The Medicine Wheel: Keeping the Circle Strong

The Medicine Wheel: Keeping the Circle Strong
Holistic Balance: The Four Aspects of Everyone’s Nature

The Medicine Wheel is a valuable teaching based on the concept of holistic balance. It is an expression of an Indigenous world view that supports the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance. In the Indigenous teachings all aspects of the individual and world must be in balance. There are any number of ways the Medicine Wheel can be used: goal setting, setting priorities, assessing community needs, discussing needs for responding to a life situation, to name just a few. The depth of the practice of the Medicine Wheel is dependent on the individual - what you put into it, you get out of it.

Individuals must be in balance in order to learn. The way we use the Medicine Wheel is to assess the holistic balance of the individual and the community. The greatest teacher anyone will ever have is him- or herself. Each quadrant has something to teach us about our nature, our wellness, and our role in the community.

The four aspects of humans – physical, emotional, spiritual and mental.

The idea is to try and keep these four aspects in balance to maintain a good rhythm and lead a balanced life: The physical is the relationship of us to our body and health.

The physical lets you know when you must see a doctor.

• What is the condition of my physical health?
• What are my physical needs?
• What do I do to exercise and feed my body?
• What does my body language say?
• What activities can I do to enhance my physical wellbeing?
• What harmful things must I avoid?
• What are my goals? Where do I see myself in two years?

The emotional is the direction of feelings. We must learn to experience our emotions in a healthy manner and not suppress them due to negative reactions or feedback we receive. It is the direction of counselors.

• What condition is my emotional health?
• What are my emotional needs?
• Do I have positive self-esteem?
• Do I trust people?
• What are my coping strategies?
• Am I maintaining healthy relationships?
• What can I do to nurture positive relationships?
• How have I incorporated prayer/meditation into my daily life?

The spiritual is the direction of energy. It is the alternate reality or mirror image of the physical. When our energy levels are low it affects all the other aspects. When we speak of someone being ‘in good spirits’, we think of them as being happy.

• Do I have meaning and purpose in my life?
• Do I live up to my principles, beliefs, and values?
• Do I take time out for prayers, fasting, meditation, enjoyment of nature?
• What effort do I make to develop qualities or virtues?
• Am I honest, humble, trustworthy and helpful?
• Do I feel a sense of connectedness and pride to my culture and my sense of Creation?
• What positive activities can I do to nurture my spiritual life?

The mental is conscious and unconscious learning. The mind can be trained until it becomes a highly developed instrument.

• Are we mindful of the words we use to talk about ourselves?
• What is my self talk usually like?
• Am I positive and humble?
• What are my general intellectual or learning activities?
• What are my creative activities and how can I foster them?
• Do I take time to reflect on what is happening in my life?
• What are my problem solving skills and how can I improve them?
• Is time management a problem in my life?
• What activities can I do to enhance my life in mental and intellectual spheres?

Each of these gifts must be in balance with one another to maintain a good rhythm and lead a good life.

Using the Medicine Wheel to reflect on these four aspects:

• Record your reflections to these questions in the Medicine Wheel Template in Exercise 1: Self (on the next page).  
• Try any one or all of three medicine wheel exercises on the next page to explore aspects of self, wellness, and community.