolutionary.
Side-bar: I have really been drawn to spending time learning more about the history of and the incredible knowledge and traditional practices that Indigenous Peoples have passed down through generations, so I can better honor their ways of living. A few books I am reading/want to read —
"Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants" – Robin Wall Kimmerer
"An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States" – Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
"As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom Through Radical Resistance" – Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
"Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings for a Sustainable Future" – Melissa K. Nelson
“Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future” - Patty Krawec
Please let me know if you have any recommendations as well.
Real health and wellness directly negates overconsumption. We don’t need more things in order to be healthier or happier. The reality is that health is simple. It is going back to the foundational basics. New age modern advancements may help us to optimize aspects of our health and life — but they are not the solution.
“You are a person not a self-improvement project. It is okay to just live.” - unknown
When we feel like shit — it is really easy to get caught up in feeling like we need all of these extra things in order to fix ourselves to feel better (I have fallen down that rabbit hole over and over again). As humans we seek shortcut ways of doing things and instant gratification. Modern marketing plays into those emotions — making us feel like we are never enough, but maybe we will be if we buy this. But have you ever really felt better long-term after buying something you think will solve all of your problems?
You would not build a house without first laying a strong foundation. Without a solid base, no matter how expensive the materials you add on top, the structure will be weak and unstable. The same goes for health — we can buy all the supplements and products in the world, but if we are not addressing the fundamentals, then they are useless. The more we focus on building on our foundational layer — the healthier we become and the less we need. It starts with going back to the basics — and it’s free.
These 10 pillars are things that I try to practice and remind myself of every single day — so I wanted to share them because they have made a big impact on my life (not all come naturally, but it is a constant work in progress)
10 Free Ways to become Healthier
Listen to your gut
Your body wants to heal. It wants to thrive. It wants the best for you. A lot of noise on the internet causes us to lose trust in our own bodies and mute that voice of intuition.
Symptoms are a signal of our body communicating with us. They are not inherently bad — they are a sign that our body is functioning properly enough to tell us that something is wrong, something is imbalanced. We need to be curious and listen to those signals instead of trying to mute them. We need to build back trust within our minds and bodies. In order for that to work we need to cut out external noise.
Start paying attention to what your body is telling you. Be curious and ask yourself questions. Don’t let external people tell you what is good or bad for you — YOU know your body best. You know what makes you feel good, what brings you energy, what drains your energy — tune in. The answer that we are seeking, no matter what it is, is pretty much always within us.
This requires constant practice and mindset shifting but it is life-changing. Trust yourself and your body.
Create > consume
We’ve lost the beauty in creating — it does not have to be something you are talented in or good at. It does not have to be a skill or something you can make money on — it is about creation, just because.
Mindless consumption numbs the soul. We need to dance more, sing, paint, write and cook. Spend time creating because it fills our cup and brings us joy. Self expression and creation is healing — and you don’t have to be “good” at it for it to be valuable.
If you feel in a creative rut — putting pen to paper is a wonderful way to get out all of your thoughts that may be subconsciously blocking your creative ideas. Journaling is a healing process that lets us release pent up feelings and emotions, it has helped me a lot not only with creativity but also with my internal health issues. Also — consciously creating space to reduce noise and be quiet and still with ourselves is so important.
Rest & digest
Most of our bodies are in a state of chronic fight or flight. It is so important that we prioritize restoring balance to our nervous systems. Remember that we don’t need to always be rushing. It is okay to slow down.
It is said that our nervous system will automatically default to a familiar hell over an unfamiliar heaven. We need to consciously train our nervous systems to heal. A lot of us are addicted to our own stress and suffering — and we need to change that from within. Actively choose a mindset of positivity (gratitude, abundance, joy, forgiveness, empathy, empowerment and accountability) vs. negativity (anger, jealousy, envy, fear, victim mentality)
Do more things daily that allow ourselves to tune out the noise and embrace stillness — deep breathwork, somatic movement, humming/tapping, grounding, walking, spending time in nature, meditation, journaling, resting, doing one thing at a time…
Internal self-talk + perspective change
The way we speak to ourselves and about ourselves becomes our reality. The characteristics we identify with manifest into habits, and our identity.
One of the biggest acts of resilience is to believe that you are whole, to show up confident, to love yourself. If you feel safe within your own body, within your own mind, each and every day becomes better.
