Taking accountability for our health and well-being

We recently attended a 'People of Glastonbury' meeting and the first talk really resonated with us, particularly considering our vision here at Glastonbury Float Centre. The theme of the talk was the huge strain our NHS is currently facing and our collective roles in overburdening it. I won't try to cover everything that was said in the 10 minute talk, but here are some of the key points.

Our NHS was once one of the best health systems in the world. Now its reaching breaking point. It is being squeezed from both sides, underfunded by the government and overused by patients. It not only deals with medical issues, but is now being increasingly left to pick up the pieces from a society that is breaking down. Many GP appointments are taken by those with loneliness, acute depressive symptoms, grief and fear. All real human processes but not medical problems. As a nation, we are becoming increasingly unable to sit with discomfort and process complex emotions now that we have lost the framework of our ancestors, who were much better equipped to function as a supportive community. Instead, we look to an external system to seek out quick fix drugs, each coming with their own range of damaging side effects. On top of this, there is a huge number of lifestyle diseases arising, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancers, as we become more sedentary and attached to our phones and distractions, and less connected to our food and environment.

Whilst it may seem like we are here to sell floats, that's not our driving motivation. We believe in empowering people to feel their own innate wisdom and power. Our bodies communicate the most intricate pieces of information to us, but on such a subtle level that it is often drowned out by noise of distractions and the dopamine hits. This knowledge is within each and every one of us, but we have to learn to come into silence and stillness to listen. We strive to hold a space to allow people to become aware of behavioural patterns and challenge their own programming. A safe place to find refuge when difficult emotions and life events arise. And perhaps most frequently, a space to maintain your nervous system and physical body in softness in a world that profits from you being kept in tension through a fight or flight response. We see floating as one of many tools that can enable you to take back autonomy over your own health and well being. To dig a little deeper into this, we are now holding monthly meet ups. Evenings of human connection to discuss ways to reconnect with ourselves, each other and our environment. We'll look at the different ways to nourish the body and mind from food to exercise, healing modalities and consciousness exploration.

Healthcare is a hugely complex subject and we are absolutely not suggesting to boycott the medical system. For medical issues, it is essential to see the appropriate professionals. However, with our current level of over reliance, our NHS will eventually collapse. So take a few moments of reflection of how you could choose differently to support your own body and mind even in a small way today.

To find out mare about The People of Glastonbury, visit; https://peopleofglastonbury.org/