Beauty is not a trend. It is so important that we define our own beauty from the inside, instead of chasing unattainable ideas that society defines for us.
At any point in your life — YOU can decide to recreate yourself. Become the best version of yourself. Show up as the person you aspire to be. Set your values and make decisions with those values in mind. Decide the identity you want to be, and continuously prove to yourself that is who you are through actions. Choose to love yourself through everything.
The way we think and talk about our experiences directly shapes our reality. Our words and thoughts are not just reflections of our inner world — they actively influence how we perceive and interact with life.
If we constantly speak from a place of scarcity and negativity, we reinforce a mindset where we feel powerless. Complaining, blaming external factors, or seeing ourselves as victims of circumstance can trap us in a cycle of negativity, making it even harder to take action — allowing us to come up with excuses for why we can’t grow.
On the other hand, when we shift our language and mindset to focus on what is within our control, we regain power. This doesn’t mean looking at the world through rose colored glasses and ignoring hardships — or toxic positivity — it means recognizing our own agency. We can acknowledge struggles while also choosing to respond in a way that empowers us. We have the power to choose a perspective that allows for growth, resilience and forward positive movement instead of a cycle of self-pity that causes us to be stagnant. Our mindset shapes our view on the world — and that mindset is in our control.
I read this quote that said, “worrying is like worshipping the problem,” and that was an epiphany moment for me. I can sit here and worry, become anxious and stuck — or I can decide how I want to learn, grow and act positively to improve my situation.
PS — I highly recommend reading the book “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz this book changed my life! In addition — “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle + my moms rec is “The Untethered Soul” by Michael Alan Singer
Get good sleep
Sleep is the number one most important thing we can do for our health. QUALITY sleep. So much happens while we are sleeping. Our brain clears out trash and stores what is important into our long-term memory center. Our bodies work to clear out waste. Signals are sent through our gut to heal and seal the lining. And that is just brushing the surface. Sleep is a time where our body completely restores itself, and literally heals from within.
I got lost on this crazzyyyy thread recently (I can’t find it and I am upset but if I do I will link it) that was talking all about how the number one competitor of today’s companies is our sleep — because the number one customer is our attention span. I mean Netflix literally came out and said it.
SLEEP IS A REVOLUTIONARY FORM OF RESISTANCE in today’s day and age. Which is so crazy to even say but it is true. It is the one true time where our attention span cannot be captured. It is also one of the most integral components in our health.
A few things that have completely changed my sleep that are FREE — staying off of blue light and turning off any artificial light once the sun goes down or before I am winding down for bed (love a candlelit vibe), reading before bed (no scrolling — I put my phone in another room and try to never bring it into my bed), waking up in the morning and going outside for a walk to get some sun and wake up my body, eating a nourishing breakfast and nourishing my body throughout the day, not overdoing it with the caffeine and stopping caffeine before 2PM or earlier, intuitively moving throughout the day (avoiding always being sedentary), not eating right before bed, daily nervous system restoring practices to tap into rest and digest, & winding down with a cup of tea (I try not to do this too close to bed otherwise I am peeing all night lol).
Be the village
Highly recommend watching Rachel Lovely’s tiktok on this —
We have all heard the saying, “it takes a village” — and unfortunately today, (especially living in the US), we’ve lost that sense of real community.
One of the comments on that video said, “There is this illusion of community through social media, when in reality, consumerism thrives off of us being divided and independent”. The more independent we are, the less we are sharing, the more we are buying. They’ve tapped into the premise that loneliness is convenient. We can order a meal, order groceries, order an outfit and skincare, order a ride somewhere, all from our fingertips while alone sitting on our couch.
It is true that community is not always convenient (I love this video that explains it well), but it is and has always been a necessary part of life and survival.
We all want to be a part of a village, but we don’t actively spend the time BEING the village. It starts with us.
We need to spend more time being selfless, empathetic, put ourselves in others shoes. Do things to help others because we genuinely want to make their lives easier, not because we expect something in return. Another commenter on the video wrote, “You can’t be taken advantage of if you have no expectations of reciprocity! You can’t steal from me if I am giving it away!” It’s so true.
Offer to help a mom struggling with her baby. Cook someone a home cooked meal. Bring someone groceries. Drive someone to the airport. Support small businesses. Do things out of the kindness of your heart — don’t keep tabs.
It is okay to ask for help too. Most people value being helpful, we need both! Share with others. Greet others with love, kindness and enthusiasm. Practice forgiveness and patience. See the good in others.
Treat nature with respect
Nature is healing. The more time we spend in nature — the more we become connected — the more we appreciate — the more we build respect.
Spend time outside with no distractions, observe when in nature and take the time to slow down and breathe, walk barefoot and ground, hug a tree, support pollinators, start a garden, eat local seasonal and regenerative foods, know your farmers, reduce food waste, learn wisdom from indigenous practices, live in rhythm with the seasons, watch the sunrise & sunset, eat meals with no distractions outside. Show gratitude for nature every single day — it is a necessary part of our survival. Nature does not need us, we need nature. PS — Wall-E & The Lorax are some wonderful films <3
Be present
This is something I have to consciously practice every single day. I am an anxious overthinker. My mind is automatically wired to be thinking 20 steps ahead or stuck behind…and it takes away from me actually being grateful for the present moment.
I saw a video of this elder woman talking about how she “when’d” her life away. Each day she would say “when I achieve this I will be happy”, “when I reach this milestone then I will follow my dreams” — and one day she woke up 80 years old and realized she when’d her entire life away. When we keep telling ourselves we will be happy when something happens in the future — we are wasting our life in the present. Life is NOW. Live NOW. It is so important we practice gratitude in each present moment no matter what we are doing. When we wake up — take the moment to be slow and appreciate the air in our lungs, the bed we slept on, the sun shining in the morning. Appreciate the smell of the coffee beans in our cute mugs. When we are doing something — be there doing that something.
Sometimes I will find myself doing an activity and stressing about all the work I need to do instead of actually enjoying the activity I am doing. When I am with family — I want to enjoy the time with family. When I am with friends — I want to savor those laughs. When I am resting — I want to appreciate that restoration.
I am really trying to focus on being more still and silent. Find beauty in the mundane. Go on long walks and observe what is around me. Detach from my phone. It is easy to start multitasking in every single moment and overstimulating our brains — but let’s be more present and focus on one thing at a time. Live life and be grateful for that moment. Be here now.
Eat locally & seasonally
When I walk into a grocery store most of the foods on an ingredient list are unrecognizable. In some places it is easier to get a box of cereal somewhere than it is a locally grown apple. The current system is flawed.
We must advocate for a better system. To do that — we need to vote with our dollar. Support local farmers. Join a CSA. Support companies that choose to invest time into regenerative agriculture and sustainability, transparency of ingredients. Get to know our local farmers. Talk to them. Ask questions. Tell them which produce you are interested in or want to see more of! Visit local farms. If room permits — start to learn how to grow your own food.
A big reason why a lot of places don’t have access to locally grown food is because there is not enough of a demand for it. Big businesses and industrialized agriculture have drowned out the small farmer. If we show our support — we will have more access. If we support our farmers, there will be more options. It begins with us.
Eating seasonally and locally is not only wonderful for us — it is wonderful for the environment. I have a full post on Why Seasonal Produce is Superior.
Laugh more
True joy is a mindset, and it’s contagious. The more we allow ourselves to let go, laugh, and enjoy life — the more magnetic, confident and lighthearted we become.
One of the best mood boosters isn’t something we can buy — it’s simply being around people who bring us energy, make us laugh, and fill our lives with joy. Doing more things that bring us energy instead of drain our energy.
As adults we tend to lose our sense of playfulness, curiosity and spontaneity. We make everything a lot more structured and serious. There is something magical about allowing ourselves to be creative for the sake of it, find delight in the small every day things, let go of expectations and have fun. It doesn’t mean we have to ignore reality or live in denial — but it is a choice to lean into life and not take every single thing so seriously. It is a choice to laugh a little more, and have more fun. To live.
Because at the end of the day, we want to be healthy so that we can enjoy our lives. We don’t want to stop enjoying our lives just so that we can be healthy.
We can really take a lot of wisdom from old philosophy, traditional practices and ancient texts. I am so grateful for this community because I really do see each and every one of you as part of my village. You are so incredibly knowledgeable and have such a beautiful mindset on how you choose to live your lives, and I am really grateful for you guys. You make me more positive each day, and confident that we can come together to make the world a better place, it starts with us!!!
Would love to hear all of your thoughts — and if you have any practices that are free that have made you a healthier human. Love you guys! XO - Ella
You will love Braiding sweetgrass!
This is fabulous. Thanks, Ella!